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Background and purpose: Alliums are rich sources of steroidal saponins, flavonoids, and sulphoric compounds of which steroidal saponins have recently received more attention due to their important pharmacological activities. Allium giganteum (giant onion) which is named locally “Couria” in the Northeast of Iran, is grown widely in “Kouh-Sorkh” mountains in Khorasan province. Experimental approach: Phytochemical investigation of chloroform-methanol and aqueous extract of the plant resulted in the isolation and identification of two steroidal saponins, using comprehensive spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR and MS. Findings/Results: The chemical structures of the isolated saponins were determined as (22S)-cholesta-1b,3b,16b,22b-tetraol 5-en, and 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl26-O-β-D-glucopyranosside and (25R)-26-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-5α-furostan-1α,3β,22α,26-tetraol3-O-{β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl- (1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside}. Investigation of in vitro antileishmanial activity of the isolated compounds at 10, 50, and 100 μg/mL exhibited significant leishmanicidal against the promastigotes of Leishmania major. Conclusion and implications: The results established a valuable basis for further studies about A. giganteum and the anti-parasitic activity of steroidal saponins.

The increasing use of plastics has resulted in the production of high quantities of plastic waste that pose a serious risk to the environment. The upcycling of plastics into value-added products offers a potential solution for resolving the plastics environmental crisis. Recently, various microorganisms and their enzymes have been identified for their ability to degrade plastics effectively. Furthermore, many investigations have revealed the application of plastic monomers as carbon sources for bio-upcycling to generate valuable materials such as biosurfactants, bioplastics, and biochemicals. With the advancement in the fields of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, the construction of high-performance microbes and enzymes for plastic removal and bio-upcycling can be achieved. Plastic valorization can be optimized by improving uptake and conversion efficiency, engineering transporters and enzymes, metabolic pathway reconstruction, and also using a chemo-biological hybrid approach. This review focuses on engineering approaches for enhancing plastic removal and the methods of depolymerization and upcycling processes of various microplastics. Additionally, the major challenges and future perspectives for facilitating the development of a sustainable circular plastic economy are highlighted.

Objective: Despite many attempts to treat leishmaniasis, new approaches are necessary to reduce the burden of disease. Perovskia abrotanoides (Brazambel) has shown significant effects against Leishmania parasites in some studies. This study aimed to investigate the effects of P. abrotanoides extract topical formulation on cutaneous leishmaniasis. Methods: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were assigned to experimental (n = 18) and control (n = 18) groups. Both groups received intralesional meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®). The experimental group also received 5% Brazambel extract ointment once a day. The interventions continued until the complete healing of the lesions (reepithelialization) for a maximum of 8 weeks. The clinical response, defined as complete response (reepithelialization >75%), partial response (reepithelialization 50%– 75%), or treatment failure (reepithelialization

A expansão do acesso à internet ganhou força nos últimos anos, inclusive em áreas não urbanas. Esse acesso vem sendo incorporado ao cotidiano e ocupando espaços em contextos que anteriormente eram reservados para atividades mais coletivas ou de integração com o espaço onde se vive. Embora mudanças no cotidiano após a inclusão tecnológica sejam esperadas, o fato de o celular concentrar múltiplas funções rompe a ideia de utilização de um dispositivo para um fim específico, impactando, dessa forma, as rotinas pessoais, comunitárias e profissionais de seus usuários. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar uma análise a partir da teoria bioecológica de Urie Bronfenbrenner sobre as percepções dos moradores de duas comunidades rurais, destacando a influência do uso ou da presença do telefone celular e da internet. Participaram da pesquisa 24 pessoas (22 usuários de telefone e 2 não) escolhidas através da metodologia de amostragem Snowball. O trabalho aponta diferenças nos resultados de inserções tecnológicas anteriores, como antenas rurais e orelhões, no cotidiano das pessoas, ao passo que demonstra o caráter ambíguo sobre o papel desses recursos que, ao mesmo tempo que facilitam o cotidiano e aproximam as pessoas, prejudicam as relações e deixam seus usuários vulneráveis a adoecimentos causados pelo uso abusivo dos equipamentos.

Contextualização: Diante da busca de aprimoramento técnico-científico nos processos de avaliação psicológica relacionados com a afetividade dos estudantes brasileiros perante o erro matemático, este trabalho apresenta um panorama das investigações científicas brasileiras acerca de instrumentos de medição de afetividade. Objetivo: Mapear os tipos de instrumentos de avaliação do afeto que estão sendo utilizados em estudos brasileiros. Método: Foi realizado um mapeamento sistemático visando descrever um levantamento de instrumentos de avaliação do afeto que estão sendo utilizados em estudos brasileiros. Resultado: Identificou-se os tipos de instrumentos de avaliação do afeto utilizados pelos pesquisadores no Brasil. Conclusão: Não foi encontrado no Brasil nenhum instrumento para medir a afetividade dos estudantes diante do erro matemático, evidenciando uma lacuna de pesquisa com foco neste tipo de medição. Isto representa uma demanda de pesquisa de grande relevância para a área, especificamente para o campo do erro matemático.

Background and Aims: We aimed to test the performance of the Fibroscan-aspartate aminotransferase (FAST) score, a noninvasive test, to identify nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and significant fibrosis (NASH + ≥F2) in a cohort of patients with a histological diagnosis of NASH, using a cutoff of ≥0.35 as a rule in factor. We also compared performance to liver stiffness measurement (LSM) ≥8 kPa and the fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) ≥1.3 and attempted to identify risk factors to develop a model for improving diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed NASH were identified from 2020–2021. Demographic information, laboratory data, and LSM were collected. The FAST score and FIB-4 were calculated. Univariate and backward entry multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors in addition to the FAST score ≥0.35 that are associated with an accurate histological diagnosis of NASH + ≥F2. Discrimination and overall accuracy were assessed using area under receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Using a rule in cutoff of ≥0.35, the FAST score performed with a sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of 96.4%, 36.8%, 77.7%, and 81.8%, respectively. Age (P = .05) and FAST ≥0.35 (P = .001) correctly identified histologically confirmed NASH + ≥F2. The FAST + age model outperformed FAST ≥0.35 (0.70, confidence interval [CI]: 0.55–0.84), LSM ≥8 kPa (0.72, CI: 0.59–0.85), and FIB-4 ≥1.3 (0.73, CI: 0.59–0.87) with a c-statistic of 0.78 (CI: 0.64–0.92). Conclusion: A FAST score with a rule cutoff of ≥0.35 performed well (c-statistic: 0.70) and was superior to LSM and FIB-4 when age was incorporated into the model (0.78) in detecting NASH + ≥F2 fibrosis in the real world.

Abstract High-precision searches for an electric dipole moment of the neutron (nEDM) require stable and uniform magnetic field environments. We present the recent achievements of degaussing and equilibrating the magnetically shielded room (MSR) for the n2EDM experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. We present the final degaussing configuration that will be used for n2EDM after numerous studies. The optimized procedure results in a residual magnetic field that has been reduced by a factor of two. The ultra-low field is achieved with the full magnetic-field-coil system, and a large vacuum vessel installed, both in the MSR. In the inner volume of $$\sim 1.4~\hbox {m}^3$$ ∼ 1.4 m 3 , the field is now more uniform and below 300 pT. In addition, the procedure is faster and dissipates less heat into the magnetic environment, which in turn, reduces its thermal relaxation time from $$12~\text {h}$$ 12 h down to $$1.5~\text {h}$$ 1.5 h .

Background and Aims: The large global population of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has recently been shown to have an association with chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to a host of proposed mechanisms, one of which being lipoprotein dysmetabolism. Furthermore, metabolic comorbidities have been concurrently prevalent in MASLD and CKD independently. This study aimed at analyzing risk and predictive traits among an obese population for both MASLD and CKD. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 546 obese patients with a diagnosis of either MASLD or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis between January 2020 and June 2021 was performed. Markers of liver and kidney function in addition to demographic data and renoprotective medications were recorded. Both univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to understand possible associations between MASLD markers, renal function, and markers of metabolic derangements. Results: Univariate analysis revealed that increased age (P < .001), elevated alanine aminotransferase (defined as alanine aminotransferase ≥ 30 IU/L, P = .01), low albumin (P = .011), and increasing fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) (P = .005) were statistically associated with a reduced renal function. A reduction in glomerular filtration was associated with an increase in FIB-4 (effect size [beta] of a one-unit increase in glomerular filtration on FIB-4 = −0.013, P < .001) in univariate linear regression. In multivariate linear regression, type 2 diabetes (T2D) was independently associated with increased liver fibrosis (effect size of T2D on FIB-4 = 0.387925, P < .02). Conclusion: Our study shows that in a patient population with obesity and a diagnosis of MASLD, advanced fibrosis is independently associated with reduced renal function.

Background: Migraine is the second most common cause of headache, various methods have been mentioned for the treatment of migraine, including herbal medicine. Iaraj Fiqra is a combination of Aloe, saffron, cinnamon, mustalci, balsam incense and asaroon and claim to be effective in migraine. The present study aims to compare the effect of Iaraj Fiqra and placebo tablets on migraine headache. Methods: In this randomized, controlled trial, patients with migraine (based on the International Headache Society definition) received Iaraj Fiqra (500mg/daily) or placebo tablets for two months. Headache characteristics were measured using the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6). Results: Iaraj Fiqra reduced significantly the frequency (P=0.007), the severity (P=0.000) and the duration (P=0.000) of attacks compared to placebo. MIDAS and HIT-6 scores were significantly reduced in the drug group other than the placebo group (P=0.014 and P=0.000 respectively). Analgesic use also reduced. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in term of side effects (P=0.23). Conclusion: This study showed that Iaraj Fiqra had significant effects on reducing headache characteristics and analgesic use and given its limited side effects, it is recommended for the treatment of migraine. J Pharm Care 2024; 12(1): ?.

Iran is the second largest oil and gas producer among the Persian Gulf states, with 13.26 billion m3 gas flaring in 2020, approximately 9.34% of the global gas flaring. To reduce pollutants emissions and energy loss, an accurate feasibility study of flare gas recovery technologies is needed as the first step. Multi-objective optimization of process structure for the development of a comprehensive flare gas recovery system based on process simulation has not attracted much attention in the literature. In this study, a process structure for a flare gas recovery system was proposed using a multi-objective optimization approach to decrease associated gas flaring in southern Iran with a current flaring capacity of 279.7 MMSCFD. In the proposed structure, associated gas goes through sweetening and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) units. After separating the liquid and vapor products, the NGL outlet gas is allocated to different units, including reinjection of gas to oil wells, gas pipelines, Liquefied Natural Gas, Compressed Natural Gas, Gas to Liquid, Gas to Power, and Desalination units. These units were simulated in Aspen HYSYS, providing an accurate economic and environmental analysis. Afterward, the shares of NGL outlet gas allocated to downstream units were considered optimization variables. The process structure was optimized by maximizing the economic (net present value) and environmental (greenhouse gas emission) objective functions. Results show that in the optimized process structure, 93.4% of the NGL outlet gas is allocated to gas injection and 6.6% to the power generation unit, resulting in a reduction of 6.22 million tons of CO2 emissions per year in this oilfield. The net present value of the flare gas recovery system is approximately 1.504 billion dollars, with a payback period of 1.60 years, suggesting the feasibility of the process.

Today, due to the widespread influence of modern media and their unique features, we are witnessing the emergence of new arenas in various scientific fields. On the one hand, the profound impact of media such as social networks and on the other hand, the importance of religion as one of the most important phenomena studied in human societies throughout history, highlights more than ever the need to study the effects of media on religion and the importance of discovering existing discourses in this field. Therefore, in this article, the effect of social networks (specifically Instagram as one of the most popular and widely used media) on the religious messages of two influential clergymen (Alireza Panahian and Hassan Aghamiri) is examined. The research data is collected from the Instagram pages of these two individuals over a 6-month period in 2021 and 2022. In this article, by examining theories in the field of religious discourses (such as discourses of Westernism, nationalism and Islamism, discourses of modernism, Shariaism and civilizationism and discourses of intellectualism and religious intellectualism, Islamic tradition and fundamentalism), their summary in the form of discursive dualities in the field of religion is presented as theoretical foundations. The results obtained from discourse analysis in the final stage show that the dominant discourse in Alireza Panahian's religious messages is shaped around "idealism and Islamic civilization". This finding is consistent with the theory of civilizationism in the theoretical foundations section. On the other hand, the dominant discourse governing Hassan Aghamiri's religious messages revolves around "tolerance and criticism of the official religious authority", which is in line with the theory of religious intellectualism.

Abstract We present a novel Active Magnetic Shield (AMS), designed and implemented for the n2EDM experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. The experiment will perform a high-sensitivity search for the electric dipole moment of the neutron. Magnetic-field stability and control is of key importance for n2EDM. A large, cubic, 5 m side length, magnetically shielded room (MSR) provides a passive, quasi-static shielding-factor of about $$10^5$$ 10 5 for its inner sensitive volume. The AMS consists of a system of eight complex, feedback-controlled compensation coils constructed on an irregular grid spanned on a volume of less than 1000 m $$^3$$ 3 around the MSR. The AMS is designed to provide a stable and uniform magnetic-field environment around the MSR, while being reasonably compact. The system can compensate static and variable magnetic fields up to $$\pm \, 50 \, {\upmu }\hbox {T}$$ ± 50 μ T (homogeneous components) and $$\pm \, 5 \, {\upmu }\hbox {T/m}$$ ± 5 μ T/m (first-order gradients), suppressing them to a few $${\upmu }\hbox {T}$$ μ T in the sub-Hertz frequency range. The presented design concept and implementation of the AMS fulfills the requirements of the n2EDM experiment and can be useful for other applications, where magnetically silent environments are important and spatial constraints inhibit simpler geometrical solutions.

Objective: Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation play a key role in male infertility etiology. This study aimedto explore the global DNA methylation status in testicular spermatogenic cells of varicocele-induced rats and considertheir semen quality, with a focus on key epigenetic marks, namely 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine(5-hmC), as well as the mRNA and proteins of ten-eleven translocation (TET) methylcytosine dioxygenases 1-3.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 24 mature male Wistar rats (8 in each group) were assignedamongst the control, sham, and varicocele groups. Sperm quality was assessed, and DNA methylation patterns oftesticular spermatogenic cells were investigated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR),western blot, and immunofluorescence techniques.Results: Sperm parameters, chromatin and DNA integrity were significantly lower, and sperm lipid peroxidation significantlyincreased in varicocele-induced rats in comparison with control rats. During spermatogenesis in rat testis, 5-mC and 5-hmCepigenetic marks, and TET1-3 mRNA and proteins were expressed. In contrast to the 5-mC fluorescent signal which waspresented in all testicular cells, the 5-hmC fluorescent signal was presented exclusively in spermatogonia and a few spermatids.In varicocele-induced rats, the 5-mC signal decreased in all cells within the tubules, whereas a strong signal of 5-hmC wasdetected in seminiferous tubules compared to the control group. As well, the levels of TET2 mRNA and protein expressionwere significantly upregulated in varicocele-induced rats in comparison with the control group. Also, our results showed thatthe varicocele-induced animals exhibited strong fluorescent signals of TET1-3 in testicular cells, whereas weak fluorescentsignals were identified in the seminiferous tubules of the control animals.Conclusion: Consequently, we showed TET2 upregulation and the 5-hmC gain at testicular levels are associated withvaricocele and sperm quality decline, and therefore they can be exploited as potential biomarkers of spermatogenesis.