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Gel polymer has been widely used to reduce water production in mature oil reservoirs. One of the challenges in this area is evaluation of permeability of media after the gel treatment. Darcy’s law has been used for this purpose while this equation has been developed for rigid porous media. In this study, a new mathematic model was introduced to calculate the permeability of gel coated porous media. For this purpose, a modified version of Brinkman equation was used. This model showed that permeability of gel impregnated porous media is a function of pressure drop, fluid viscosity, and gel viscoelastic properties. In order to obtain performance of new permeability model, several experiments were carried out in a porous media with radial flow. A copolymer of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propanesulfonic-acid sodium salt (AMPS) and acrylamide (AcA) gelant was used to form the gel in situ. Finally, to investigate the applicability of polymer gel treatment to water shut-off in porous media (sandpack), residual resistant factors (RRF) were calculated based on new permeability model.

Abstract Introduction Several landmark randomized‐controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the efficacy of sodium‐glucose co‐transport 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in reducing all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and heart failure (HF) hospitalizations. Much interest surrounds their mechanism of action and whether they have direct effects on reverse cardiac remodelling. Therefore, we conducted a meta‐analysis of placebo controlled RCTs evaluating the impact of SGLT2 inhibition on imaging derived markers of reverse cardiac remodelling in patients with HF. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) Statement and Cochrane Collaboration. Data interrogation of each major database including PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library was performed. RCTs evaluating HF patients >18 years comparing SGLT2 inhibitor versus placebo‐control were included. Outcome measures included left ventricular end‐diastolic volume and volume index (LVEDV/LVEDVi), left ventricular end‐systolic volume and volume index (LVSDV/LVSDVi), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular mass index (LVMi), left atrial volume index (LAVi) and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS). Studies with an HF with preserved ejection fraction population were excluded from analysis of parameters, which would be significantly affected by baseline LVEF, such as volumes and LVEF. The mean difference and standard error were extracted from each study and a random effects model used pool the mean difference and standard error across studies. A pre‐specified sub‐group analysis was performed to stratify results according to imaging modality used (cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography). This study is registered on PROSPERO: CRD42023482722. Results Seven randomized, placebo‐controlled trials in patients with HF comprising a total population of 657 patients were included. Overall LVEF of included studies ranged from 29 ± 8.0% to 55.5 ± 4.2%. In studies included in analysis of HFrEF parameters, baseline LVEF ranged from 29 ± 8% to 45.5 ± 12%. Pooled data demonstrated SGLT2 inhibition, compared with placebo control, resulted in significant improvements in mean difference of LVEDV [−11.62 ml (95% confidence interval, CI −17.90 to −5.25; z = 3.67, P = 0.0004)], LVEDVi [−6.08 ml (95% CI −9.96 to −2.20; z = 3.07; P = 0.002)], LVESV [−12.47 ml (95% CI −19.12 to −5.82; z = 3.68; P = 0.0002)], LVESVi [−6.02 ml (95% CI −10.34 to −1.70; z = 2.73; P = 0.006)], LVM [−9.77 g (95% CI −17.65 to −1.89; z = 2.43; P = 0.02)], LVMi (−3.52 g [95% CI −7.04 to 0.01; z = 1.96; P = 0.05)] and LVEF [+2.54 mL (95% CI 1.10 to 3.98; z = 3.62; P = 0.0005)]. No significant difference in GLS (n = 327) [+0.42% (95%CI −0.19 to 1.02; P = 0.18)] or LAVi [−3.25 ml (95% CI −8.20 to 1.69; z = 1.29; P = 0.20)] was noted. Conclusion This meta‐analysis provides additional data and insight into the effects of SGLT2 inhibition on reverse cardiac remodelling in patients with HF. Compared with placebo control, we found that treatment with a SGLT2 inhibitor produced significant improvements in several markers of reverse cardiac remodelling.

Civil structures are always considered one of the most valuable properties of each country. Many factors can lead to local damages in different parts of structures during their operational life. These damages are reflected in the vibration responses of structures. This research aims to detect the existence and determine the location of damage in a truss bridge under a moving load using an artificial neural network and experimental wavelet transform. For this purpose, a two-dimensional truss bridge was built in the laboratory to investigate this research's objectives. Earlier experimental studies in damage detection were subjected to excitations such as impact loads and electrodynamic shakers. Since the appearance of damage effects in the vibration responses of the structure mainly depends on the applied location of the impact load, a moving load that crosses the entire length of the bridge can be used as input excitation to detect the presence and location of damages for which there is no available data. After measuring the vibration responses of the bridge, 17 time-domain features were extracted from the raw signals, which were used to detect the presence of damage. Although feature extraction is applied to raw signals, the signal processing stage was not eliminated for damage localization. By processing the response signals of the healthy and damaged state of the bridge using experimental wavelet transform, these signals were decomposed into different modes and 5 non-parametric damage-sensitive features such as Shannon and Tsallis entropies, Root Mean Square (RMS), Shape Factor and kurtosis which are all based on statistical parameters in addition to energy, were extracted. Finally, these damage-sensitive features were presented as input to the neural network whereas the state of the bridge (healthy or damaged) was considered as its target. The obtained results showed that the proposed method can effectively detect the presence and the location of the damage in the truss bridge.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the broad acceptance of distance education (DE), with university professors and students conducting the teaching–learning process remotely from their homes. The propose of this study to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify risk factors associated with DE that may contribute to an increased incidence of these disorders among university professors. Methods This cross-sectional analytical study took a comparative approach and involved 310 university professors in Iran. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire. Initially, demographic and occupational information of the professors, hours of physical activity, and hours spent using electronic devices were recorded. Participants were then asked to report MSDs in various body areas throughout the previous year and the previous seven days. Finally, MSDs risk factors such as workstation ergonomics during computer, laptop, smartphone, and tablet use, as well as working postures during online teaching or offline content development during the COVID-19 pandemic, were examined. Results The majority of the participants were male (66.13%), with a PhD (46.77%) and a faculty member position (74.2%). On average, the use of computers and laptops increased by 2.67 h and 2.72 h, respectively, during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. This increase was statistically significant (P

Abstract This study employs a sophisticated bi‐level optimization methodology to model the most efficient operation of microgrids (MGs) within the operational framework of distribution companies (DCs). In this bi‐level optimization problem, the upper level strives to maximize the profits of both MGs owners and DCs, while the lower level is dedicated to ensuring load balance, managing distributed generation, and implementing load curtailment strategies. The coordination of power transmission is facilitated by the DCs. At the upper level of decision‐making, the optimal pricing strategies for power transactions are determined, accounting for various factors such as market prices, demand response programs, and uncertainties in wind speed. Through the utilization of a bi‐level optimization framework, this study comprehensively captures the complex interactions between MGs and DCs, taking into consideration the objectives and constraints of both entities. This approach offers a more precise representation of the decision‐making process in retail electricity markets, thereby providing valuable insights into the optimal operation of MGs within the DCs setting.

Abstract Background Multiple Sclerosis (MS) a central nervous system autoimmune disorder, mainly affecting young adults and more prevalent among women, can lead to sexual dysfunction (SD) among both males and females with MS. Female sexual dysfunction can be defined as dyspareunia, a lack of sexual desire, disorders in the arousal and orgasm phases, and sexual pain disorders. The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in sexual function among females with MS whose treatment was switched from first-line injectable medications to other agents after a six-month duration. And assess the changes in all three domains of SD. Methods In this longitudinal study females diagnosed with MS, aged between 18 and 50 years old, and were candidates for switching their treatment from interferon beta-1a (intra-muscular and subcutaneous), and Glatiramer Acetate (GA), to Fingolimod, Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF), or Natalizumab (NTZ) due to patients’ convenience and tolerability and adverse events were included. “Multiple Sclerosis Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire-19” was used to evaluate the SD changes before and six months after the new treatment initiation. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS V.24 software. Histograms and the Shapiro-Wilk test were used to assess the normality of the variables; due to the non-normal distribution of quantitative variables (except for age), the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the scores, before and six months after the medication change. The level of significance was considered less than 0.05. Results Out of 107 female participants (average age: 35.09 ± 5.61), The mean of overall MSISQ-19 scores, before and six months after the medication change were not significant (p-value = 0.091). However, considering the subdomains, the medication changes only affected the tertiary subdomain of MSISQ-19 (p-value = 0.017). Still, the scores of other subdomains did not change significantly (p-value = 0.761 for primary SD and 0.479 for secondary SD). Also, there wasn’t any significant difference between EDSS before and after the medication change (p-value = 0.461). Conclusions To our knowledge, this was the first study, assessing the effect of MS medication change on the improvement of SD among patients. According to the results of the presented cross-sectional study, we found that during a six-month period, the tertiary subdomain of MSISQ-19 symptoms improved significantly, while the changes in other SD domains were not significant.

The employee performance evaluation model is a very complex, sensitive process and has a special place in the AJA headquarters, and considering that the future wars are mainly based on joint operations, the designers of military operations should use all the capacities of the real battlefields, including air, space, land and sea for to achieve victory and inflict heavy damage on the other party. The main purpose of this research is to design a model for evaluating the performance of the employees of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army in joint operations, and the research method is descriptive and of an applied development type. The statistical population for the qualitative part includes 10 experts, commanders and managers of strategic levels of AJA and 45 people for the quantitative part.To determine the sample population in the qualitative part, the whole number method and in the quantitative part, the distance estimation method of the mean was used. The data collection tool is library and field study. The experiences of professors and expert community were used for the validity of documents, interviews and questionnaires, and spss software and Cronbach's alpha calculation were used to measure validity.The results of this research show that performance evaluation is one of the most effective monitoring tools for efficiency, empowerment and development and improvement of individual and organizational performance and is associated with meritocracy and meritocracy, meritocracy, meritocracy, and accordingly, meritocracy and the creation of healthy classes. And fair relations motivate managers and employees to work hard

Abstract Today, probiotics are considered to be living microorganisms whose consumption has a certain number of beneficial effects on the consumer. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a new probiotic extract (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis KUMS Y33) on the differentiation process of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) into adipocytes and osteocytes and, as a result, clarify its role in the prevention and treatment of bone age disease. Several bacteria were isolated from traditional yogurt. They were evaluated to characterize the probiotic’s activity. Then, the isolated hADSCs were treated with the probiotic extract, and then osteogenesis and adipogenesis were induced. To evaluate the differentiation process, oil red O and alizarin red staining, a triglyceride content assay, an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, as well as real-time PCR and western blot analysis of osteocyte- and adipocyte-specific genes, were performed. Ultimately, the new strain was sequenced and registered on NBCI. In the probiotic-treated group, the triglyceride content and the gene expression and protein levels of C/EBP-α and PPAR-γ2 (adipocyte-specific markers) were significantly decreased compared to the control group (P

Despite reaching enormous achievements in therapeutic approaches worldwide, GBM still remains the most incurable malignancy among various cancers. It emphasizes the necessity of adjuvant therapies from the perspectives of both patients and healthcare providers. Therefore, most emerging studies have focused on various complementary and adjuvant therapies. Among them, metabolic therapy has received special attention, and metformin has been considered as a treatment in various types of cancer, including GBM. It is clearly evident that reaching efficient approaches without a comprehensive evaluation of the key mechanisms is not possible. Among the studied mechanisms, one of the more challenging ones is the effect of metformin on apoptosis and senescence. Moreover, metformin is well known as an insulin sensitizer. However, if insulin signaling is facilitated in the tumor microenvironment, it may result in tumor growth. Therefore, to partially resolve some paradoxical issues, we conducted a narrative review of related studies to address the following questions as comprehensively as possible: 1) Does the improvement of cellular insulin function resulting from metformin have detrimental or beneficial effects on GBM cells? 2) If these effects are detrimental to GBM cells, which is more important: apoptosis or senescence? 3) What determines the cellular decision between apoptosis and senescence?

Introduction: Climate and ecosystem changes in coordination with other factors have challengedmany basic paradigms of natural resource management. The purpose of this research was to knowthe correlation between water, energy, and food in Varamin Plain by the method of the mentalmodel and the dynamics of water, energy, and food correlation under political scenarios.Material and Methods: Data and relationships related to the mental model were collectedthrough interviews with the farmers and managers of the region using the Mental Modelersoftware. Data related to the correlation dynamics model was also collected through organizations,regional stakeholders and authoritative articles. The WEF nexus model developed for the studyarea consists of interconnected relationships for modeling water, agriculture and energysubsystems and their interactions. The simulation model was built using Vensim software, and thesimulation period was considered a 20-year period. The equations in each subsystem were createdbased on the basic equations of the system dynamics approach and the causal loop diagrams ofeach subsystem using relationships and positive and negative feedbacks.Results and Discussion: The results of system dynamic modeling showed that the state of surface waterresources and water security of the plain will be 158 million cubic meters and -162 million cubic meters,respectively, during the period of 20 years, which shows the reduction of resources compared to theoriginal situation. The results of the model without applying the scenario showed that the volume of theVaramin Plain aquifer will decrease from 4000 million cubic meters to 2700 million cubic meters duringthe 20-year period. This shows that the policies of providing water resources, including the excessive useof wells, the development of urbanization and the creation of industries, as well as the lack of increase inthe productivity of agricultural water through modern irrigation methods, are the reasons for such aproblem. The application of scenarios for the allocation of the environmental needs of the Bandalikhanwetland showed that the plain will not have the ecological capacity to allocate water to the wetland, sothat in the next 20 years, the water security of the plain will decrease to 180 million cubic meters. Also,applying the scenario of increasing irrigation efficiency without increasing the cultivated area from 58%to 70% was effective in improving the reduction of agricultural water demand and increasing thecultivated area. The increase in cultivated area up to 41,600 hectares had a positive effect on agriculturalwater demand, but more than this amount caused the pressure on water resources to increase. Based onthe limitations of water resources and the reduction of water security in the Varamin Plain, the productionof the plain's products will also face a decrease. Due to its proximity to the city of Tehran, the VaraminPlain plays an important role in meeting the needs of the people of Tehran and the surrounding cities.Conclusion: Examining the results and comparing the data showed that during the 20-year period,Varamin Plain will have an unfavorable situation regarding water resources and food production.The management of the resources of Varamin Plain requires a change in organizational,agricultural and developmental approaches. The development of solar systems in order to meetthe energy needs, the establishment of the wastewater treatment plant in Varamin and thedevelopment of the treatment plant south of Tehran, as well as moving towards sustainablecompression is effective in creating the stability of the plains resources in order to properly exploitthe resources. On the other hand, increasing the irrigation efficiency without increasing thecultivation area can help in balancing the current situation so that with the implementation of thepolicies of the sixth development plan, the demand for agricultural water will be reduced to someextent and the pressure on the underground water resources will be reduced.

Background: Trauma can lead to significant complications and mortality for victims of accidents.Objectives: The present study was conducted to determine the mortality caused by trauma and its related factors.Methods: The present study was conducted using the data available in the Isfahan Trauma Registration System (ITR) and Hospital Information Systems (HIS). The number of 1266 deceased trauma patients who were registered in this system over 18 months (between September 2020 and March 2022) were included in the study and analyzed.Results: Out of 1266 patients who died from trauma, 604 (47.7%) patients experienced early death, 427 (33.7%) delayed mortality, and 235 (18.6%) late mortality. The mechanism and type of trauma, and the pre-impact conditions were significantly different between the three death categories (P

Abstract Background Supportive end-of-life care plays a significant role for patients with cancer. Significantly, art and aesthetics in nursing are regarded as key components of nursing practice. They may contribute to supportive end-of-life care that nurses provide for patients with cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of aesthetic care training on nurses’ perceptions of end-of-life care in patients with cancer. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted with two groups of nurses working in the oncology wards of two hospitals in Kerman, Iran. A sample consisting of 100 nurses was selected by census and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 49) and a control group (n = 51). The experimental group received educational workshops on aesthetic care over four weekly-held 90-minute sessions. Both groups completed the Oncology Nurses’ Perceptions of End-Of-Life Care (ONPEoLC) Scale before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The data were analyzed with SPSS software version 21 using t-test, Chi-square, and repeated measures ANOVA. The significance level was set to p 0.05). Post-intervention mean scores in the experimental and control groups were 187.1 ± 18.22 and 159.11 ± 22.11, respectively, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P

Abstract This paper proposes a novel bidirectional DC–DC converter with high voltage conversion ratio and capability of cancelling input current ripple. The proposed converter uses two coupled inductors and switched‐capacitor circuit to increase the voltage conversion ratio. The input current ripple at low voltage side can be eliminated for a pre‐selected duty cycle by adjusting special values of magnetizing inductances of coupled inductors. The input current is divided into two paths of the primary winding of coupled inductors that causes the decrease in the current stresses of switches. The proposed converter has five switches that consist the internal diodes of switches to bring about bidirectional power flow and have boost and buck operations. Here, the proposed topology is analysed in all operating modes and the current and voltage stresses of switches, input current ripple cancelling condition and voltage conversion ratio are calculated. Finally, the accuracy performance of the proposed converter is reconfirmed through EMTDC/PSCAD simulation and experimental results for boost operations.

Background: Identifying protein interactions is one of the main challenges in the fields of biostructure and molecular biology. Despite extensive progress, the exact patterns of protein-protein interactions are still unknown. The main goal of this study is to computationally evaluate the interactions of fibronectin-1 in the extracellular matrix of decellularized trachea and integrins in adipose tissue stem cells in order to provide the most accurate possible visualization of these interactions and their role in biological processes. Methods: After decellularization of the sheep trachea through the detergent-enzyme method, histological evaluations and ultrastructure photography of the samples were done by scanning electron microscopy. Also, the simulations of fibronectin1 binding of extracellular matrix protein with integrin αvβ1 and α5β3 of stem cells derived from adipose tissue were investigated, and interaction energy analysis was applied to predict the structure of protein-protein complexes using the algorithms available in HDOCK and ClusPro servers. Results: The findings indicated the preservation of extracellular matrix components and scaffold ultrastructure. Also, in order to find the most favorable connection states in terms of energy, some of them were reported as stable interactions among the top types of connections. This insight provides a valuable understanding of cell-matrix adhesion, migration, and signaling, with potential implications for therapeutic development. Conclusion: The prepared scaffolds are ideal for engineering applications for which computational analysis and experimental data have been used for visualization of stable connection states with energy efficiency between fibronectin and integrin. Also, more studies on cell adhesion modeling in connection with tissue engineering science can provide a suitable field for the development of regenerative medicine in further studies.

Abstract Background Frequent bacterial plaque buildup at the gingival margin and crevice can provoke an inflammatory reaction in gingival tissues which manifests as gingivitis. Probiotics could serve as a beneficial complementary therapy for treating gingival inflammation. The main aim of this research was to investigate the effect of the Lactobacillus plantarum MK06 probiotic strain on the treatment of gingivitis. Methods Patients with gingivitis, who were referred to a private clinic and were systematically healthy, were included in this randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial. They were instructed to use either placebo or Lactobacillus plantarum suspensions for one minute two times a day after tooth-brushing for four weeks. Then, the clinical parameters of gingivitis, including plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), and oral hygiene index (OHI-s), were measured in the first, second, and fourth weeks. A total of forty-two patients were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 21) and control (n = 21) groups. The mean age of the experimental and control groups was 29.10 and 28.48, respectively. Results The mean scores of BOP, GI, PI, and OHI-s reduced over time in both the control and test groups. However, according to the Mann-Whitney test, the difference between the two groups was not significant at the same time intervals (P ≥ 0.05) and only GI showed a significant difference in the fourth week (GI-3, P = 0.006). Nevertheless, the experimental group experienced a higher overall reduction rate than the control group. The BOP, GI, PI, and OHI-s scores decreased by 0.081, 0.204, 0.186, and 0.172 times in the second week, respectively, resulting from the interaction of time and the intervention, which considerably diminished these indices. Conclusion This study shows the potential of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum MK06 suspension as a promoting therapeutic adjuvant in the treatment of gingivitis.

Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae (tomato spotted wilt virus, TSWV) is transmitted by the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Epoxyoctadecamonoenoic acids (EpOMEs) function as immune-suppressive factors, particularly in insects infected by viral pathogens. These oxylipins are produced by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) and are degraded by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that TSWV modulates the EpOME level in the thrips to suppress antiviral responses and enhance its replication. TSWV infection significantly elevated both 9,10-EpOME and 12,13-EpOME levels. Following TSWV infection, the larvae displayed apoptosis in the midgut along with the upregulated expression of four caspase genes. However, the addition of EpOME to the viral treatment notably reduced apoptosis and downregulated caspase gene expressions, which led to a marked increase in TSWV titers. The CYP and sEH genes of F. occidentalis were identified, and their expression manipulation using RNA interference (RNAi) treatments led to significant alternations in the insect’s immune responses and TSWV viral titers. To ascertain which viral factor influences the host EpOME levels, specialized RNAi treatments targeting genes encoded by TSWV were administered to larvae infected with TSWV. These treatments demonstrated that NSS expression is pivotal in manipulating the genes involved in EpOME metabolism. These results indicate that NSs of TSWV are crucially linked with the elevation of host insect EpOME levels and play a key role in suppressing the antiviral responses of F. occidentalis.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Iranian-Islamic spiritual well-being questionnaire (SWBQ), which involves 22 items adapted to the Iranian cultural context. Methods: The current study was descriptive-analytical. After designing the questions according to the Iranian-Islamic culture based on the literature review, the content validity was examined by experts (five people with a PhD in psychology), and the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) indices were used to check the quantitative content validity. To check the face validity, ten people aged 18 to 60 were used as a sample. Also, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to check construct validity, and Cronbach’s α, test re-test, and Spearman-Brown and Guttman split-half coefficients were used to check reliability. In examining the construct validity and reliability of the questionnaire, 400 adults aged 18 to 60 years were selected and assessed as a sample from Mashhad City in 2021 by available sampling. Results: The CVR for five experts was obtained to be >0.99, and the CVI for 22 terms of the questionnaire was obtained ≥0.79, which is in the desired range. The exploratory factor analysis identified six factors, which together explained 77.25% of the total variance. The results obtained from the confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed model. The Cronbach’s α coefficient of the Iranian-Islamic SWBQ and its factors was obtained from 0.77 to 0.91. In the split-half method, Spearman-Brown and Guttman correlation coefficients were 0.88 and 0.87, respectively. The test re-test reliability coefficients of the total score of the questionnaire and subscales were between 0.78 and 0.83. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the Iranian-Islamic SWBQ has favorable psychometric properties.

AbstractIntroduction: Knowing the spatial and temporal changes in groundwater quality is one of the important issues for optimal management of groundwater resources. In this study, the hydro geochemical properties of groundwater resources in Miandoab plain (West Azerbaijan province of Iran) were investigated.Methods: For this purpose, the data of 51 study wells during the time period (from 2014 to 2018) were used. The qualitative parameters such as the amount of Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, SO42-, Cl-, CO32- and the indexes such as TH (Total Hardness), TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), EC (Electrical Conductivity), SAR (Sodium Absorption Ratio) and pH were evaluated based on drinking, agriculture and industry water quality standards. Aquifer qualitative zoning maps were extracted by entering the descriptive layers obtained from the qualitative analysis in ArcGIS software and selecting the best interpolation method based on the validation technique.Results: The groundwater hydro chemical analysis based on the drinking water standards of the Energy Ministry indicated that the groundwater of the plain is in a relatively acceptable condition. This was also obtained from groundwater analysis by the Schoeller method. It was found that the largest areas of this plain had saline groundwater, in terms of agriculture. Industrially, sedimentation in the plain was more pronounced than corrosion.Conclusion: Results showed that the aquifer quality declined from 2014 to 2017 and improved in 2018. Zoning maps showed that Miandoab aquifer has better quality and condition in the feeding areas in terms of drinking, agriculture and industry. In other words, according to the geography of the plain, the aquifer feeding areas were less vulnerable than the areas located in the evacuation areas.

Background: Adipogenesis is affected by multiple factors, among which all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and Ca2+are considered important factors. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of calcium, ATRA, and their underlying molecular mechanisms, alone and in combination, on adipocyte differentiation. Methods: Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) were differentiated into adipocytes and simultaneously exposed to 0.5 μM ATRA or 2.5 mM calcium, or both in combination for 14 days. Results: Higher intracellular Ca2+was observed in both Ca2+and Ca2+plus ATRA groups. Assessment of triglyceride content and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) activity indicated lower differentiation levels in all treatment groups than in the control group. Furthermore, the results demonstrated a higher expression of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-α) and lower expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2 (PPARγ2) and glucose transferase-4 (GLUT4) in the treatment groups as compared with the control group. It is noteworthy that Ca2+plus ATRA treatment caused more significant effects on gene expression levels (P

Fast and high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometers are indispensable for cutting-edge infrared spectroscopy. In this study, the authors employed a newly-designed fast-rotating retroreflective, broadband delay line demonstrating fast dual-comb spectroscopy with a single mid-infrared optical comb from a quantum cascade laser emitting at 8 micrometers.

Armed forces are always facing the challenge of efficient human resources recruitment due to their specific conditions in each country, considering development of technology and new regional and global challenges, the importance of supplying human resources increases. The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are not exempted from this trend, and considering the special conditions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Middle East and decreasing population growth in Iran, this requires more attention. So far, there has been no research for the model of human recourse supplying in the armed forces from the perspective of population and other macro-economic and social variables. This research is a qualitative, fundamental-applied, descriptive exploratory type and has a future research perspective. In this way, after reviewing the theoretical literature and previous researches and the orders of the Supreme Leader, the factors influencing the model of human resource supply in the armed forces were identified, then in the second stage, after conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 experts, using grounded theory method of charmaz, a comprehensive and local model for providing human resources with an emphasis on the next decade for the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran emerged. The obtained model includes 4 conceptual categories: 1) Future-oriented guerrilla recruitment 2) Influencing environmental factors those are out of control 3) Maintenance for recruiting 4) Battlefield future men and women. According to the obtained categories, practical suggestions have been presented to the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the human resource supplying in the next few decades.

Background and Objective: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and ranks second in terms of mortality rate. This study was conducted in order to determine the personal, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of women with breast lesions referred to the Dr. Beski Hospital in Gonbad-e Kavus, Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 130 women with breast lesions (benign and malignant) who were operated on in the Dr. Beski Hospital from March 2019 to March 2020. Demographic data (age, family history, and ethnicity) and pathology results (grade, lesion type, surgery type, location, and tumor size) were recorded. Results: Breast lesions were malignant in 51.53% of the patients. The most common malignant tumor was invasive ductal carcinoma (71.64%), and the most common benign tumor was fibroadenoma (69.84%). Most malignant cases were observed in patients aged 41-50 years (43.28%). Almost half of the studied population (49.15%) had no positive family history, and about a quarter of the patients had at least one first or second-degree relative with breast cancer. Most patients (44.78%) had grade II malignant tumors. In addition, 78.51% of the subjects had not undergone chemotherapy before breast surgery. About half of the patients (49.57%) did not undergo any adjuvant treatment after surgery; however, chemotherapy was the most common type of adjuvant treatment (13.68%) after surgery. Simultaneous chemotherapy and radiotherapy were performed for 24.78% of the patients after surgery. There were statistically significant relationships between age and type of lesion and adjuvant treatments after the operation, and involvement of lymph nodes was observed (P

The Monte Carlo (MC) method has become an indispensable part of the nuclear radiation research field. Several widely used and well-known MC packages were developed for simulation of radiation transport and interaction with matter. All these MC packages require users to prepare an input script. The input script can become lengthy for complex models. The process of preparing these input scripts is time-consuming and error-prone. In the present work, we have developed an open-source GUI computer program for modelling radiation transport and interaction in multi-segmented slab phantoms using grid-based system for the widely used PHITS MC package. The developed tools would be useful for future users of PHITS MC package and particularly inexperienced users. The present program is distributed under GPL license and all users can freely download, modify and redistribute the program without any restrictions.

Abstract Conventional muscle-machine interfaces like Electromyography (EMG), have significant drawbacks, such as crosstalk, a non-linear relationship between the signal and the corresponding motion, and increased signal processing requirements. In this work, we introduce a new muscle-machine interfacing technique called lightmyography (LMG), that can be used to efficiently decode human hand gestures, motion, and forces from the detected contractions of the human muscles. LMG utilizes light propagation through elastic media and human tissue, measuring changes in light luminosity to detect muscle movement. Similar to forcemyography, LMG infers muscular contractions through tissue deformation and skin displacements. In this study, we look at how different characteristics of the light source and silicone medium affect the performance of LMG and we compare LMG and EMG based gesture decoding using various machine learning techniques. To do that, we design an armband equipped with five LMG modules, and we use it to collect the required LMG data. Three different machine learning methods are employed: Random Forests, Convolutional Neural Networks, and Temporal Multi-Channel Vision Transformers. The system has also been efficiently used in decoding the forces exerted during power grasping. The results demonstrate that LMG outperforms EMG for most methods and subjects.