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Mucormycosis is a serious fungal infection caused by fungi in the order of Mucorales. Orbital mucormycosis occurs more frequently in rhino-orbital, sino-orbital, and rhino-orbito-cerebral forms of the disease, while isolated orbital mucormycosis is much less common. Herein, we present four cases of immunocompetent children who developed primary cutaneous mucormycosis, which subsequently invaded and progressed to orbital mucormycosis following direct traumatic injury caused by pecking from Acridotheres tristis (Common Myna). Given the low prevalence of orbital mucormycosis in healthy children, an unknown source of infection and delayed diagnosis followed by late therapeutic interventions could result in life-threatening conditions and serious sequelae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is a rare autosomal recessive ciliopathy. Within corneal development, primary cilia serve a critical role. We sought to investigate the association of BBS with corneal astigmatism among a cohort of patients with BBS. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study performed at a pediatric ophthalmology department of a tertiary hospital. The study enrolled 45 patients with genetically confirmed Bardet-Biedl syndrome, encompassing a total of 90 eyes observed from February 2011 to August 2021. Spherical and cylindrical refractive errors and keratometry outcome measures, including diopter (D) values at the flattest and steepest axes, were recorded. Corneal astigmatism of greater than 3D is considered extreme corneal astigmatism based on previously published data. Results: Among 45 patients (M:26; F:19), the mean age was 16.4 ± 8.2 years, and the mean best-corrected visual acuity was 20/60. The most common molecular diagnosis was BBS1, seen in 24 of 45 (53.3%). Among all the patients, the mean spherical refractive error was −2.9 ± 3.8D. The mean cylindrical refractive error was 2.6 ± 1.5D. The mean keratometry values at the flattest axis was 43.5 ± 5.3D (39.4–75.0) and at the steepest axis was 47.2 ± 7.3D(41.5–84.0). Among all the patients with BBS, the mean corneal astigmatism was 3.7 ± 1.0D(0.5–7.1), which is considered extreme. Conclusion: A cohort of individuals with BBS demonstrated high corneal astigmatism. These results suggest an association between corneal astigmatism and primary ciliary dysfunction and may assist in clinical management and future therapeutic targets among BBS and other corneal disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores three cases of celebrity miscarriages or pregnancy losses as mediated on Twitter. Through an exploration of how ambiguous grief is mediated in social media, this paper highlights the way gender, race, celebrity, and grief intersect in social media spaces. Using interdisciplinary work from media studies, gender studies, disability studies and trauma studies, this article offers a way to recognize how digital media offers space for coping to everyday people through mediations about and by celebrities, even while policing the boundaries of those celebrities' grief. In exploring the complexity of this type of digital mediation this article offers an entry point through which to understand other digital mediations of loss, grief, and trauma in social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MS (Multiple sclerosis) is a progressive neurologic disorder often appearing in the third decade of life. MS is the most frequent demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The development of MS is influenced by environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. The bulk of the human transcriptome comprises lncRNAs, which play crucial regulatory roles. We aimed to assess the SNHG3 and BCYRN1 lncRNA expression in blood samples from MS patients and how these lncRNAs and disease activity are related. Methods: A total of 100 MS patients, including 8 primary progressive (PP), 82 relapsing-remitting (RR), and 10 secondary progressive (SP) MS, as well as 100 healthy controls, had their blood samples taken. Gene expression was assessed using quantitative real-time PCR. Recognizing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the diagnostic potential of lncRNA levels was evaluated. Results: Expressions of SNHG3 and BCYRN1 were found to have significantly increased (p < 0.0001). SNHG3 expression level showed significant differences compared to age groups and MS subtypes (p value = 0.001 and p value = 0.02). Furthermore, patients with a family history showed elevated BCYRN1 expression with a p value of 0.01. Considering the age factor, BCYRN1 exhibits altered expression levels in patient groups compared to healthy controls (p value 0.04). Additionally, the novel biomarkers SNHG3 and BCYRN1 can be used to diagnose MS (AUC = 0.97 and AUC = 0.88, respectively). Discussion: Increased levels of SNHG3 and BCYRN1 in the serum may serve as potential molecular biomarkers for the MS diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a cheap, novel, ecofriendly and effective nanosorbent was synthesised with natural materials such as sand beach and eggshell for diazinon determination in natural water. The synthesised nanosorbent was successfully characterised using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), field emission scanning- electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) methods. Effective parameters were optimised for the extraction of diazinon and determination was done by UV-Vis spectroscopy at 248 nm. The method was linear in the range of 50–400 µg L−1 and the limit of detection was 6.9 µg L−1. Adsorption kinetic and isotherm studies were performed. Also, for measurement of diazinon in water samples of Gilan province, sampling was performed from important points such as river water, Anzali lagoon, well water, agricultural streams, and tap water. The results shows good spiked recovery (97.6–103.4%) in all samples. The accuracy of the method was also confirmed by the student's t -test with HPLC analysis of real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than half of the world population lives in Asia and hypertension (HTN) is the most prevalent risk factor found in Asia. There are numerous articles published about HTN in Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) and artificial intelligence (AI) methods can analyze articles and extract top trends in each country. Present analysis uses Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) as an algorithm of topic modeling (TM) in text mining, to obtain subjective topic-word distribution from the 2790 studies over the EMRO. The period of checked studied is last 12 years and results of LDA analyses show that HTN researches published in EMRO discuss on changes in BP and the factors affecting it. Among the countries in the region, most of these articles are related to I.R Iran and Egypt, which have an increasing trend from 2017 to 2018 and reached the highest level in 2021. Meanwhile, Iraq and Lebanon have been conducting research since 2010. The EMRO word cloud illustrates 'BMI', 'mortality', 'age', and 'meal', which represent important indicators, dangerous outcomes of high BP, and gender of HTN patients in EMRO, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of fascinating nanocarriers have reportedly been used and highlighted as novel drug delivery system in human colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. In this context, significant progress has been achieved in the last few years and a great deal of promising NPs application has been reported as well. According to the literature reviews, the application of different types of NPs improves the efficacy, stability and selectivity of anti-colon cancer drugs. Moreover, the outcome of in vitro and in vivo experiments, also conducted preclinical and clinical investigations, has not only pushed the boundaries of knowledge but also revealed the favorable therapeutic benefits of NPs in CRC therapy more than before. Thus, scientists conclude that it is not surprising if NPs play a crucial role in CRC treatment in the near future. The present review gathers the most recent knowledge of the field, and also addresses a summary of the advancements and clinical trials conducted so far. The authors hope that the present review will provide comprehensive information about the up-to-date results of the recently conducted investigations for those who are willing to read everything at a glance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study develops the experimental and finite element analysis of an auxetic piezoelectric energy harvester consisting of a cantilever, auxetic substrate, and piezoelectric layer. Firstly, five auxetic models with 1, 4, 9, 16, and 25 honeycomb auxetic cells are presented. Harvested power and stress distribution of the piezoelectric layer for these models are compared with plain piezoelectric energy harvester. All the analysis has been performed using the experimental tests and finite element method. Mesh size sensitivity analysis of the finite element model is presented, and it is verified by previous experimental studies. The model with 25 auxetic cells harvests more power than other models. Furthermore, comparing stress distribution on the piezoelectric layer of these models indicates that increasing the number of auxetic cells leads to increasing the average stress on the piezoelectric layer. The present investigation illustrates that harvested power of an auxetic energy harvester in resonant frequency could improve to twenty times more than a plain harvester. Besides, the new auxetic model with trapezoidal geometry is presented in the present paper. Utilizing this model as the substrate in a piezoelectric energy harvester leads to increasing the efficiency of the energy harvester by 82.5%. The damping ratio of the auxetic energy harvester has been measured by experimental investigation. Also, experimental analysis has been performed to find the optimum energy harvester circuit resistor. The density of the harvested power for the trapezoidal energy harvester with an optimum circuit resistor is 107% more than the rectangular energy harvester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storytelling can be an effective strategy in shaping destination image and personality. Nevertheless, little research has examined the effect of this construct on destination image, destination personality, tourist attitudes and their behavioural intention. Based on a survey of 146 international tourists, the current study examines these relationships within the context of Iran. The results showed that storytelling has positive impacts on destination image, destination personality, and tourists' behavioural intention. Storytelling also affects the destination image, destination personality and behavioural intention of men and women, and women reported higher scores than men. The findings provide significant insights into the potential role of storytelling as a destination marketing strategy, especially for destinations that may potentially previously been perceived negatively in some markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow experience in recreational flights not only can have positive psychological effects and individual satisfaction, but recollection and storytelling of this experience can be considered a marketing tool for tourism destinations. This study aims to examine the influence of experience gained from recreational flights on behavioural intentions of flight site users and the mediating role of satisfaction، recollection and storytelling. Employing a quantitative approach and gathering data from 279 respondents at two prominent recreational flight sites in Iran, the analysis conducted through Partial Least Squares (PLS) discovered a significant impact of flow experience on satisfaction, recollection, storytelling, and behavioural intention. Moreover, it was found that satisfaction, recollection, and storytelling mediate the connection between flow experience and behavioural intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender dysphoria affects people's social and psychological adjustment. One dimension of social incompatibility in people with gender dysphoria is the feeling of isolation and loneliness. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between personality traits and emotional schema with feelings of loneliness in Iranian people with gender dysphoria and the mediating role of mindfulness. Participants included 105 individuals with gender dysphoria who were asked to complete the UCLA Loneliness Scale-third version, Hexaco Personality Questionnaire, Leahy Emotional Schema Scale and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. The results showed that emotionality, extraversion, and emotional schema have a significant relationship with loneliness (p <.05). Higher correlation has been found between loneliness and extraversion (r = –0.51). The direct effect of emotional schema (β = 0.17; p =.044) and mindfulness (β = −0.36; p <.001) on loneliness were significant. Furthermore, the mindfulness factor indirectly related extraversion and emotional schemas to loneliness. Thus, emotionality, extraversion and emotional schema probably reduce, directly and indirectly, the loneliness of people with gender dysphoria through the mindfulness as a mediating factor. It can be concluded that in clinical practice, therapeutic interventions based on mindfulness and schema-oriented can possibly reduce the feeling of loneliness of people with gender dysphoria. As many people with gender dysphoria, dissatisfaction with birth-assigned sex, suffer from loneliness, this study aims to look for ways to reduce this feeling of loneliness. The result shows that increasing mindfulness and reducing negative emotional schemas can help reduce the feeling of loneliness. Additionally, having extravert tendencies helps reduce such feelings, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red Bed type sediment-hosted stratabound copper (SSC) deposits consist of replaced, disseminated to veinlets copper sulphides, hosted by thick, haematite-stained sequences of sandstone, conglomerate, and siltstone. More than 120 sediment-hosted stratabound copper (SSC) deposits and occurrences have been reported in Iran. Ravar–Tabas–Eshghabad is the major Red Bed type SSC belt in Iran, with a cumulative tonnage of more than 400 Mt ore at ~1–2% Cu. These deposits are hosted in Garedu Red Bed Formation (including reddish conglomerates and micro-conglomerates, red siltstones and sandstones), and copper sulphides (chalcocite, with minor chalcopyrite and bornite) are concentrated in local reducing conditions that are achieved around plant fossil accumulations, within grey paleochannels in the upper part of the Garedu Red Bed Formation. These deposits are usually explored using geochemical, geophysical, and remote sensing methods. However, the host layers usually extend laterally up to tens of kilometres, and the critical point is to find the paleochannels in the host horizons where organic matter and plant fossils accumulate, especially in underground mining and boreholes. The lateral extension of ore-bearing lenses is usually 50–150 m, so it is not easy to find them within the reduced horizons. Recognizing neotocite textures (including diffusion, radial DLA (diffusion-limited aggregation), cat footprint, and spotty), and distribution in the host rocks of the Red Bed type SSC deposits can be used as a clue to find the ore lenses, organic matter, and plant fossil accumulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature points out that project outputs need to be aligned with project goals. However, it does not demonstrate how this alignment can be utilized to enhance project decision making. Drawing on system theory, this paper shows how to evaluate and utilize project goal-outputs relationships – while integrating risk related to the future values of goals – to support decisions made by executives in large and complex projects. To do so, a novel analytical approach that combines the stratified approach and quality function deployment (QFD) is developed and introduced to the literature. The stratified approach is a tool from operations research, which is used to integrate risk related to the future values of goals, and QFD is a quality management tool which is used to translate one set of elements (goals) to another (outputs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive-oxygen-species are produced more often in the body when bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting-substance, is present. In this investigation, bio-sorbents from an aqueous solution adapted from Aloe-vera were used to survey BPA removal. Aloe-vera leaf wastes were used to create activated carbon, which was then analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Zeta potential, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) techniques. It was revealed that the adsorption process adheres to the Freundlich isotherm model with R2>0.96 and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with R2>0.99 under ideal conditions (pH = 3, contact time = 45 min, concentration of BPA = 20 mg.L−1, and concentration of the adsorbent = 2 g.L−1). After five-cycle, the efficacy of removal was greater than 70%. The removal of phenolic-chemicals from industrial-effluent can be accomplished with the assistance of this adsorbent in a cost-effective and effective-approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive deficits are the main outcome of neurological disorders whose occurrence has risen over the past three decades. Although there are some pharmacologic approaches approved for managing neurological disorders, it remains largely ineffective. Hence, exploring novel nature-based nutraceuticals is a pressing need to alleviate the results of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Some triterpenoids and their derivates can be considered potential therapeutics against neurological disorders due to their neuroprotective and cognitive-improving effects. Betulin (B), betulinic acid (BA), and ursolic acid (UA) are pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds with a variety of biological activities, including antioxidative, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. This review focuses on the therapeutic efficacy and probable molecular mechanisms of triterpenoids in damage prevention to neurons and restoring cognition in neurodegenerative diseases. Considering few studies on this concept, the precise mechanisms that mediate the effect of these compounds in neurodegenerative disorders have remained unknown. The findings can provide sufficient information about the advantages of these compounds against neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims at exploring the issue of foodways in three Iranian-American memoirs, namely, Gelareh Asayesh’s Saffron Sky, Firoozeh Dumas’ Funny in Farsi, and Davar Ardalan’s My Name is Iran (Ardalan). With this in mind, it adopts subject positioning theory and discourse analysis to examine the connectivity between food and religion, culture, economy, individual and collective gastronomic memories, urban and rural food habits, and ethnicity and, specifically, how the Iranian-Americans position themselves and others through food-related practices. The results indicate that food practices and multiple subject positions are constructed and (re)-constructed in religious, ethnic, cultural, economic, gendered, local, national, and transnational contexts. Despite the dominant mainstream and dominated ethnic culinary, Persian and American foodways can live with each other on the same sofreh. Accordingly, in these memoirs “home” is not a nostalgic space but a “feeling at home” in a double sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractHollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction is commonly used in analytical chemistry, providing high clean-up and pre-concentration factors. However, a major issue with this method is the long extraction time. The objective of this project is to reduce the extraction time by inducing different types of fluid motion in the sample solution. Three methods were employed: agitation using a magnetic stir bar in the horizontal position (conventional method), utilization of an air pump, and agitation using a magnetic stir bar in the vertical position for the pre-concentration and determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (naproxen, ibuprofen, and mefenamic acid) in biological samples via high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorbance detection. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in extraction time and limit of detection when the air pump was employed compared to the conventional method of stirring with a magnetic stir bar in the horizontal position. Moreover, the mentioned parameters were even lower when stirring solutions were accomplished using a vertically-positioned magnetic stir bar, surpassing the method utilizing the air pump for agitation. Furthermore, the relative standard deviations were also lower when a vertically-positioned magnetic stir bar was used compared to the conventional method with a horizontally-positioned magnetic stir bar, while those of the air pump-assisted agitation method fell between the values of the aforementioned methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Many loss processes in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) take place at interfaces. One effective mitigation strategy is introducing carbon derivatives at the interface of the charge transport layers with the halide perovskite absorber and/or with the contacts. In this work, single-walled carbon nanotubes are incorporated into the hole transporting material (HTM), either as composites or as a separate layer on top of the HTM. Both organic and inorganic hole transport materials are studied to validate this approach for different types of HTMs. It is shown that the CNTs facilitate charge transport from perovskite to the back contact, regardless of the HTM used. The use of CNTs results in an increase in a significant increase in short circuit current and power conversion efficiency. This study illustrates how SWCNTs can be utilised to improve the properties of a wide range of HTMs, which will pave the way for more efficient and PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burns can result in infection, disability, psychosocial and economic issues. Advanced wound dressings like hydrogel absorb exudate and maintain moisture. Considering the antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles and iron oxide nanoparticles, the efficiency of cross-linked hydrogel loaded with chitosan-supported iron oxide and silver nanoparticles for burn wounds repair was investigated in animal model. Cellulose hydrogel dressing made from carboxymethylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose crosslinked with different concentrations of citric acid (10, 15, 20, and 30%) was produced. The physicochemical characteristics of the synthetized hydrogels including Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Thermal behavior, Swelling properties, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were evaluated. The silver nanoparticles and iron nanoparticles were produced and the characteristics, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial activities and their synergistic effect were investigated. After adding nanoparticles to hydrogels, the effects of the prepared wound dressings were investigated in a 14-day animal model of burn wound. The results showed that the mixture comprising 12.5 ppm AgNps, and IONPs at a concentration ≤100 ppm was non-cytotoxic. Moreover, the formulations with 20% CA had a swelling ratio of almost 250, 340, and 500 g/g at pHs of 5, 6.2, and 7.4 after one hour, which are lower than those of formulations with 5 and 10% CA. The total mass loss (59.31%) and the exothermic degradation happened in the range of 273–335 °C and its Tm was observed at 318.52 °C for hydrogels with 20% CA. Thus, the dressing comprising 20% CA which was loaded with 12.5 ppm silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and 100 ppm iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) indicated better physicochemical, microbial and non-cytotoxic characteristics, and accelerated the process of wound healing after 14 days. It was concluded that the crosslinked hydrogel loaded with 12.5 ppm AgNPs and 100 ppm IONPs possesses great wound healing activity and could be regarded as an effective topical burn wound healing treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The g-C3N4 (GCN) adsorbent with two different morphologies, coral (CGCN) and nano fiber (GCNNF), was synthesized and recruited for extraction and preconcentration of lead and copper metal ions by effervescent salt-assisted dispersive micro solid phase extraction procedure. The structures of the two adsorbents were affirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses. The factors affecting the extraction efficiency were carefully studied and the optimum values of the parameters for both adsorbents were pH 6.5, adsorbent dosage 8 mg, desorption time 3 min, and the elution solvent 300 μL of 2 mol L−1 of HNO3. The detection limits of Pb(II (and Cu(II) ions for CGCN were 0.9 and 0.3 μgL−1 and for GCNNF were 1.56 and 0.7 μgL−1, respectively. The percent relative standard deviations were obtained to be 1.32% and 2.23% for CGCN (n = 3) and 1.24% and 2.29% for GCNNF (n = 3), respectively for the lead and copper metal ions. In addition, the adsorbents could be used up to 7 times without an imperative reduction in the percentages of analytes recovery. Finally, the performance of CGCN and GCNNF were used for preconcentrate of lead and copper ions in honey, canned fish, and human hair samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of redundancy incorporation as static indeterminacy and possibility to utilise alternative load paths in design and seismic behaviour of steel truss bridge conveyors by conducting complementary reliability assessments. The results could be supportive in adjusting the degree of indeterminacy, especially for long structures, to convince the design goals. It is conceived that the design approach with lower indeterminacy donates to less structural weight in addition to a bit more fundamental period contributing to less earthquake-induced demands and easily controllable lateral drifts in the end reference points which are very crucial in view of connecting to the adjacent structures. On the other hand, providing more indeterminacy in conveyor design could bring about more ductility, nonlinear displacement and earthquake energy dissipation as well as closer nonlinear behavioural parameters to the amounts recommended by the design code. In reliability assessments by increasing the degree of indeterminacy, the failure probability is reduced which contributes to the design with higher reliability indexes and higher collapse safety margin and it is expected that the incorporation of redundancy effects would be more perceivable by providing models with more redundancy discrepancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines identity construction and conflict in the case of a woman whose parents replaced the local language with the official language at the home in the city of Tabriz in northwestern Iran, where the local language, Azerbaijani, is overshadowed by Persian as the official language of the state. In such contexts, Shifting away from the local language at the home could endanger the minority languages and affect children's identity construction and socialisation into the community. To trace the participant's identity construction over different periods of her life, her narrative accounts including autobiographical narratives and small stories were collected through multiple interviews, complemented by ethnographic observation of her interactions. Data was analyzed through extended three-level positioning and sociocultural linguistic approaches. The findings of the study revealed that the participant had an affinity to Persian over her childhood and early teens, though until then, she had felt no sense of conflict within her community. However, facing strengthening pro-Azerbaijani ideologies in the city, her struggle to maintain both identities was in vain, and she ended up feeling excluded from both communities. Findings are discussed in the light of larger sociopolitical and ideological discourse in place in northwest Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools are an ideal setting in which to measure and promote mental health difficulties. The aim of present study was to develop the Nemad Electronic Mental-Health Assessment Devices for Children (NEMAD-C) aged 6 to 12 years in Iran. A sample of parents and teachers (N = 10,163) were recruited to complete the parent and teacher reports. Totally, explorative and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the eight-factor model provides a better fit for both parental report and teacher report versions. Results revealed a screening tool consisting of eight dimensions: child abuse risk, self-harm, anxiety, depression, disruptive behavior disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, academic achievement deficit, and self-regulation. Findings showed that the internal consistency coefficients of the subscales were high, and convergent validity was evidenced by significant correlations with theoretically related constructs. Therefore, the NEMAD-C has adequate reliability and validity and could be used for multi-dimensional assessment of mental health problems in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forced degradation studies have been used to simplify analytical methodology development and achieve a deeper knowledge about the inherent stability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and drug products. This provides insight into degradation species and pathways. Identification of impurities in pharmaceutical products is closely related to the selection of the most appropriate analytical methods like HPLC-UV, LC-MS/MS, LC-NMR, GC-MS, and capillary electrophoresis. Herein, recent trends in analytical perspectives during 2018–April 14, 2021, are discussed based on forced and impurity degradation profiling of pharmaceuticals. Literature review showed that several methods have been used for experimental design and analysis conditions such as matrix type, column type, mobile phase, elution modes, detection wavelengths, and therapeutic category. Thus, since these factors influence the separation and identification of the impurities and degradation products, we attempted to perform a statistical analysis for the developed methods according to the abovementioned factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper deals with the exact solution of vibration analysis of functionally graded (FG) annular plate elastically restrained boundary conditions and resting on Winkler foundation. Hamilton's principle has been applied to derive the motion equations of FG annular plate and associated boundary conditions based on the classical plate theory (CPT). It is assumed that the material properties have been graded through the direction of plate thickness according to power law distribution. The effects of some key system parameters such as normalised inner radius, non-dimensional foundation stiffness, non-dimensional transverse and rotational spring constants of the elastic boundary, volume fraction index and number of nodal diameters on the frequency parameter have been assessed in tabular and graphical forms. The accuracy of the present work has been validated by comparing the present results with those computed by previously published literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

lncRNAs play a crucial role in the carcinogenesis process. Thus, they have been recognized as the potential therapeutic and diagnostic biomarkers of cancers. This study assessed the alteration in the expression of APOC1P1-3 lncRNA in cancerous tissues compared to their adjacent non-tumorous tissues sampled from cervical cancer patients. one hundred fifteen pairs of cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous biopsy of cervical cancer specimens were collected. RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis were carried out. The qRT-PCR was used to assess the changes in the expression of APOC1P1-3 lncRNA. Moreover, the biomarker function of the lncRNA and the correlations between APOC1P1-3 and clinicopathological parameters were measured. The APOC1P1-3 expression was significantly increased in cervical cancer specimens as compared to adjacent non-tumorous specimens (p < 0.0001). A significant association was also observed between APOC1P1-3 expression and lymph node involvement (p = 0.031). Additionally, APOC1P1-3 expression demonstrated a significant association with the depth of tumor invasion (p = 0.035), and squamous type of cervical cancer (p = 0.019). The overexpression of APOC1P1-3 was significantly observed in patients younger than 50 years old as compared to another age group (p = 0.033). The results of ROC curve exhibited that APOC1P1-3 with area under the curve (AUC), specificity, and sensitivity of 0.96, 93.91%, and 78.26%, respectively can be considered as a potential biomarker. Regarding overexpression of APOC1P1-3 in human cervical cancer samples, this lncRNA may be considered as an oncogenic factor in cervical cancer patients. Besides, APOC1P1-3 may be a possible biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simultaneous effect of the swirl number (SN) and equivalence ratio on NO and soot emissions in turbulent methane–air combustion was numerically investigated. The realizable k-ε model has been applied for modeling turbulence and eddy dissipation (ED) and probability density function (PDF) models were adopted for chemical reaction. The general gradient diffusion hypothesis (GGDH), high order algebraic model (HOGGDH), and simple eddy diffusivity model have been applied for modeling the turbulent heat flux (THF) vector. The Brooke–Moss model has been employed to predict the soot particle quantities. Comparing the results of the different numerical models (PDF and EDM with algebraic THF) with available experimental data indicated that employing the second-order models significantly leads to the modification of predicting temperature distribution in EDM. However, due to the effect of the PDF model on soot modeling, the PDF model provides more accurate results. The numerical simulations have been performed for various SNs (SN = 0–1.33) and equivalence ratios (0.125–0.75). In all of equivalence ratios the flame temperature and pollutants emission (NO and soot) were strongly affected by the SN. Also, the SN has different effects on NO and soot emission. Finally, for each of NO and soot emission, a correlation relative to effective combustion factors such as SN and equivalence ratio was presented. It is found that by increasing the equivalence ratio, the NO emission increases with a power of 2.3, and soot emission decreases with a power of 8.7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The semiconductor sector generates a large amount of wastewater. If these wastewaters are not treated, they can be harmful to the environment. Wastewater often contains silicon particles, which could be recovered and repurposed. Membrane technology has grown significantly and offers benefits in treating wastewater. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of ceramic membrane as a sustainable development approach of silica recovery for the treatment of semiconductor-industry wastewater. Two ultrafiltration (UF) ceramic membranes with different molecular weight cutoff were used in this study. UF membrane with pore diameter smaller than hydrodynamic particle size of the silica colloids (124.3 nm to 126.7 nm) was able to recover silica colloids. Membrane B has the best performance in terms of color rejection (98.95%), SS rejection (97.76%), TDS rejection (92.75%), NH3-N rejection (92.86%), turbidity rejection (99.53%), COD rejection (99.34%), and BOD rejection (93.75%). Besides, the usage of 0.1 M NaOCl for alkaline cleaning was most prominent in membrane cleaning with a high FRR value (78.39–80.77%). Furthermore, the blocking mechanisms were determined, as proven by the Hermia model, which is standard blocking for both membranes. This innovation serves as a new revolution in semiconductor-industry wastewater treatment where wastewater treatment process comes along with simultaneous recovery of silica for recycle and reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to develop the College Mental Health Scale (CMHS) as a screening instrument among Iranian college students. In total, the nationally representative sample (N = 74,571) was selected to match the Iranian college student population throughout the country. In the first study, a conceptual framework was developed and a pool of items based on the most prevalent mental disorders in Iranian college students were devised. In the second study, psychometric properties of CMHS was examined (n = 600). The third study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase (n = 2,750), explanatory factor analysis was used for reaching a better factor structure and in the second phase (n = 2,750) the invariability of factor structure and correlation of CMHS with related measure was examined. The result revealed a 56-item measurement scale consisting of seven dimensions as the most prevalent mental disorders. In the fourth study (n = 68,471), male and female norms were developed. The CMHS has adequate reliability and validity and can be used for assessment of college students' mental health problems in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior event impact research has largely focused on the tangible outcomes of mega- and large-scale sports events. Significantly less work has examined the intangible impacts of such events. This study helps fill this research gap by testing a measurement framework and scale for psychic income in the context of a small-scale sports event (SSSE) in Northern Iran. We tested and validated five factors thought to encapsulate the main psychic impacts of a small-scale event. Primary data (N = 825 usable questionnaires) were collected among local community residents. The study samples were divided into two sets: one (n = 412) for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA, Varimax Rotation), and two (n = 413) for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results showed that community pride and image, community attachment, event excitement, cultural confidence, and community excitement are valid measures for SSSE psychic income. Although prior research has suggested that community infrastructure is a strongly supported intangible event impact, this construct was not influenced here. Examining the psychic income of SSSE's in a culturally and geographically distinct setting provides and pathway for future work dedicated to smaller, even grassroots and startup, events. Moreover, by refining and extending existing frameworks, a model of evaluating the psychological benefits of SSSE's is suggested, which event organizers can utilize to entice sponsors, leverage event-related assets, and maximize host community (and regional) benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify sponsorship-fit profiles of individuals regarding perception of sponsors of national volleyball teams in three countries and its effect on affective outcomes. We examined: (a) if sponsorship-fit profiles were similar for two sponsor categories (sport equipment/apparel companies and financial service companies) and in three countries (France, Iran and Russia); (b) whether individuals with distinct sponsorship-fit profiles differed in their attitudes toward sponsor and toward brand, (c) whether the relationships between sponsorship-fit profiles and attitudes toward sponsor and brand were similar between the two sponsor categories and the three countries; and (d) whether the scores of fit and attitude toward sponsors and brands differed across cultures and categories of sponsors. To investigate this, we collected data from 166 randomly selected student in France, 270 in Iran and 168 in Russia. The results of the cluster analyses revealed two or three sponsorship-fit profiles across the sponsor categories and countries: low, medium and high fit. Respondents had significantly different scores of fit and attitude toward sponsor and brand for the different sponsor categories and countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of psychological symptoms (PS) among university students and the predictors associated with seeking counseling and psychological help among students. Participants: A total of 663 students from three Jordanian universities participated in this study. Methods: A cross-sectional, correlational design was applied. Participants reported on the Attitude toward Seeking Professional Help Scale and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-21. Results: Students reported higher mean scores on the symptom checklist and had a poor attitude toward seeking counseling with low confidence in the counseling services. PS predicted that less than 7% of students would seek counseling with no difference among all age groups, gender, or specializations. Conclusion: High prevalence and low confidence influenced students' behavior toward seeking counseling and psychological help. There is a need to incorporate topics explaining the importance of counseling into different university courses, while emphasizing that it is neither stigmatizing nor shameful to seek professional help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarising microscopy brought about many advancements in the science of liquid crystals and other soft materials, including those of biological origin. Recent developments in optics and computer-based analysis have enabled a new generation of quantitative polarising microscopy which produces spatial maps of the optic axis. Unfortunately, most of the available approaches require a long acquisition time of multiple images which are then analysed to produce the map. We describe a polychromatic polarising microscope, which allows one to map the patterns of the optical axis in a single-shot exposure, thus enabling a fast temporal resolution. We present a comparative analysis of the new microscope with alternative techniques such as a conventional polarising optical microscope and MicroImager of Hinds Instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid, sensitive, and environmentally friendly air-assisted emulsification microextraction based on a deep eutectic solvent was developed for speciation of trace amounts of Cr6+ and Cr3+ ions in real samples. 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol was used as a complexing agent and the decomposable and environmental friendly choline chloride-phenylethanol extraction solvent (ChCl:Ph-EtOH) was used as the extraction solvent. The resulting hydrophobic complex, i.e. Cr3+-1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol, was extracted into the extraction solvent by the air-assisted emulsification microextraction method, followed by its determination with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Different parameters affecting the extraction efficiency, including pH of the sample solution, ratio of the complexing agent to the analyte, number of extraction cycles and volume of the extraction solvent, were optimised using response surface methodology based on the central composite design (RSM-CCD). Under the optimum experimental conditions, the calibration curve was linear in the range of 1.0–300.0 ng mL−1 Cr3+ with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. The relative standard deviation (RSD) based on five replicate analyses of 200.0 ng mL−1 of Cr3+ ions was 4.7%, the limit of detection was 0.4 ng mL−1 (n = 5) and the preconcentration factor (PF) was 39. In order to check the applicability of the method, the chromium ions were determined in tap water and rice, as the model samples. Based on the results obtained, the proposed method was successfully used to determine the chromium species in different water and food samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing disposal of industrial waste materials and high CO2 emission of cementitious materials production are serious concerns since they can globally pose critical environmental problems. Therefore, the environmental impacts besides the mechanical properties of materials are one of the major factors that should be considered. This study aims to investigate the mechanical, microstructural, environmental and economic impacts of red mud (RM)- and fly ash-based geopolymer concrete (GPC) containing waste tire rubber. The mechanical characteristics of rubberized GPC were evaluated by destructive and nondestructive tests. The scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used for microstructural investigations. The response surface method was adopted to determine the optimum concrete mixture based on desirable goals. The results indicate that the low content of rubber did not significantly change the mechanical properties of rubberized GPC. A slight enhancement in strength was observed by increasing the RM from 20% to 30% at 60% and 90% of rubber. Based on this study, rubberized GPC can be considered to be suitable and beneficial as a medium to low and controlled low strength material, since the incorporation of wastes led to the reduction of both CO2 emission and cost with desirable mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, seismic hazard curves are selected for four different sites at Alborz and Zagros seismic zones with underlying conditions of soft and hard soil. Three residential steel moment-resisting frames (SMRFs) with 3, 5, and 7 stories are designed and modeled for each site to perform cloud analysis, implementing more than 300 far-field as-recorded ground motions. Using the results of regression-based cloud analysis, robust fragility curves are developed for each SMRF, and by combining the fragility curve with the hazard curve, the annual rate of collapse (i.e., collapse risk) is calculated for each SMRF. Furthermore, the important levels of peak ground acceleration (PGA) that greatly contribute to the collapse risk of each SMRF are obtained by exploiting the collapse deaggregation curves, which are composed up of fragility curves, derivative of hazard curves, and the annual rates of collapse. It was found that a strong correlation exists between ductility and the collapse risk of SMRFs at both seismic zones and underlying soil conditions, where increasing the ductility of SMRFs results in a decreased risk of collapse. It was also found that the important levels of the PGA contributing to the collapse risk of the SMRFs are inclined towards greater values as the ductility increases. The 5-storey SMRFs exhibited the least ductility and the highest collapse risk at both seismic zones and soil conditions, while the 3-storey SMRFs were the most ductile ones with the least risk of collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an important fact that the onset of adolescence is a time of both physiological and social changes that affect sleep. In this study, the prevalence of sleep disorders in adolescents and the association between them were investigated. Anthropometric dimensions (such as height and weight) of individuals in Kerman in 2019 were also assessed. A total of 451 adolescents (mean age: 14.72 years; 51.88% females) of Kerman, Iran, took part in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, and then demographic (age, gender) and anthropometric data (weight and height) were collected. The prevalence of sleep disorders in this population was 31.9%. Among those with self-rated sleep disorders, 53.5% were males. Participants with sleep disorders were younger and showed lower anthropometric values such as height, weight, and body mass index. However, there was no difference between sleep disorders and gender (P-value >.05). This study revealed a relatively high prevalence of sleep disorders among adolescents. This research was done with the aim of encouraging the healthcare organization to design educational programs to evaluate and reduce sleep disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the ductility demands control of reinforced concrete frames under criticalsuccessive earthquakes using evaluation of behavior factors (R factors). The influence of RC frameperiods, PGA and magnitude of mainshocks and aftershocks is also taken into account by 10 training ideal artificial neural network (ANN) and proposing the empirical equations. Firstly, 2D RC frames are implemented in Opensees and then evaluated under as-recorded critical single and successive scenario. R factors are calculated and compared for single and successive cases. It is found that the sequences of critical records decrease R factors and capacity of RC frames about 18% and 30%, respectively. Despite what is necessitated in the seismic design codes, proposing a constant value as R factor for whole RC structure especially under single scenarios cannot lead to proper design of structures. Hence, the idealized multilayer ANNs employed to generate the empirical charts for evaluation of R factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, the expression levels of two important lncRNAs, i.e., AK058003 and APOC1P1, in breast tumors were compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues to evaluate their diagnostic potential in a panel of 121 patients. Total RNA was extracted, cDNA was synthesized and expression of AK058003 and APOC1P1 was assessed using qRT-PCR. A significant overexpression and positive correlation between these two lncRNAs were observed in tumor tissues compared to marginal healthy tissues. In conclusion, the examined lncRNAs were overexpressed in tumor tissues, suggesting their significant diagnostic value in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While male infertility has been associated with Mycoplasma infections, few studies have investigated the association between Mycoplasma infection and male infertility. Therefore, this study aimed at addressing this issue. Semen samples were collected from 136 patients (68 infertile men and 68 fertile men) in the Central Laboratory of Yazd, Iran. Of semen samples collected from 68 infertile and 68 fertile men, 13 (19.12%) and 2 (2.94%) cases were positive for Mycoplasma spp. using PCR, respectively. Among Mycoplasma-infected infertile men, 10 and 6 men showed abnormal sperm morphology and motility, respectively. None of the positive samples for Mycoplasma spp. was positive for M. hominis and one of the positive samples for Mycoplasma spp. belonged to Mycoplasma hyorhinis (strain NBRC 14858). The presence of Mycoplasma spp. was significantly higher in infertile men (p =.003). Mycoplasma infection was relatively high in infertile men. The surprising issue was the absence of M. hominis and the presence of M. hyorhinis strain NBRC 14858 in the semen of infertile men. Therefore, investigating reproductive tract infections caused by other Mycoplasma spp. should be taken into consideration in male infertility. What is already known on this subject?Mycoplasma hyorhinis has been mostly reported as a cause of animal respiratory tract infections and the development of various cancers. Information on the association of M. hyorhinis with male infertility is not yet available. What do the results of this study add? This study shows that the presence of M. hyorhinis in the semen of infertile men may be associated with infertility. This study shows that the investigation of unpredictable species of genus Mycoplasma such as M. hyorhinis in the semen of infertile men is essential. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The results of the present study indicate that in addition to M. genitalium and M. hominis, studies on the role of M. hyorhinis in reproductive tract infections and infertility should be expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the synthesis and the temperature dependencies of optical, dielectric, and elastic properties of four homologous dimeric mesogens in the uniaxial nematic (N) phase. The studied dimers are derived from 2ʹ,3ʹ-difluoroterphenyl units connected via flexible alkyl chains. The compounds differ in the length of either the flexible alkyl chain or the terminal groups. These achiral bimesogens exhibit the twist-bend nematic (NTB) phase with a nanoscale pitch of the modulated nematic director, as established by the freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy. All four homologs have negative dielectric anisotropy owing to the permanent dipole oriented normal to the long molecular axes. A longer flexible bridge length yields an expanded temperature range of the N phase, stronger dielectric anisotropy, larger birefringence and bend elastic constant K 33 . Longer alkyl terminal chains increase birefringence but decrease the absolute value of dielectric anisotropy and K 33 . All four bimesogens show a dramatic decrease of K 33 down to ~0.5 pN on approaching the N-NTB transition. A longer bridge yields a longer period of twist-bend modulation in the NTB phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]