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The main contribution of this paper is to formulate the problem of optimal design of renewable wind/solar/biomass hybrid system for grid-independent applications in a region of Iran and to compare the genetic algorithm (GA) and performance of particle swarm optimization (PSO) on this optimization problem. There are many types of research on solar and wind hybrid energy systems, but research on solar/wind/biomass hybrid energy systems is rare. The biomass energy system can be used as a support and complementary system along with wind and solar energy systems. This paper studies the optimum design of a biomass/PV/wind energy system for independent applications. The objective of the optimum design problem is to minimize the total net present cost (TNPC) of the PV/wind/biomass system during its lifetime subject to some constraints by adjusting three decision variables, namely the swept area of wind turbines, the area of PV panels and the capacity of biogas generators. For this aim, two efficient metaheuristic techniques of GA and PSO are used to solve the optimization problem. Simulation results show that PV/biomass system is the most cost-effective one for supplying the demanded load. Moreover, PSO leads to better results than GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the kings of Iran, Shah Abbas I, in Safavid period, is a prominent figure who is mentioned in popular tales. In the stories attributed to him, there are outstanding features that have attracted the attention of researchers due to their high frequency. The purpose of this study is to analyze the salient features contained in the stories of Shah Abbas I and to explain the origin of these features. The method of the present study was analyticaldescriptive in terms of purpose and based on library studies in terms of data collection. Visiting the library and searching through reliable sources, the authors have collected all the available stories about Shah Abbas I and then analyzed their salient features and origins. Research findings show that these characteristics are either of historical origin or originated from the imagination of the creators of the stories. Some of these characteristics are specific to Shah Abbas and others are general characteristics of kings. Feelings of the unseen voice, professional dervishes, nightlife, simplicity, wisdom and shrewdness, interest in art, gossip, fulfilling desires, solving problems, marrying the poor and accepting humiliation are some of the characteristics of this king. On the other hand, power, justice and fairness, acceptance of judgment and justice, compassion and mercy, punishment of the oppressors and forgiveness (bestowal and forgiveness, and forgiving taxes) are common features for Shah Abbas and other kings. In this article, an attempt has been made to collect the salient features contained in the stories of Shah Abbas and to analyze them based on their origin. Accordingly, the reader realizes the hidden goals of these features and becomes acquainted with their creators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report presents a case of chronic Q fever endocarditis. A 60-year-old male farmer and rancher was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of weight loss, fever, severe sweating, weakness, and anorexia. PCR was negative for C. burnetii in the blood sample, but phase I and II IgG antibodies against C. burnetii were positive (1 : 16384 and 1 : 2048, respectively) by the indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA). According to the adjusted Duke criteria, Q fever endocarditis was confirmed, and the patient was successfully treated with doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a basin type solar still is investigated whose enclosure walls are soaked with a periodic injection. The equipment was tested under the climatic conditions in Semnan, Iran. Two enclosures were manufactured for this purpose. One of them enjoyed a pump to soak the enclosure walls, while the other one was a conventional system with no such pump. In active chamber, effects of pump's working and off durations were investigated before being compared with those of a passive one. The results showed that the efficiency could be enhanced 7% and the rate of output fresh water could be increased ∼75% with the wet walls. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 532-538, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From January to February 2008, 468 sheep carcasses (335 male and 133 female) in a Khosroshahr (suburb of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, Iran) abattoir were randomly selected for inspection. The aim of the study was to estimate the frequency of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) in sheep and to compare the results of bacterial cultures and histopathology of suspected cases. The mean age of the population was 2.5 years. One hundred ninety-seven cases containing 153 (77.7%) males and 44 (22.3%) females had prominent enlargement of one of the lymph nodes (i.e., prescapular, prefemoral, inguinal, supramammary, or midiastinal); these were removed with the surrounding tissue for further evaluation. For confirmed diagnosis of CLA, samples were sent for microbiology and pathology analysis. Standard bacteriological culture methods for isolation of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and tissue preparations for histopathological sections were performed. To evaluate the effect of age on the frequency of CLA, animals were categorized in four groups: under 1, 1-2, 2-3, and over 3 years of age. Based on the results, in 59 (12.60%) carcasses C. pseudotuberculosis was isolated, and in 94 (20.08%) of the cases histopathological studies revealed pathognomonic signs (lamellated exudates or onion ring) of CLA. The frequency of CLA based on bacteriological culture was 12.60% and on histopathological study 20.08%. In 37 (18.8%) of the carcasses, both bacteriological and histopathological studies confirmed CLA. The frequency of CLA following microscopic examination (20.08%) presented a more precise diagnosis compared to bacteriological culture (12.60%) and macroscopic evaluation of the lymph nodes ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation rate between the bacteriological culture and histopathological study ( r = 0.196, P = 0.006). The prescapular lymph node had the highest infection rate with 54 (1.70 ± 0.97) and supramammary lymph node had the lowest with two (0.07 ± 0.41) ( P < 0.05). There was an increase in CLA detection with increasing age ( P < 0.05), the mean age of animals with a positive CLA test were 2.92 years and in the oldest age group 31 (47%) cases had the highest infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is extensively cultivated in Middle East especially in Iran. For centuries, this fruit has been used in Iranian herbal medicine. Pomegranate peel, seed and juice contain considerable amounts of phenolic compounds and have antioxidant activity. Pomegranate peels, juice and seeds from three regions of Natanz, Shahreza, and Doorak were obtained. Antioxidant activity, total phenolic, flavonoids, and flavonols contents of pomegranate peels, seeds and juices extracts were analyzed. The β-carotene bleaching test and Folin–Ciocalteu method were applied in this study. The pomegranate peel extract showed high levels of antioxidant activity in comparison to seeds and juices. Doorak peel by 58% had the highest antioxidant activity among two other peels. Total phenolics, flavonoids, and flavonols contents of pomegranate peel were evaluated much more higher than seeds and juices. The significant positive correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolics was reported. According to achieved results, high antioxidant capacity of pomegranate especially peel, had shed light to use them as natural food preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious problem with high morbidity and mortality. However, there is a paucity of data regarding its epidemiology in non-high-income settings. Here, we described the characteristics of patients with IE., Methodology: Between March 2012 to March 2020, all adults (≥ 16 years) with a diagnosis of IE who were admitted to a university hospital in Mashhad, Iran, were included in the study., Results: We evaluated 46 cases of IE with a median age of 42 years (interquartile range 31 to 58.3 years), of whom 21 (46%) had a definite diagnosis. The presence of a prosthetic valve or intracardiac device was the leading predisposing factor (N = 14, 30%). The etiology of IE in 22 subjects (48%) remained unknown. Staphylococcus aureus (N = 12, 26%) was the most common causative pathogen. Echocardiography revealed the mitral valve as the most affected valve (N = 18, 39%). Intravenous drug users (IVDU) had a higher chance of right-sided IE, as compared to no IVDU patients (odds ratio: 35, 95% CI: 3.7 to 425.0). The most prevalent complications were lung infarction, acute heart failure, and neurologic involvement (N = 5, 11% for each), and 15 patients (33%) died because of IE., Conclusions: In our study, the median age of IE onset was relatively low. The most frequent predisposing factor was a prosthetic valve or intracardiac device. The proportion of negative blood cultures was unacceptably high. Thus, our findings emphasize promoting laboratory infrastructure, developing a national protocol for early initiation of appropriate treatment, and eliminating predisposing factors., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2023 Ali Shahini, Matin Shirazinia, Raha Jafari, Ali Akbar Heydari.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the status of intestinal parasitic infections in immunocompromised patients in Bushehr province, southwest Iran by conventional and molecular methods., Methods: A total of 201 stool samples were collected from kidney transplant recipients, AIDS patients and patients under chemotherapy. Samples were collected from healthy people as the control group. The specimens were tested using various conventional methods. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was performed on samples identified as positive for Coccidia by direct microscopic examination., Results: Approximately 32.45% were infected with at least one type of intestinal parasite. The highest (46.8%) and lowest rates of infection (24%) were observed in AIDS and chemotherapy patients, respectively, while the infection rate of the control group was 16%. Isospora spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. were observed in all patient groups, and Sarcocystis spp. sporocysts were detected in one of the transplant recipients. All identified coccidia were confirmed by PCR. There was a significant relationship between the rate of intestinal parasite infection and certain variables., Conclusion: Given the potential risk of certain intestinal parasites in people with immune deficiency, it is recommended that diagnosis of parasitic infections in such patients be based on specific parasitological methods. Thus, it is advisable that physicians refer them to a parasitology laboratory prior to drug administration.

This study investigated visual false memories in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Scenic False Memory paradigm (SFM, Hauschildt, Peters, Jelinek, & Moritz, 2012) was administered to male Iranian military personnel who had participated in the Iran-Iraq war and were diagnosed with (n = 21) or without (n = 21) PTSD and a sample of healthy male non-trauma-exposed controls (n = 21). Trauma-exposed participants recalled and recognized a significantly lower percentage of hits and a significantly greater percentage of false memories for both trauma-related and non-trauma-related video scenes, than non-trauma-exposed controls. Among the trauma-exposed participants, those with and without PTSD did not differ significantly in terms of percentage of hits and false memories recalled on the SFM. Those with PTSD were found to recognize significantly fewer hits for both the trauma-related and non-trauma-related videos than those without PTSD. Those with PTSD also recognized significantly more false memories for the trauma video scene than the non-PTSD group. The findings suggest that those with trauma exposure, and in particular those with PTSD, may have a greater susceptibility to visual false memory., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Objective: To determine the preparedness level of hospitals against natural disasters in Bandar Abbas, Iran., Methods: The cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in all the 9 hospitals in Bandar Abbas, Iran, during 2012. The required data was collected using a standard checklist comprising 220 items in 10 areas. It was completed for each hospital using observations and interviews. SPSS 16.0 was used to analyse the data., Results: The overall level of preparedness against disasters in Bandar Abbas hospitals was 38.6%. They were at a poor level in the areas of reception (31.4%), evacuation (28.1%), traffic (33.3%), security (34.6%), communication (30.6%), human resources (38.6%), and commanding and management (20.1%). Areas of emergency services (55.1%), training (53.5%), and logistics (53.5%) were moderate, while none of the areas could score enough to be in the good or very good category., Conclusion: Preparedness was poor and hospital administrators should establish necessary technical and communication infrastructures through sufficient budgets to improve weak areas.