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In this study an extended model is proposed based on government subsidies to support the development of new energy power plants. Accordingly, the profit of this production unit is increased with the reduction of CO2 emissions. In addition, the results show that the plan to sell carbon dioxide emissions threshold helps in financial subsidies saving. Also, the increase in factors such as energy production capacity, electricity market price, CO2 emission threshold price and fluctuations in investment costs can lessen the amount of dedicated subsidies by the government. Also, the increase in parameters such as investment costs and fluctuations in electricity prices, and the price of CO2 emission thresholds leads to the dedication of more encouragement subsides.

In the present work, the addition effects of nanodiamond (ND) on the microstructure and hardness behavior of interpenetrating phases hybrid Al/Al2O3 metal matrix composites were investigated. The fabrication of the composites was done via a two-step process. In the first step, hybrid Al2O3-ND preforms were prepared, and then molten pure Al alloy was infiltrated into the preforms. The preforms were fabricated by the replica method using a polyurethane foam and an Al2O3-ND slurry with various ND contents (0, 1, 3, and 10 vol%). The preforms were sintered at 1500 °C for 4 h under argon gas protection. Finally, the composites were fabricated by Al melt infiltration into the preforms via the squeeze casting method. The microstructure of the fabricated composites was analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopes. The hardness of the composites was measured using a Vickers hardness tester. The results of the microstructural evaluations demonstrated a good distribution of ND in the preform. By increasing the ND content from 0 to 10 vol%, the matrix average grain size decreased from 143 μm to 76 μm. The results of the Vickers hardness test showed that increasing the volume percentage of ND increased the composite hardness to 263.8 Vickers at 10 vol%. The two main strengthening mechanisms for these composites are the Orowwn mechanism (volume fraction of ND particles) and the Hal-Petch mechanism (grain size), which affect the hardness behavior.

Abstract Background Knowledge about the anatomy and morphology of the root canal system is essential for successful surgical and non-surgical root canal treatments. However, precise assessment of the root morphology and anatomy is not often possible on two-dimensional radiographs. This study aimed to investigate the association of root morphology of mandibular second molars on panoramic-like and axial views of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods This cross-sectional study evaluated 1,231 CBCT scans of mandibular second molars obtained between October 2018 and February 2022 that were retrieved from the archives of a private radiology clinic. Panoramic-like images were reconstructed from the CBCT scans. The root morphology of mandibular second molars was classified on panoramic-like images as type 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. The root pattern on axial CBCT images was classified into three types of single, double and C-shaped. The association of root morphology on panoramic-like and axial CBCT views was analyzed by the Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test at 0.05 level of significance. Results Of all, 62.7% of mandibular second molars were type 1; out of which, 97.3% had a double-root pattern on axial CBCT images. Also, 28.6% of them were type 2; of which, 92.6% had a double-root pattern. Moreover, 3.9% were type 3; of which, 47.9% had a C-shaped pattern; 0.9% were type 4, and 45.5% of them showed a single-root pattern; 3.8% were type 5 with 76.6% of them showing a single-root pattern. The prevalence of C-shaped canals was higher in females, and most C-shaped canals had a C3 pattern. Conclusion Root morphology on panoramic-like CBCT views had a strong association with the root canal pattern on axial CBCT views. According to the results, mandibular second molars with a type 3 morphology on panoramic-like CBCT images are highly probable to have a C-shaped canal.

Integrating renewable energy sources (RESs), such as offshore wind turbines (OWTs), into the power grid demands advanced control strategies to enhance efficiency and stability. Consequently, a Deep Fractional-order Wind turbine eXpert control system (DeepFWX) model is developed, representing a hybrid proportional/integral (PI) fractional-order (FO) model predictive random forest alternating current (AC) bus voltage controller designed explicitly for OWTs. DeepFWX aims to address the challenges associated with offshore wind energy systems, focusing on achieving the smooth tracking and state estimation of the AC bus voltage. Extensive comparative analyses were performed against other state-of-the-art intelligent models to assess the effectiveness of DeepFWX. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as MAE, MAPE, RMSE, RMSPE, and R2 were considered. Superior performance across all the evaluated metrics was demonstrated by DeepFWX, as it achieved MAE of [15.03, 0.58], MAPE of [0.09, 0.14], RMSE of [70.39, 5.64], RMSPE of [0.34, 0.85], as well as the R2 of [0.99, 0.99] for the systems states [X1, X2]. The proposed hybrid approach anticipates the capabilities of FO modeling, predictive control, and random forest intelligent algorithms to achieve the precise control of AC bus voltage, thereby enhancing the overall stability and performance of OWTs in the evolving sector of renewable energy integration.

Even if the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic recedes, research regarding the effectiveness of government policies to contain the spread of the pandemic remains important. In this study, we analyze the impact of a set of epidemiological factors on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in 30 European countries, which were applied from early 2020 up to mid-2022. We combine four data sets encompassing each country’s non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs, including 66 government intervention types), distributions of 31 virus types, and accumulated percentage of vaccinated population (by the first five doses) as well as the reported infections, each on a daily basis. First, a Bayesian deep learning model is trained to predict the reproduction rate of the virus one month ahead of each day. Based on the trained deep learning model, the importance of relevant influencing factors and the magnitude of their effects on the outcome of the neural network model are computed by applying explainable machine learning algorithms. Second, in order to re-examine the results of the deep learning model, a Bayesian statistical analysis is implemented. In the statistical analysis, for each influencing input factor in each country, the distributions of pandemic growth rates are compared for days where the factor was active with days where the same factor was not active. The results of the deep learning model and the results of the statistical inference model coincide to a significant extent. We conclude with reflections with regard to the most influential factors on SARS-CoV-2 spread within European countries.

Aflatoxin is a carcinogenic and toxic compound produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus (Link:fr) that can be found at detrimentally high concentrations in maize (Zea mays L.) grain. Screening has led to the discovery of sources of resistance to aflatoxin accummulation in maize, but associated poor agronomic characteristics and complex inheritance have limited transfer of resistance to elite inbreds. A set of 210 [F.sub.2:3] families derived from a cross between inbred lines Mp313E (resistant) and B73 (susceptible) was evaluated in replicated trials in four environments for resistance to aflatoxin accumulation. Families were also genotyped using simple sequence repeal (SSR) markers to develop a genetic map for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. Composite interval mapping (CIM) was used to identify 2, 3, 5, and 3 QTL within the tests at Stoneville (2000) and Mississippi Stale (2000, 2001, 2002), respectively. The QTL were primarily additive in nature, with Mp313E contributing to reduced aflatoxin concentration in all but one case. Two QTL regions were significant in at least three environments. The afl3 locus, represented by marker bnlg371, was located on chromosome two and accounted for 7 to 18% of variation in aflatoxin levels depending on environment. The afl5 locus, represented by marker bnlg2291, was located on chromosome four, with explained variance ranging from 8 to 18%. This QTL has been noted in earlier studies whereas afl3 is new. Identified QTL confirm important regions influencing aflatoxin accumulation previously identified and present new ones of equal effect., AFLATOXINS ARE TOXIC secondary metabolites produced by the fungal pathogen Aspergillus flavus. These toxins have carcinogenic, immunosuppressive, and hepatotoxic properties in animals (Castegnaro and McGregor, 1998). Aflatoxin B1 is the [...]

Evaluating the climate change mitigation potential of the forest sector requires a holistic approach based on forest carbon (C) sequestration, C storage in harvested wood products (HWP) and substitution on markets. High uncertainty is associated with substitution factors, that express avoided fossil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the use of forest-based products in replacement of GHG-intensive materials and fossil fuels. Few studies have focused on the development of substitution factors in Canada, resulting in the use of unrepresentative generic data. Here, we provide a framework to reduce uncertainties related to substitution factors for primary wood products in a Canadian context. A life cycle assessment framework is used to quantify fossil GHG emissions for a baseline and a wood-intensive scenario. For solid product substitution, we focused on the construction sector and analyzed a range of innovative wood buildings with steel and reinforced concrete as alternative materials. We found non-weighted averages of 0.80 tC/tC for sawnwood and 0.81 tC/tC for panels. For energy substitution, we analyzed cases with different specifications on biomass product, facility type and alternative fossil fuel source in non-residential heat production and biofuel transportation sectors. We found a non-weighted average of 0.80 tC/tC for non-residential heat production and 0.51 tC/tC for biofuel transportation, that can be interpreted as 0.91 tC/tC for heavy fuel oil, 0.69 tC/tC for light fuel oil and 0.68 tC/tC for natural gas substitution. These results provide a benchmark for substitution factors in Canada, to help guide forest management strategies for climate change mitigation.

Inconsistencies are evident within the literature regarding the effect of cocoa consumption on anthropometric outcomes. To address the influence of cocoa consumption on weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) in overweight and obese subjects we conducted a time and dose–response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed/Medline were searched for relevant articles from inception until July 11, 2023. The random effects method meta-analysis compared changes in anthropometric outcomes in participants Results are displayed as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95 % confidence interval (CI). 19 RCTs were included in the present meta-analysis. Cocoa consumption significantly decreased body weight (WMD: −0.26 kg, 95 % CI: −0.49 to −0.02, P = 0.028), BMI (WMD: −0.16 kg/m2, 95 % CI: −0.30 to −0.02, P = 0.021), and WC (WMD: −0.69 cm, 95 % CI: −1.35 to −0.03, p = 0.038). In subgroup analyses, cocoa consumption resulted in lowered body weight in dosages ≤20 g/day (WMD: −0.33 kg), and treatment duration ˃4 weeks (WMD: −0.35 kg). In the non-linear dose–response assessment, a negative correlation was found between cocoa consumption dose (up to 50 g/day) and changes in WC (P = 0.001) and body weight (P = 0.0007). Cocoa consumption is associated with a reduction in BMI, weight, and WC in overweight and obese subjects; however, statistically significant effects were only detected in doses less than 20 g/day and interventions longer than 4 weeks.

1) Background: Phase change materials (PCMs) have been used statically, which has caused the use of these materials to face challenges. Encapsulating PCMs and combining them with the base fluid can significantly solve the problem of using PCMs in BTM systems. In the present study, based on computational fluid dynamics, forced convection heat transfer of nano-encapsulated phase change materials (NEPCM) in a BTM system are simulated. The main aim of the present research is to reduce the temperature at the surface of the hot cylinder. 2) Methods: In this research, we simulated lithium battery thermal management systems in both steady and transient states. The effects of using NEPCM particles to water were investigated. Modeling is implemented using the finite volume method and the PIMPLE and SIMPLE algorithms in OpenFoam. Furthermore, the effects of battery heat flux, Reynolds number, and the presence of nanoparticles (NPs) were analyzed. We intend to evaluate the optimal state of the system by studying the mentioned parameters. 3) Significant Findings: Our study shows that adding 3.5% NEPCM to water can reduce the length of the vortex by 22% and in unsteady-state simulation, it is observed that the presence of NEPCM particles in water reduces battery temperature up to 0.66 K.

Background: Improper prescription of the type, dose, and duration of antibiotics imposes a financial burden on the health system, can cause many side effects for the patient, and can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to determine the profile of prescribing antibiotics in different wards of a hospital and compare it with references. Methods: This study was conducted on the recorded information of 342 patients in the emergency, infectious diseases, pulmonary, and surgical wards of Sayad Shirazi Hospital in Gorgan (north of Iran) in 2019-2020. The type, dose, and duration of the prescribed antibiotics were extracted from each patient's file and compared with references. The compatibility and inconsistency of the prescribed antibiotics were identified and analyzed accordingly. Results: A total of 13 types of antibiotics were prescribed for the patients. There was a 43.7% inconsistency in antibiotic prescription with the references. The most prescribed antibiotic was ceftriaxone (25.6%). Ceftriaxone (11.26%), followed by cefazolin (8.30%), had the most inconsistency in prescription. The most inconsistency in total was respectively observed in the pulmonary (47.9%), general surgery (44.8%), emergency (44.4%), and infectious diseases wards (40.6%). No significant difference was observed between the wards in terms of the total inconsistency of prescribed antibiotics with the references (P = 0.692). Conclusion: The most prescribed antibiotic was ceftriaxone. A high percentage of its prescriptions are without indication and are actually prescribed as empiric. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the prescription of antibiotics in medical centers based on the indications and available evidence.

Extended AbstractAbstractEvaluation of service quality is one of the main concerns of government and non-government service providers. With the advancement of mobile technologies and the provision of government services to citizens in the framework of mobile government, the evaluation of the quality of this type of service has already received the attention of governments and researchers in the field of mobile government service quality. In this research, thematic analysis method and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique have been used. By analyzing the theme of the identified factors and themes and using the interpretive structural modeling method, the factors have been identified and classified among these factors.The method of theme analysis and interpretive structural modeling is based on the opinion of experts. The experts in this research consist of 14 expert professors, researchers and executives in the field of mobile government. The results of the research show that evaluating the quality of mobile government services at the first level, satisfying citizens at the second level, educating citizens and building trust in mobile government services at the third level, designing aapplication at the fourth level, data security and the culture of mobile government services at the fifth level, organizational policy, Web3 capabilities, and software and hardware infrastructure are at level six.IntroductionThe concern of all governments is to improve the indicators of good governance and in order to communicate and improve the quality of services for citizens, and from the period of providing traditional services to the provision of mobile electronic services, this challenge is always there for governments, because providing appropriate services It guarantees citizens satisfaction and suitable indicators for well-being in different countries. Due to the attention of the governments to the category of new technologies as the key to the problems of providing and improving the quality of services, goals such as trying to downsize the government body, reducing the costs of providing services, etc. are pursued. The same issue led to the emergence of mobile government in the world, where governments provide their services to citizens through smart mobile systems. The unique capabilities and features of mobile government, including location and time constraints in providing services, make governments welcome this phenomenon. Parallel to mobile government, we are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of the web called Web 3. which has emerged after the generations of Web1 and Web2. Based on this, in addition to providing services to help new technologies, evaluating the quality of services is also important for governments. Service provider organizations should also provide the necessary conditions to evaluate service quality for information technology by managing contextual factors, technology, policies, etc.Case StudyIn recent years, providing quality mobile electronic services to citizens has been considered as a key activity and the main factor in the success of governments and organizations services.The current research was conducted with the aim of identifying and leveling the factors affecting the quality of moblie government services in Iran in order to improve the quality of services in this field.Materials and MethodsIn this research, thematic analysis method and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique have been used. By analyzing the theme of the identified factors and themes and using the interpretive structural modeling method, the factors have been identified and classified among these factors.The method of theme analysis and interpretive structural modeling is based on the opinion of experts. The experts in this research consist of 14 expert professors, researchers and executives in the field of mobile government.Discussion and ResultsThe results of the research show that evaluating the quality of mobile government services at the first level, satisfying citizens at the second level, educating citizens and building trust in mobile government services at the third level, designing aapplication at the fourth level, data security and the culture of mobile government services at the fifth level, organizational policy, Web3 capabilities, and software and hardware infrastructure are at level six.ConclusionIn this research, with the help of interpretative structural modeling, the factors affecting the quality of mobile government services in Iran were stratified based on expert interviews and thematic analysis. The results showed that there are ten dimensions affecting the quality of mobile government services from the experts' point of view. Paying attention to each of the introduced dimensions increases the quality of services in other sectors as well.

The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of sequential low and high dietary linseed oil (LO; as omega-3 enriched fatty acid; FA) before and post insemination, respectively, on different plasma variables of ewes. Fat-tailed Qezel ewes were assigned randomly to be fed a diet enriched with 3% LO (n = 30) or the saturated FA (SFA; n = 30) three weeks before insemination (Day 0). The lipogenic diet supplemented with 6% LO or SFA was fed after insemination until Day +21. The control ewes were fed an isocaloric and isonitrogenous diet with no additional FA during the study. Estrus was synchronized by inserting a vaginal sponge (Spongavet®) for 12 days + 500 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG; Gonaser®), and ewes were inseminated via laparoscopic approach 56–59 h after eCG injection. The size of ovarian structures was assessed by transvaginal ultrasonography at −21, −14, −2, 0, and +10 days. Blood samples were collected weekly to measure the plasma’s different biochemical variables and FA profile. Treatment did not affect the amounts of glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-10, interleukin-2, and non-esterified FA (p > 0.05). Conversely, concentrations of triglyceride, cholesterol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and insulin-like growth factor-1 were higher in SFA-fed ewes relative to control animals (p < 0.05). LO feeding resulted in greater amounts of n-3 FA isomers in plasma, while higher amounts of stearic acid were detected in SFA fed group 0 and +21 (p < 0.05). The number of ovarian follicles and corpora lutea also were not affected by treatment. Other reproductive variables were not affected by treatment except for the reproductive rate. It seems that LO or SFA feeding of fat-tailed ewes peri-insemination period was not superior to the isocaloric non-additional fat diet provided for the control group during the non-breeding season.

Introduction: Sleep disorders are the most common behavioral complaints in children. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the sleep habits of children admitted to Amirkabir Hospital, Arak, Iran. Material & Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, children aged 4 to 12 years admitted to Amirkabir Hospital clinic in 2021 were randomly studied. Data obtained from the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS24.0 software. Findings: A total of 295 children with a mean age of 7.26±2.27 years were studied. The prevalence of the disorder in sleep habits was 67.4%. Among the children with disturbed sleep habits, 193 (96.9%) had poor sleep habits and 6 (3.1%) had average sleep habits. The total sleep habits score was significantly higher in girls, unwanted children, and children with divorced parents, low parental education level, and incompatible parents (P0.05). Discussion & Conclusion: In this study, most children showed disturbed sleep habits. Considering that children's poor sleep habits may be a contributing factor for stress, pressure, and tension in the family, mass education and psychiatric intervention are needed in this regard.

Sustainable socio-economic development largely depends on the sustainability of the energy supply from economic, environmental, and public health perspectives. Fossil fuel combustion only meets the first element of this equation and is hence rendered unsustainable. Biofuels are advantageous from a public health perspective, but their environmental and economic sustainability might be questioned considering the conflicts surrounding their feedstocks, including land use change and fuel vs. food conflict. Therefore, it is imperative to put more effort into addressing the downsides of biofuel production using advanced technologies, such as nanotechnology. In light of that, this review strives to scrutinize the latest developments in the application of nanotechnology in producing biodiesel, a promising alternative to fossil diesel with proven environmental and health benefits. The main focus is placed on nanotechnology applications in the feedstock production stage. First, the latest findings concerning the application of nanomaterials as nanofertilizers and nanopesticides to improve the performance of oil crops are presented and critically discussed. Then, the most promising results reported recently on applying nanotechnology to boost biomass and oil production by microalgae and facilitating microalgae harvesting are reviewed and mechanistically explained. Finally, the promises held by nanomaterials to enhance animal fat production in livestock, poultry, and aquaculture systems are elaborated. Despite the favorable features of using nanotechnology in biodiesel feedstock production, the presence of nanoparticles in living systems is also associated with important health and environmental challenges, which are critically covered and discussed in this work.