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Abstract Diabetes, a major non-communicable disease, presents challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. Traditional regression models focus on mean effects, but factors can impact the entire distribution of responses over time. Linear mixed quantile regression models (LQMMs) address this issue. A study involving 2791 diabetic patients in Iran explored the relationship between Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and factors such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), disease duration, cholesterol, triglycerides, ischemic heart disease, and treatments (insulin, oral anti-diabetic drugs, and combination). LQMM analysis examined the association between HbA1c and the explanatory variables. Associations between cholesterol, triglycerides, ischemic heart disease (IHD), insulin, oral anti-diabetic drugs (OADs), a combination of OADs and insulin, and HbA1c levels exhibited varying degrees of correlation across all quantiles (p 0.05), it was found to be significant in the higher quantiles (p

Satellite-based earth observation sensors are increasingly able to monitor geophysical signals related to natural hazards, and many groups are working on rapid data acquisition, processing, and dissemination to data users with a wide range of expertise and goals. A particular challenge in the meaningful dissemination of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data to non-expert users is its unique differential data structure and sometimes low signal-to-noise ratio. In this study, we evaluate the online dissemination of ground deformation measurements from InSAR through Twitter, alongside the provision of open-access InSAR data from the Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET) Looking Into Continents from Space with Synthetic Aperture Radar (LiCSAR) processing system. Our aim is to evaluate (1) who interacts with disseminated InSAR data, (2) how the data are used, and (3) to discuss strategies for meaningful communication and dissemination of open InSAR data. We found that the InSAR Twitter community was primarily composed of non-scientists (62 %), although this grouping included earth observation experts in applications such as commercial industries. Twitter activity was primarily associated with natural hazard response, specifically following earthquakes and volcanic activity, where users disseminated InSAR measurements of ground deformation, often using wrapped and unwrapped interferograms. For earthquake events, Sentinel-1 data were acquired, processed, and tweeted within 4.7±2.8 d (the shortest was 1 d). Open-access Sentinel-1 data dominated the InSAR tweets and were applied to volcanic and earthquake events in the most engaged-with (retweeted) content. Open-access InSAR data provided by LiCSAR were widely accessed, including automatically processed and tweeted interferograms and interactive event pages revealing ground deformation following earthquake events. The further work required to integrate dissemination of InSAR data into longer-term disaster risk-reduction strategies is highly specific, to both hazard type and international community of practice, as well as to local political setting and civil protection mandates. Notably, communication of uncertainties and processing methodologies are still lacking. We conclude by outlining the future direction of COMET LiCSAR products to maximize their useability.

Abstract Dendrimers, a new class of nanomaterials, are receiving more attention in various fields. In this study, by combining the advantages of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3), we came to design a new composite and its application for electrochemical sensors was investigated for the first time. As a new approach in the preparation of the composite, PAMAM was used for the first time to increase the surface of Bi2S3 with rGO, which ultimately led to an increase in the active surface area of the sensor (5 times compared to the bare electrode). For the first time, we used the sonochemical method for interaction between PAMAM with Bi2S3 and rGO, which was a simpler and faster method to prepare the composite. The purposeful design of the composite was done by using the experimental design method to obtain the optimum composition of components. The new nanocomposite was successfully applied for simple and sensitive electrochemical sensing of salbutamol for controlling the health of food. Salbutamol is used as a prohibited additive in animal and poultry feed. The sensor has good sensitivity (35 times increase compared to the bare electrode) and a low detection limit (1.62 nmol/L). Moreover, it has acceptable selectivity, good repeatability (1.52–3.50%), good reproducibility (1.88%), and satisfactory accuracy (recoveries: 84.6–97.8%). An outstanding feature of the sensor is its broad linear range (5.00–6.00 × 102 nmol/L). This sensor is well suited for the determination of salbutamol in milk, sausage, and livestock and poultry feed samples.

Abstract Cancer research aims to identify genes that cause or control disease progression. Although a wide range of gene sets have been published, they are usually in poor agreement with one another. Furthermore, recent findings from a gene-expression cohort of different cancer types, known as positive random bias, showed that sets of genes chosen randomly are significantly associated with survival time much higher than expected. In this study, we propose a method based on Brouwer’s fixed-point theorem that employs significantly survival-associated random gene sets and reveals a small fixed-point gene set for cancers with a positive random bias property. These sets significantly correspond to cancer-related pathways with biological relevance for the progression and metastasis of the cancer types they represent. Our findings show that our proposed significant gene sets are biologically related to each cancer type available in the cancer genome atlas with the positive random bias property, and by using these sets, positive random bias is significantly more reduced in comparison with state-of-the-art methods in this field. The random bias property is removed in 8 of these 17 cancer types, and the number of random sets of genes associated with survival time is significantly reduced in the remaining 9 cancers.

Abstract The optimal booster vaccine schedule against COVID-19 is still being explored. The present study aimed at assessment of the immunogenicity and antibody persistency of inactivated-virus based vaccine, BBIP-CorV and protein-subunit based vaccines, PastoCovac/Plus through heterologous and homologous prime-boost vaccination. Totally, 214 individuals who were previously primed with BBIBP-CorV vaccines were divided into three arms on their choice as heterologous regimens BBIBP-CorV/PastoCovac (n = 68), BBIBP-CorV/PastoCovac Plus (n = 72) and homologous BBIBP-CorV (n = 74). PastoCovac booster recipients achieved the highest rate of anti-Spike IgG titer rise with a fourfold rise in 50% of the group. Anti-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibody mean rise and fold rise were almost similar between the PastoCovac and PastoCovac Plus booster receivers. The antibody durability results indicated that the generated antibodies were persistent until day 180 in all three groups. Nevertheless, a higher rate of antibody titer was seen in the heterologous regimen compared to BBIP-CorV group. Furthermore, no serious adverse event was recorded. The protein subunit-based booster led to a stronger humoral immune response in comparison with the BBIP-CorV booster receivers. Both the protein subunit boosters neutralized SARS-CoV-2 significantly more than BBIP-CorV. Notably, PastoCovac protein subunit-based vaccine could be successfully applied as a booster with convenient immunogenicity and safety profile.

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare the quality characteristics and mineral content of the fiber from male and female cashmere goats raised under different management systems. Male and female Raeini cashmere goats (, 20.9 ± 0.4%, 66.1 ± 1.5%, 33.8 ± 1.5% and 1.8 ± 0.2 gf/tex, respectively. The sulfur, copper and zinc content of the cashmere averaged 2.8 ± 0.1%, 0.00065 ± 0.00002% and 0.01276 ± 0.00025%, respectively. Rearing method significantly affected staple length, coefficient of variation of fiber diameter, cashmere tenacity and copper content. Males had a higher coefficient of variation of fiber diameter and cashmere tenacity than females (P

Background. Antibiotic resistance is a phenomenon that occurs in different areas of the world against pathogens that cause nosocomial infections. This study aimed to evaluate the antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Methods. In this study, 340 patients with positive blood cultures by these two bacteria were reviewed. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results. For Staphylococcus aureus, the highest antibiotic resistance and sensitivity rates were 27/2 percent (25 cases) to vancomycin and 30/4 percent (28 cases) to gentamicin. In contrast, the resistance and sensitivity rates for pseudomonas aeruginosa were 11/7 percent (19 cases) to meropenem and 29/6 percent (48 cases) to gentamycin, respectively. Conclusion. Accurate evaluation of the antibiotic resistance pattern of these bacteria is necessary to select an effective antibiotic for the treatment of children. Practical Implications. We can provide beneficial and effective treatment using effective antibiotics on bacteria.

Background: Tonsillectomy is a common painful surgery in children. One of the methods of pain relief is the use of non-pharmacological treatments. Aim: This study was performed with aim to determine the effect of distraction Techniques on pain intensity and acetaminophen received after tonsillectomy in children aged 5-12 years old. Method: This experimental study was conducted on 75 children aged 5-12 years old from September 2020 to March 2021. The subjects by random allocation method were divided into two intervention groups (1: watching cartoons, 2: listening to music) and one control group. Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale and the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NRS) were used to report pain intensity. Data were analysed by SPSS software (version 25) and inferential statistical tests, such as Wilcoxon, kruskal-wallis, chi-square, and Mann-Whitney U. P

Due to the evolution of media technologies in the field of production and distribution of media products and services, user behavior has become an important element in shaping the ecosystem of video watching and downloading websites. In this regard, the current research is focused on the study of the video content consumption behavior of the users and has examined the communication pattern of the members of the ecosystem of Iranian video sites with the technique of social network analysis. The current research was conducted with a quantitative approach and social network analysis method and has 2 research phases: a) sampling of Iranian video download and watch sites through web scraping method, and b) visualization, community detection, and social network analysis of Iranian video watch and download websites. According to the research findings, the ecosystem of video downloading and watching websites in Iran includes 144 elements and 8 communities and includes communities of user-generated content, video on demand, legal purchase, legal reception, illegal reception, subtitles, and East Asian content. The legal downloading community is larger than other communities and is the most important community related to video downloading and watching websites. The present study showed that the audience needs are influential in referring to the video platform and even in moving between the platforms, on the other hand, it can be argued that being an audience has found a searching state and the audience is moving among societies in search of satisfying their needs. According to the active audience theory, it has the ability to influence the media ecosystem through behavior

Introduction: Using artificial intelligence tools in pharmacogenomics is one of the latest bioinformatics research fields. One of the most important drugs that determining its initial therapeutic dose is difficult is the anticoagulant warfarin. Warfarin is an oral anticoagulant that, due to its narrow therapeutic window and complex interrelationships of individual factors, the selection of its optimal dose is challenging. Method: Among the relatively successful methods of kernel-based estimation, comparison and identification of suitable kernels have not been researched. In the present research, while carefully examining this approach, different features of selection algorithms were analyzed based on expert opinions, and an appropriate subset of efficient predictor variables was identified for dose estimation. Results: In the current study, a dataset collected by the International Warfarin Consortium was used. The results showed that the support vector machine with a suitable kernel and a subset of the proposed features can successfully predict the ideal dose of warfarin for a significant percentage of patients with an error of approximately 0.7 mg per week. Conclusion: The estimation was conducted using the least squares version of the support vector regression based on a suitable kernel and feature selection strategy. In this method, a better approach for predicting the optimal therapeutic dose of warfarin was presented, which can significantly reduce the wrong dose error and its consequences.

Objective(s): Autism is a complicated neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social interaction deficiencies, hyperactivity, anxiety, communication disorders, and a limited range of interests. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a social vertebrate used as a biomedical research model to understand social behavior mechanisms. Materials and Methods: After spawning, the eggs were exposed to sodium valproate for 48 hr, after which the eggs were divided into eight groups. Except for the positive and control groups, there were six treatment groups based on oxytocin concentration (25, 50, and 100 μM) and time point (24 and 48 hr). Treatment was performed on days 6 and 7, examined by labeling oxytocin with fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) and imaging with confocal microscopy and the expression levels of potential genes associated with the qPCR technique. Behavioral studies, including light-dark background preference test, shoaling behavior, mirror test, and social preference, were performed on 10, 11, 12, and 13 days post fertilization (dpf), respectively.Results: The results showed that the most significant effect of oxytocin was at the concentration of 50 μM and the time point of 48 hr. Increased expression of shank3a, shank3b, and oxytocin receptor genes was also significant at this oxytocin concentration. Light-dark background preference results showed that oxytocin in the concentration of 50 µM significantly increased the number of crosses between dark and light areas compared with valproic acid (positive group). Also, oxytocin showed an increase in the frequency and time of contact between the two larvae. We showed a decrease in the distance in the larval group and an increase in time spent at a distance of one centimeter from the mirror. Conclusion: Our findings showed that the increased gene expression of shank3a, shank3b, and oxytocin receptors improved autistic behavior. Based on this study some indications showed that oxytocin administration in the larval stage could significantly improve the autism-like spectrum.

Abstract In this research, magnetic metal–organic framework nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning method. The nanocomposite was functionalized by third generation hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM) to improve its dye adsorption efficiency from aqueous media. The characteristics of the synthesized magnetic nanocomposite was determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) along with elemental mapping analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Central composite design (CCD) based on response surface methodology (RSM) was performed to optimize the adsorption variables and the values of coefficient of determination (R2) and adjusted R2 were 0.9837 and 0.9490, respectively. The results obtained demonstrated remarkable properties of the synthesized nanofiber as adsorbent for methylene blue from aqueous solutions with the removal efficiency of 95.37% and maximum methylene blue (MB) adsorption capacity of 940.76 mg g−1 under optimized conditions. In addition, it was shown that kinetics and adsorption isotherm of the dye removal process followed Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models, respectively. Thermodynamic study of the dye removal indicated that the process was spontaneous and favorable at higher temperatures. Also, the reusability study shows favorable dye removal efficiency of 80.67% even after 4 cycles. To investigate the performance of the adsorbent for the removal of MB in real samples, a sewage sample from a local hospital was used. The result showed good efficiency of the adsorbent.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on carbon have been viable contenders in the field of photovoltaic due to their low cost, outstanding stability in high-humidity atmospheric air, and high electrical conductivity. Also, using inexpensive counter electrodes with PSCs devoid of organic hole transport materials (OHTMs) might be one way to get around the cost problem. Herein, at first, two different metal oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3-NPs and NiO-NPs) were synthesized by a novel and cost-effective process. Then these nanoparticles were doped in carbon paste as a hole-transporting material (HTM) to improve charge extraction, interface contact, and energy level alignment, as well as reduction of energy loss, charge recombination, and perovskite surface degradation. The photovoltaic properties of these devices were investigated. All cells showed better efficiency than the control cell, but Fe2O3–NiO@C had better performance with high hole conductivity, matched energy level, and staircase band alignment of perovskite/Fe2O3–NiO@C. Fe2O3 has a higher valence band (VB) than NiO, which facilitates the holes transfer from perovskite and NiO to counter electrode and accelerates the separation of photogenerated electron–holes. The optimal device, FTO/c-TiO2/m-TiO2/perovskite/Fe2O3–NiO@C, achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.27% without encapsulation, compared to the control device (9.49%), and has outstanding long-term stability, retaining almost 82% of its initial efficiency over 720 h. The control device, FTO/c-TiO2/m-TiO2/perovskite/C, kept 66% of the original PCE after 720 h. Therefore, the PSCs based on Fe2O3–NiO doped carbon demonstrated substantial PCE and have good stability in ambient settings, thus making them one of the least expensive PSCs to commercialize.

Abstract The long juvenile period of fruit trees makes their breeding costly and time-consuming. Therefore, flowering time engineering and shortening the juvenile phase have become a breeding priority for the genetic improvement of fruit tree crops. Many economically valuable fruit trees belong to the Rosaceae family including apples and strawberries. TEMPRANILLO (TEM) acts as a key player in flowering time control through inhibiting FT function. Two genes with high sequence similarity with the Arabidopsis TEM genes were isolated from apple (Malus domestica). Due to the complexity of carrying out functional studies in apple, we characterized their function in woodland strawberry as well as their expression in apple. The expression of MdTEM genes in apple tissues from juvenile plants was dramatically higher than that in the tissues from adult trees. In woodland strawberry, the overexpression of MdTEM genes down-regulated FvFT1, FvGA3OX1, and FvGA3OX2 genes in strawberry. The MdTEM-overexpressing lines exhibited delayed flowering, in terms of days to flowering and the number of leaves at flowering. While, RNAi-mediated silencing of TEM resulted in five days earlier flowering, with a lower number of leaves, a higher trichome density, and in some cases, caused in vitro flowering. According to these results and in silico analyses, it can be concluded that MdTEM1 and MdTEM2 can be considered as orthologs of FvTEM and probably AtTEM genes, which play an important role in regulating the juvenile phase and flowering time through regulating FT and GA biosynthetic pathway.

L2 learners, when reading in L2 have access to their L1 literacy as a repertoire of reading strategy in L1. The main purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent awareness of reading strategies in L1 (strategy) and general proficiency in L2 (proficiency) contribute to reading comprehension ability in L2 (reading) and how it would differ among Iranian EFL learners with different degrees of motivation to read in L2 (motivation). To this purpose, a reading strategy inventory assessing strategic reading behavior in L1, a test of general English proficiency, a reading comprehension test in L2, and a motivation to read questionnaire in L2 were distributed among 289 university students selected conveniently at a Teacher Education University. To gain a deeper insight into the issue, a structured interview was also devised with thirty purposively selected participants subsequent to quantitative analysis of the data. Pearson correlation and Regression analysis as well as a two-way ANOVA were used to analyze the collected data. The results showed that proficiency accounted much more strongly for the participants' reading score variance than strategy and motivation. Additionally, it was found that strategy and motivation contributed nearly similarly to reading, showing that motivation is fairly as important as strategy in predicting reading. It was also found that the role of proficiency in the participants with low and high levels of motivation was significant. When motivation is high or low, proficiency has strong effects on reading. When strategy is low, motivation has strong effect on reading and when proficiency is medium, strategy has a strong effect on reading. This study has implications for EFL classroom practitioners and L2 pedagogy to adjust instruction to individual learner profiles.

The rise of information technology has transformed the business landscape, with organizations increasingly relying on information systems to collect and store vast amounts of data. To stay competitive, businesses must harness this data to make informed decisions that optimize their actions in response to the market. Business intelligence (BI) is an approach that enables organizations to leverage data-driven insights for better decision-making, but implementing BI comes with its own set of challenges. Accordingly, understanding the key factors that contribute to successful implementation is crucial.This study examines the factors affecting the implementation of BI projects by analyzing the interactions between these factors using system dynamics modeling. The research draws on interviews with five BI experts and a review of the background literature to identify effective implementation strategies. Specifically, the study compares traditional and self-service implementation approaches and simulates their respective impacts on organizational acceptance of BI. The results show that the two approaches were equally effective in generating organizational acceptance until the twenty-fifth month of implementation, after which the self-service strategy generated significantly higher levels of acceptance than the traditional strategy. In fact, after 60 months, the self-service approach was associated with a 30% increase in organizational acceptance over the traditional approach. The paper also provides recommendations for increasing the acceptance of BI in both implementation strategies. Overall, this study underscores the importance of identifying and addressing key factors that impact BI implementation success, offering practical guidance to organizations seeking to leverage the power of BI in today's competitive business environment.

In this work, the grafting method using graphene oxide (GO) - poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM) nanocomposite as filler for the functionalization of cellulose acetate membrane is reported. Here, cellulose acetate membrane incorporated by nanocomposite in the polymer solution was prepared through the phase inversion technique. The effect of embedding GO-PAMAM on the characterization properties and rejection performance was studied. The results of zeta potential, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), contact angle measurements, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) established successful modification. Based on the data found, adding the filler improves membrane properties. Loading of 1.00 wt% of GO/PAMAM was found to be the optimized amount of the filler in the membrane processing with the highest porosity (74%), antifouling behavior (88%), reversible fouling ratio (45.71%), and the least contact angle (∼40°). Hence, the rejection and permeability tests of the prepared membrane were examined by Na2SO4 (98.40%), NaCl (52%), and MgCl2 (57%) solutions through a lab dead-end cell. According to the results, the value of salt rejection established more permeability and rejection than neat cellulose acetate membrane.

Abstract Background and Aims Communication between intensive care unit (ICU) nurses and patients with decreased Level of Consciousness (DLOC) is now regarded as a difficult task. Proper communication is regarded as a crucial component of care and stems from the attitude and practice of nurses. Intensive care nurses are responsible for providing care to patients with DLOC in accordance with ethical principles because care and ethics cannot be separated. To better understand ICU nurses' attitudes and practice toward communicating with patients who have decreased levels of consciousness and how this affects the provision of ethical care, the current study was conducted. Methods This is a cross‐sectional study. Two hundred ICU nurses from southeast Iran took part in this study. Three questioners, including attitude and practice toward communicating with patients who decreased Levels of consciousness, and ethical Care were used as data collection tools. Results The mean score for ICU nurses' attitude, practice, and ethical care towards communicating with patients with DLOC were, respectively, 4.02 ± 0.45,2.91 ± 0.49. The findings demonstrated a very weak correlation between the ICU nurses' attitude score and communication practice for DLOC patients (p = 0.04; r = 0.14). Conclusion Nurses who had a more positive attitude toward communicating with DLOC patients performed better in this area. It is suggested that nurses employed in ICUs should be monitored and judged based on how well they communicate with DLOC patients through workshops and conferences. By doing this, they would become more cognizant of the necessity for and effective methods of communication with these patients as well as the repercussions of their poor communication practice.