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Considering the impact of CEO Power on a bank’s performance, CEOs can play a role in social responsibility and earnings management. Given that earnings management in banks can have various effects on other industries and the overall economy, banks tend to practice earnings management more frequently than non-financial organizations. Furthermore, due to a lack of transparency and information asymmetry, banks are required to be more accountable to society than other industries. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the impact of CEO Power on the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management in banks. The research sample comprises 16 banks listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange Market and Iran OTC between 2016 and 2021. These banks were selected to test the research hypothesis. The findings of the study suggest that social responsibility has a significant negative impact on earnings management in banks. This implies that an increase in social responsibility may lead to a decrease in information asymmetry and lack of transparency, resulting in a decrease in earnings management. Furthermore, the findings of the study indicate that CEO power does not play a significant role in moderating the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management in banks.IntroductionIndeed, engaging banks in social responsibility practices is expected to be beneficial for their stakeholders. In this context, stakeholders are often attracted to banks with a good reputation for social responsibility. Therefore, executives may engage in social responsibility activities to gain support from stakeholders, defend themselves against stakeholder activism, manage their business reputation, or protect their own careers. However, executives may also engage in social responsibility activities to manipulate earnings management and hide their self-interest motivations, which leads to agency problems. These agency problems arise when executives take opportunistic actions such as earnings management to maximize their profits, increasing the bank's agency costs. Given the influence of powerful CEOs on a bank’s performance, powerful CEOs play a role in social responsibility and earnings manipulation. Therefore, CEO power is one of the most important determinants affecting managers’ decisions.the current research has several important aspects. First, it extends the literature on the effect of commitment to social responsibility activities on firm earnings management, with a specific focus on the banking sector. Second, the research fills a gap in the literature regarding the role of social responsibility in financial reporting. Previous studies have not provided a clear consensus on whether social responsibility commitment has a positive or negative impact on financial reporting quality. Given the diversity of findings reported by previous studies, more research is needed to focus on understanding how social responsibility commitment can affect financial reporting quality, as proxied by earnings management practices.Does social responsibility affect banks' earnings management? Does CEO power have a significant effect on the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management of banks and strengthen this relationship?Literature Review2.1. Corporate social responsibility and earnings managementTo understand the link between corporate social responsibility (SR) and earnings management (EM), previous studies have proposed two perspectives: the ethical perspective and the managerial opportunism perspective. The ethical perspective assumes that EM is negatively associated with SR, while the managerial opportunism perspective argues that EM and SR are positively related. This leads us to our first hypothesis:H1. There is a significant relationship between SR and EM.2.2. Corporate social responsibility, earnings management and CEO powerGiven the influence of powerful CEOs on bank’s performance, powerful CEOs play a significant role in both SR input and earnings manipulation. Therefore, CEO power is considered one of the crucial determinants affecting managerial decisions. Hence, CEO power may have a moderating effect on the relationship between SR and EM. Accordingly, we propose the following hypothesis:H2. Powerful CEOs moderate the SR–EM relationship. MethodologyThe statistical population of this research consists of banks enlisted in the Tehran Stock Exchange Market and Iran OTC. The data from 16 banks for the period between 2016 to 2021 have been analyzed to test the research hypotheses. The statistical method employed in this study is the regression model of mixed data using panel data approach with a random effects estimation.ResultsThe obtained results suggest that social responsibility has a negative and significant effect on bank’s earnings management. In other words, as social responsibility increases, earnings management in banks is expected to decrease. Furthermore, the results show that the significant relationship between social responsibility and earnings management is not maintained when the adjusting variable of the CEO's power is included. In other words, the CEO's power does not have a significant effect on the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management.Discussion and ConclusionWith an increase in activities related to social responsibility, banks experience a decrease in earnings management. This observation aligns with the ethical perspective and the signaling theory, which suggest that social responsibility can serve as a tool to reduce earnings management. Banks with higher levels of social responsibility not only exhibit greater transparency regarding their social responsibility initiatives and stronger engagement with stakeholders, but they also tend to engage in less earnings management. Additionally, the study found that CEO power does not moderate the relationship between social responsibility and bank earnings management. This finding contradicts the theoretical foundations and the research background, which propose that CEOs may use social responsibility to gain stakeholder support, manage their reputation, and defend against stakeholder activism. Therefore, it is evident that relying solely on CEO power and characteristics may not lead to accurate decision-making in this domain. Shareholders and other financial decision-makers should consider factors beyond CEO power when attempting to moderate the relationship between social responsibility and earnings management.

Laser machining of sapphire faces challenges due to the low laser beam energy absorption. A silicon (Si) plate contacting the rear surface of the sapphire substrate was used as an absorptive material to improve the laser absorption and affect material removal from the rear surface. A near-infrared laser with a wavelength of 1030 nm and pulse duration of 2 ns was focused at the interface, causing Si ablation and generation of a plasma plume with immense recoil pressure. The proposed approach for sapphire machining via enhanced laser absorption at the Si-sapphire interface is illustrated, and a probable material removal mechanism is discussed. Effects of processing parameters on machining depth and surface roughness were investigated using Taguchi L27 orthogonal array design and analysis of variance (ANOVA). It is found that repetition rate has the most significant effect on the machining performance characteristics, among other parameters. Furthermore, a multi-objective optimization was performed to optimize the process by integrating the Taguchi method with Grey Relational Analysis (GRA). The maximum machined depth of 59.1 μm and the minimum surface roughness of 0.145 μm were obtained by conducting confirmation tests at the optimal settings. The optimal processing parameters were obtained corresponding to the repetition rate of 1000 kHz, laser fluence of 1.2 J/cm2, hatching distance of 0.01 mm, scanning speed of 1000 mm/s, and single pass. The integrated Taguchi and GRA methodology offers an alternative for optimizing laser machining processes.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure that involves replacing a damaged aortic valve using a catheter, typically inserted through a small incision in the leg, leading to faster recovery and reduced risks compared with traditional open-heart surgery. It is a common procedure; however, it is not without adverse events. We report a case of an 83-year-old man who underwent TAVR for the indication of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Shortly thereafter, he complained of progressive shortness of breath and was hospitalized for acute on chronic heart failure. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was the first indication of a potential aorta to right ventricular fistula, and this was confirmed by a cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA). He underwent a period of medical observation but did not do well, requiring re-admission to the hospital for acute on chronic heart failure. He was ultimately treated by percutaneous low-profile shunt closure using a septal occluder device. Percutaneous shunt closure in symptomatic patients using percutaneous low-profile shunt closure devices seems to be the best treatment option in high surgical risk patients.

Water and energy are two strategic drivers of sustainable development, intimately interlaced and vital for a secure future of humanity. Given that water resources are limited, whereas global population and energy demand are exponentially growing, the competitive balance between these resources, referred to as the water-energy nexus, is receiving renewed focus. The desalination industry alleviates water stress by producing freshwater from saline sources, such as seawater, brackish or groundwater. Since the last decade, the market has been dominated by membrane desalination technology, offering significant advantages over thermal processes, such as lower energy demand, easy process control and scale-up, modularity for flexible productivity, and feasibility of synergic integration of different membrane operations. Although seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) accounts for more than 70% of the global desalination capacity, it is circumscribed by some significant technological limitations, such as: (i) the relatively low water recovery factor (around 50%) due to the negative impact of osmotic and polarization phenomena; (ii) an energy consumption in the range of 3–5 kWh m ^−3 , still far from the theoretical energy demand (1.1 kWh m ^−3 ) to produce potable water from seawater (at 50% water recovery factor). Ultimately, desalination is an energy intensive practice and research efforts are oriented toward the development of alternative and more energy-efficient approaches in order to enhance freshwater resources without placing excessive strain on limited energy supplies. Recent years have seen a relevant surge of interest in membrane distillation (MD), a thermally driven membrane desalination technology having the potential to complement SWRO in the logic of Process Intensification and Zero Liquid Discharge paradigm. Due to its peculiar transport mechanism and negligibility of osmotic phenomena, MD allows high-quality distillate production (theoretically, non-volatile species are completely rejected) with a recovery factor of up to 80% at a relatively low operative temperature (typically 60 °C–80 °C). Although low operative temperatures make MD technology attractive for renewable power applications (e.g. solar thermal, wind or geothermal energy sources) or for efficient exploitation of low-grade or waste heat streams, the low energy efficiency intrinsically due to heat losses—and specifically to temperature polarization—has so far hindered the application at industrial scale. Nowadays, photothermal materials able to absorb and convert natural or artificial irradiation into heat have gained great attention, demonstrating the potential to mitigate the ‘anthropic’ energy input to MD and to mitigate the impact of thermal inefficiencies. On this road, a step-change improvement in light-to-heat conversion is expected through high-throughput computational screening over thermoplasmonic materials based on electronic and optical properties of advanced materials including novel topological phases of matter used as nanofillers in polymeric membranes. Coherently with the concept of Circular Economy, waste hypersaline solutions rejected from desalination process (referred as ‘brine’) are now the subject of valorization activities along two main exploitation routes: (1) recovery of valuable minor and trace metals and minerals, with special focus on critical raw materials (including, among others, Mg, Na, Ca, K, Sr, Li, Br, B, and Rb); (2) production of salinity gradient power (SGP) renewable energy resulting from the recovery of the Gibbs energy of mixing (mainly represented by the entropic contribution) of two solutions having different ionic concentration. The exciting new frontier of sustainable mining of seawater concentrates is accelerating the appearance of a plethora of innovative membrane materials and methods for brine dehydration and selective extraction of trace ions, although under the sword of Damocles represented by cost feasibility for reliable commercial application. On the other hand, among several emerging technologies, reverse electrodialysis (SGP-RED) was already proven capable—at least at the kW scale–of turning the chemical potential difference between river water, brackish water, and seawater into electrical energy. Efforts to develop a next generation of ion exchange membranes exhibiting high perm-selectivity (especially toward monovalent ions) and low electrical resistance, to improve system engineering and to optimize operational conditions, pursue the goal of enhancing the low power density so far achievable (in the order of a few W per m ^2 ). This Roadmap takes the form of a series of short contributions written independently by worldwide experts in the topic. Collectively, such contributions provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of the art in membrane science and technology at the water-energy nexus, and how it is expected to develop in the future. In addition, this Roadmap acknowledges the challenges and advances in membrane systems, particularly emphasizing the interplay of material innovation and system optimization, which collectively contribute to advancing the desalination field within the water-energy nexus framework.

In this study, a picosecond (ps) laser was employed to produce micro-textures on ductile iron in linearly processing leading to significantly higher processing efficiency. The fabrication efficiency was increased about 1331 times as compared to the more common spot-by-spot texturing method. The ps laser induced graphene (LIG) structures were simultaneously fabricated in dimples, which further enhanced the surface tribological properties. The surface micro-textures were produced by forming micro-dimples on the substrate via the laser ablation process. The dimple diameter and area density were regulated by varying the key laser processing parameters, and were experimentally correlated to the tribological properties of the ductile iron substrate. To understand deeper into the wear reduction mechanism of the micro-dimples, simulation models based on the Reynold equation were established, which analyze the flow field pressure distribution and demonstrate the hydrodynamic lubrication effect of the micro-textures. The ball-on disk friction test showed that the area density of the micro-textures had a significant influence on the friction and wear properties. The micro-texture with the area density of 20% and the average dimple diameter of 36 μm showed the highest volume wear rate reduction of 70% and the friction coefficient reduction of 20% respectively. The results indicated that the simultaneous laser in-situ generation of graphene micro-textures is an effective way of enhancing tribological properties on the ductile iron surface. It enhances the hardness of textured surfaces, thermal diffusion, debris capture ability, and fluid dynamic lubrication effect.

BK virus rarely causes disease but is typically associated with patients who have had a transplant. The cornerstone of therapy is reduction in immunosuppression. A recent surge in BKVAN correlates with use of potent immunosuppressant drugs, such as tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. Studies have not shown any correlation between BKVAN and a single immunosuppressive agent but rather the overall immunosuppressive load. A 12-year-old male with recurrent acute myeloblastic leukemia (M4) was undergoing chemotherapy regimen at MAHAK Pediatric Cancer Treatment and Research Center. Following 28 days of allogenic transplantation with protocol BU/CY/Mel from his brother, he had severe hematuria in urine. So he was screened for the reason of hematuria. The results of screening showed that he had positive BK virus in urine (viral load PCR tests: 7128037228 IU/ML). According to grade IV hemorrhagic cystic, cidofovir was administered for the first time as IV and then 2 times as intravesical. After the administration of cidofovir, the symptoms of hematuria improved and the load of BK virus decreased that finally accounted as zero. Cidofovir could be the target issue in patients’ recovery. Authors suggest further evaluations of cidofovir both in allogeneic stem cell transplantation setting and in renal allograft patients to consider its impact on BKV and nephropathy.

Underlap between gate and drain/source area is one of the important items non-ideal effects in the device manufacturing process in the nanometer scale. In this paper, for the first time, the effect of underlap between the gate and drain/source area for tunneling carbon nanotube field effects transistor is investigated. To simulate the device, self- consistent solution of Schrodinger and Poisson equations and Non-equilibrium Green’s Function method have been employed. The function of the device is evaluated in terms of the on-state current, off-state current, current ratio, sub-threshold swing, delay time, and the power delay product. The simulation results show that the underlap effect improves some of the device characteristics and has some adverse effects on other characteristics. In the case where the length of underlap area is optimally chosen, the device performance will be improved considerably. Simulation results indicate that underlap significantly reduces the off-state current and thus reduces band-to-band tunneling and ambipolar behavior of the device. Also, the underlap effect by improving the power delay product parameter is a suitable option for low power applications compared with the conventional structure.

The deficiency of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron leads to severe disorders in human body organs. This study introduces Dooshab as a food source of these useful elements. The Dooshab which translates to grape syrup is widely used in Iran. In the traditional method of the Dooshab production, the white soil is added to the grape juice and the mixture is boiled. After cooling, it is filtered. To get the syrup, the filtered juice is boiled again and concentrated. In this research, grape juice was divided into two equal parts. A known amount of white soil was added to one of the samples. Then, both samples were boiled and left to cool down. After paper filtering, the pH of each sample was measured. Heating was continued until liquids were concentrated and converted to syrup. Both samples which are produced from using mud-boiled up the stage and skipping this step were diluted to fixed volumes. Similar amounts of two samples were ashed and dissolved in distilled water and tested. The atomic absorption spectroscopy, spectrophotometry, and flame atomic emission spectroscopy techniques were used for quantitative analyses. The calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium quantity are 12 mg, 6.82 mg, 2.32 mg, and 250 mg in 25 mL of the Dooshab and 1.75 mg, 0.65 mg, 1.28 mg, and 65 mg in 25 mL of grape sauce, respectively. This study demonstrates that boiling of grape juice with the white soil decreases the acidity and increases the amounts of useful elements in grape syrup.

A new four-quadrant analogue multiplier circuit is presented in this paper, which is designed in the voltage mode. The key feature of the circuit is the highprecision operation as well as its linear performance due to the symmetrical configuration. Compared to the recent works, the precision of the circuit, as well as the linearity performance, is improved. The performance of the circuit, in terms of the conceivable mismatches in threshold voltage and trans-conductance parameters, are analyzed in detail. In order to prove the efficiency of the proposed circuit, it is utilized in a modulator structure and then the simulation results of the design are adopted with the best possible performance of that application. The designed circuit is simulated via HSPICE software with TSMC level 49 (BSIM3v3) parameters in 0.18 μm CMOS technology, where the supply voltage is 1.8 V, the -3 dB bandwidth of the circuit is obtained 1.45 GHz and the total harmonic distortion at 1 MHz, remains as low as 0.4%.

Threats in the future war scene. For this purpose, by examining the literature of previous studies and studies, a total of 14 primary factors related to the type of threats were identified. To confirm the identified factors, a questionnaire was distributed among the experts of experts and experts to 241 people. Finally, 230 questionnaires were collected. Then, the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by Cronbach's alpha test and content validity in qualitative and quantitative form using two relative content validity and content validity index. The results showed the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. In order to screen the key factors, the questionnaire validity of the questionnaires was evaluated. In total, 8 factors were selected as the most important and final factors. Then, using the exploratory factor analysis method, the identified factors were classified into two types of classes and tools. In the next stage, a paired (fuzzy) questionnaire was designed and distributed among experts. Finally, 15 completed questionnaires were compiled. Then, the prioritization of the threats was done by Fuzzy AHP and Topsis. Finally, the results of cyberspace and warfare and artificial intelligence in weapons were given priority, respectively, with the presentation of practical suggestions for the studied community.

Deletions of chromosome 1p36 are common in cancers; however, despite extensive studies, there has been limited success for discovering candidate tumor suppressors in this region. SRARP has recently been identified as a novel corepressor of the androgen receptor (AR) and is located on chromosome 1p36. Here, bioinformatics analysis of large tumor datasets was performed to study SRARP and its gene pair, HSPB7. In addition, using cancer cell lines, mechanisms of SRARP and HSPB7 regulation and their molecular functions were investigated. This study demonstrated that SRARP and HSPB7 are a gene pair located 5.2 kb apart on 1p36.13 and are inactivated by deletions and epigenetic silencing in malignancies. Importantly, SRARP and HSPB7 have tumor suppressor functions in clonogenicity and cell viability associated with the downregulation of Akt and ERK. SRARP expression is inversely correlated with genes that promote cell proliferation and signal transduction, which supports its functions as a tumor suppressor. In addition, AR exerts dual regulatory effects on SRARP, and although an increased AR activity suppresses SRARP transcription, a minimum level of AR activity is required to maintain baseline SRARP expression in AR+ cancer cells. Furthermore, as observed with SRARP, HSPB7 interacts with the 14‐3‐3 protein, presenting a shared molecular feature between SRARP and HSPB7. Of note, genome‐ and epigenome‐wide associations of SRARP and HSPB7 with survival strongly support their tumor suppressor functions. In particular, DNA hypermethylation, lower expression, somatic mutations, and lower copy numbers of SRARP are associated with worse cancer outcome. Moreover, DNA hypermethylation and lower expression of SRARP in normal adjacent tissues predict poor survival, suggesting that SRARP inactivation is an early event in carcinogenesis. In summary, SRARP and HSPB7 are tumor suppressors that are commonly inactivated in malignancies. SRARP inactivation is an early event in carcinogenesis that is strongly associated with worse survival, presenting potential translational applications.

For the first time, a new structure is proposed for tunneling CNTFET (T-CNTFET). In this new structure, the drain region is divided into two parts, and the part near the channel has a linear doping profile. This new structure is called T-CNTFET with linear doping in drain (LD-T-CNTFET). The obtained results using a non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) method show that the LD-T-CNTFET compared with conventional T-CNTFET leads to increase in ON current, reduction in OFF current, increasing current ratio, reducing sub-threshold swing, reducing power consumption and increasing the transistor speed. In addition to the mentioned benefits, the LD-T-CNTFET structure increases the cutoff frequency in comparison with conventional T-CNTFET structure. Therefore, it can be said that LD-T-CNTFET is a proper structure for the applications with low power consumption and high speed.

Equal channel angular rolling (ECAR) is a severe plastic deformation (SPD) process in order to achieve ultrafine-grained (UFG) structure. In this paper, the mechanical properties of ECAR process using artificial neural network (ANN) and nonlinear regression have been illustrated. For this purpose, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) based feed-forward ANN has been used to predict the mechanical properties of ECARed Al6061 alloy sheets. Channel oblique angle, number of passes and the route of feeding are considered as ANN inputs and tensile strength, elongation and hardness are considered as the outputs of ANN. In addition, the relationship between input parameters and mechanical properties were extracted separately using nonlinear regression method. Comparing the outputs of models and experimental results shows that models used in this study can estimate the mechanical properties appropriately. Where, the performance of ANN model is better than the correlations to predict mechanical properties. Finally, the developed outputs of trained neural network model are used to analyze the effects of input parameters on tensile strength, elongation and hardness of ECARed Al6061 alloy sheets. The results showed that the ANN model, without highly expensive tests and experiments, is an efficient tool to predict the mechanical properties of ECARed Al6061 sheets.

The repetition of crime is one of the most precise and difficult issues of criminal law matters; because it is related to criminal and social issues and the implementation of its related justice has created numerous problems for the courts. The displacement of crime is something that causes the criminal act to change in time, place, manner of committing, and type of crime. The purpose of the study is to see if the displacement of criminal militias into new units could lead to the repetition and displacement of crime? The sample size in this study is based on the Cochran sampling formula, which is equal to 40 people due to the protective and security components. Data collection tools were a researcher-made questionnaire. The reliability of this questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha test in the field of transfer of a crime (0/76). Data analysis was performed based on the nature of the data and the way of expressing the hypotheses in a single-sample t-test with SPSS 24 software. According to the findings of the study, with the Punishment of employment ban on the employment of a particular job(s) in the repetition and transfer of a crime, the repetition and transfer of crime occurred in the units of Headquarters of the Southwest Army.

A novel topology of four-quadrant analog multiplier circuit is presented in this paper. The voltage mode technique is employed to design the circuit in CMOS technology. The dynamic input and output ranges of the circuit are improved owing to the fact that the circuit works in the saturation region not in weak inversion. Also the proposed multiplier is suitable for low voltage operation and its power consumption is relatively low. In order to verify the performance of the proposed circuit, performance of the circuit affected by second order effects including transistor mismatch and mobility reduction is analyzed in detail. It will be shown that any conceivable mismatch in the transistor parameters leads to second harmonic distortion. Additionally, the effect of mobility reduction in the third harmonic distortion will be computed. In order to simulate the circuit, Cadence and HSPICE software are used with TSMC level 49 (BSIM3v3) parameters for 0.18 μm CMOS technology, where under supply voltage of 1.5 V, total power consumption is 44 µW, the corresponding average nonlinearity remains as low as 1 %, and the input range of the circuit is ± 400 mV.

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) is an emerging technique for producing few-layer graphene or graphene-like material that has recently received increasing attention, due to its unique advantages. Subsequently, a variety of lasers and materials have been used to fabricate LIG using this technique. However, there is a lack of understanding of how different lasers (wavelengths) perform differently in the LIG conversion process. In this study, the produced LIG on polyimide (PI) under a locally water-cooled condition using a 10.6 μm CO2 infrared laser and a 355 nm ultraviolet (UV) laser are compared. The experimental investigations reveal that under the same UV and CO2 laser fluence, the ablation of PI show different results. Surface morphologies with micron-sized and nanometer pores were formed by the UV laser under different laser fluences, whereas micron-sized pores and sheet structure with fewer pores were produced by the CO2 laser. Energy dispersive spectrometry and three-dimensional topography characterization indicate that the photochemical effects were also involved in the LIG conversion with UV laser irradiation. It is also observed through experiments that the photothermal effect contributed to the formation of LIG under both lasers, and the LIG formed on PI substrates by the CO2 laser showed better quality and fewer layers.

Cardiac involvement is fairly common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It may involve all layers of the heart and coronary arteries as well as the heart valves. We report an extremely rare presentation of valvulitis and valvular dysfunction associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. This is the first case of lupus valvulitis which required three mechanical prosthetic valve replacements with disease recurrence leading to a fatal outcome. This is, in our point of view, the consequence of aggressive natural history of the disease and perhaps late diagnosis and treatment of underlying SLE which was unsuccessful.

Molecular apocrine is a subtype of estrogen receptor-negative (ER.) breast cancer, which is characterized by a steroid-response gene signature that includes androgen receptor, FOXA1, and a high frequency of ErbB2 overexpression. In this study, we demonstrate that there is a strong association between the overexpression of FOXA1 and ErbB2 in ER- breast tumors. This has led us to identify a cross-regulation network between FOXA1 and ErbB2 signaling in ER- breast cancer. We present two mechanisms to explain the association between FOXA1 and ErbB2 overexpression in molecular apocrine cells. In one process, ErbB2 signaling genes CREB1 and c-Fos regulate FOXA1 transcription, and in another process, AP2α regulates the expression of both FOXA1 and ErbB2. Moreover, we demonstrate that FOXA1, in turn, regulates the transcription of ErbB2 signaling genes. This includes a core gene signature that is shared across two molecular apocrine cell lines. Importantly, the most upregulated (RELB) and downregulated (PAK1) genes in this signature are direct FOXA1 targets. Our data suggest that FOXA1 acts as a dual-function transcription factor and the repressive function of FOXA1 on RELB can be explained by the recruitment of its binding partner corepressor TLE3. It is notable that a group of FOXA1-regulated genes vary across molecular apocrine cell lines leading to the differences in the functional effects of FOXA1 on extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation and cell viability between these lines. This study demonstrates that there is a cross-regulation network between FOXA1 and ErbB2 signaling that connects FOXA1 to some of the key signaling pathways in ER- breast cancer.

Estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer is heterogeneous, and the biology of this disease has remained poorly understood. Molecular apocrine is a subtype of ER-negative breast cancer that is characterized by the overexpression of steroid-response genes such as AR and a high rate of ErbB2 amplification. In this study, we have identified a positive feedback loop between the AR and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways in molecular apocrine breast cancer. In this process, AR regulates ERK phosphorylation and kinase activity. In addition, AR inhibition results in the down-regulation of ERK target proteins phospho-RSK1, phospho-Elk-1, and c-Fos using an in vivo molecular apocrine model. Furthermore, we show that AR-mediated induction of ERK requires ErbB2, and AR activity, in turn, regulates ErbB2 expression as an AR target gene. These findings suggest that ErbB2 is an upstream connector between the AR and ERK signaling pathways. Another feature of this feedback loop is an ERK-mediated regulation of AR. In this respect, the inhibition of ERK phosphorylation reduces AR expression and CREB1-mediated transcriptional regulation of AR acts as a downstream connector between the AR and ERK signaling pathways in molecular apocrine cells. Finally, we demonstrate that AR-positive staining is associated with the overexpression of ERK signaling targets phospho-Elk-1 and c-Fos in ER-negative breast tumors, which further supports a cross-regulation between the AR and ERK signaling pathways in molecular apocrine subtype. This study demonstrates an AR-ERK feedback loop in ER-negative breast cancer with significant biologic and therapeutic implications in this disease.

"nAbstract "nIntroduction: Acute Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune bleeding disorder of childhood caused by production of auto antibodies against platelets. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and intravenous anti-D(IV anti-D) in ITP treatment. "nMethods and materials: In a clinical trial, 43 children with acute ITP referred to Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman/ Iran during 2 years were studied. Children were randomly divided into two treatment groups of IVIG (n=27) and anti-D (n=16). Two groups were compared in regard to the time takes for platelets to increase, platelets count in the 10th post-treatment day and any drug side effects. "nResults: Positive response to the treatment was observed in 70.4% (19 patients) of IVIG group and 68% (11 ones) of IV anti-D group. Mean response time was 2.9 days in anti-D and 2.8 days in IVIG groups (p=0.934). Platelets count on the 10th post-treatment day in anti-D and IVIG groups were respectively 202545/μl and 204857/μl (p=0.974). Four patients in IVIG group showed side effects, while the patients in anti-D group had no complication or acute hemoglobin decrease. "nConclusion: In spite of no significant difference between IVIG and anti-D treatment groups in regard to the therapeutic outcomes, IV anti-D is suggested as the first-line treatment in acute ITP because of its lower price, more convenient administration and no need for hospitalization.

"nIntroduction: In 1989, the first successful umbilical cord blood transplantations (UCBTs) was reported in a boy with fanconi's anemia, using umbilical cord (UCB) of his HLA matched sister. "nCord blood transplantation is a good substitute for bone marrow or peripheral blood transplantation especially for children and small body size adults. "nMethods: Between 1998 and 2007 ,14 children(10 boys and 4 girls ) with non-malignant(9 Beta-Thalassemia Major ,3 SCID,1 Hurler) and malignant(1 AML) diseases were given an allogenic CB transplant from sibling (10 cases) or unrelated(4 cases). In the majority of cases, busulfan and cyclophosphamide were given in various dosage in conditioning regimen GVHD prophylaxis consisted mainly of (CsA) alone( in 9 cases), the combination of CsA and methoterxate (in 4 cases)and methotrexate alone (in 1 case). "nResults: In thalassemic patients 89% are alive but 55% with disease. Graft failure occurred in 4 thalassemic and 1 AML patients. Only 2 cases experienced GVHD (1 acute GVHD grade2 and 1limited chronic GVHD). All three cases of SCID that transplanted very late after many infectious complications are dead. "nConclusion: This study demonstrated that CBT is curative in some thalassemic patients but in future, we can improve results of CBT with use of ATG, Alemtuzumab, Thiotepa, G-CSF, double cord, TNC dose of 4×107/kg and elimination of methotrexate for GVHD prophylaxis in HLA- match sibling.

Recent studies have identified novel subgroups in ER-negative breast cancer based on the expression pattern of androgen receptor (AR). One subtype (molecular apocrine) has an over-expression of steroid-response genes and ErbB2. Using breast cancer cell lines with molecular apocrine features, we demonstrate a functional cross-talk between AR and ErbB2 pathways. We show that stimulation of AR and ErbB2 pathways leads to the cross-regulation of gene expression for AR, ErbB2, FOXA1, XBP1, TFF3, and KLK3. As opposed to the physiologic transient phosphorylation of extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK1/2) observed with the testosterone treatment, we demonstrate that the addition of ErbB2 inhibition leads to a persistent phosphorylation of ERK1/2, which negatively regulates the downstream signaling and cell growth. This suggests a mechanism for the cross-talk involving the ERK pathway. Moreover, testosterone stimulates the proliferation of molecular apocrine breast cell lines, and this effect can be reversed using antiandrogen flutamide and anti-ErbB2 AG825. Conversely, the growth stimulatory effect of heregulin can also be inhibited with flutamide, suggesting a cross-talk between the AR and ErbB2 pathways affecting cell proliferation. Importantly, there is a synergy with the combined use of flutamide and AG825 on cell proliferation and apoptosis, which indicates a therapeutic advantage in the combined blockage of AR and ErbB2 pathways.

Introduction: Accurate documentation of the cause of death is critical for health care planning. In this study, the most important causes of death registered on death certificates and the most important issues preventing accurate registration and access to death information in the town of Rafsanjan were surveyed. Methods: This was a descriptive study. All death certificates (totally 1197) issued during the year 2004 in Rafsanjan were reviewed. The relevant information was collected on a checklist. Data were analyzed with SPSS. Results: Common issues preventing accurate documentation and access to information about the causes of death were as follows: incongruity between available information in different medical centers, incomplete death certificates, difficult access to death information, inaccurate registration of the real causes of death and illegibility of the registered information. The most common cause of death in males was accident and in females was a cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: The registration system and access to death information requires extensive modification, therefore, information pertaining causes of death must be used and interpreted cautiously. Keywords: Cause of Death; Medical Records; Data Collection

Prolactin-induced protein (PIP) is expressed in the majority of breast cancers and is used for the diagnostic evaluation of this disease as a characteristic biomarker; however, the molecular mechanisms of PIP function in breast cancer have remained largely unknown. In this study, we carried out a comprehensive investigation of PIP function using PIP silencing in a broad group of breast cancer cell lines, analysis of expression microarray data, proteomic analysis using mass spectrometry, and biomarker studies on breast tumors. We demonstrated that PIP is required for the progression through G1 phase, mitosis, and cytokinesis in luminal A, luminal B, and molecular apocrine breast cancer cells. In addition, PIP expression is associated with a transcriptional signature enriched with cell cycle genes and regulates key genes in this process including cyclin D1, cyclin B1, BUB1, and forkhead box M1 (FOXM1). It is notable that defects in mitotic transition and cytokinesis following PIP silencing are accompanied by an increase in aneuploidy of breast cancer cells. Importantly, we have identified novel PIP-binding partners in breast cancer and shown that PIP binds to β-tubulin and is necessary for microtubule polymerization. Furthermore, PIP interacts with actin-binding proteins including Arp2/3 and is needed for inside-out activation of integrin-β1 mediated through talin. This study suggests that PIP is required for cell cycle progression in breast cancer and provides a rationale for exploring PIP inhibition as a therapeutic approach in breast cancer that can potentially target microtubule polymerization.

"nAbstract: "nIntroduction: The prevalence of rare bleeding disorders, including combined factor V+VIII deficiency are higher in Iran than in developed countries. There are only a few reports which have been written concerning kidney transplantation in the patients suffering from these disorders. "nCase report: A 22-year old girl, with a known case of combined factor V+VIII deficiency, a history of bladder stone surgery, postoperative bleeding and a need for hemodialysis due to renal failure was admitted for allograft kidney transplantation. The patient received fresh-frozen plasma and factor VIII, according to individualized protocol before, during and after the course of the transplantation. The function of the grafted kidney was very good nine months post-transplantation. "nDiscussion: Only heparin was used during hemodialysis. It has been shown that allograft kidney transplantation can be performed in rare bleeding disorders with good replacement therapy without any complications. "n "nKey words: Rare Bleeding Disorders, Combined Factor V+VIII Deficiency, Kidney Transplantation

Introduction:In 1989, the first successful umbilical cord blood transplantations (UCBTs) was reported in a boy with fanconi's anemia, using umbilical cord (UCB) of his HLA matched sister. Cord blood transplantation is a good substitute for bone marrow or peripheral blood transplantation especially for children and small body size adults. Methods: Between 1998 and 2007 ,14 children(10 boys and 4 girls ) with non-malignant(9 Beta-Thalassemia Major ,3 SCID,1 Hurler) and malignant(1 AML) diseases were given an allogenic CB transplant from sibling (10 cases) or unrelated(4 cases). In the majority of cases, busulfan and cyclophosphamide were given in various dosage in conditioning regimen GVHD prophylaxis consisted mainly of (CsA) alone( in 9 cases), the combination of CsA and methoterxate (in 4 cases)and methotrexate alone (in 1 case). Results: In thalassemic patients 89% are alive but 55% with disease. Graft failure occurred in 4 thalassemic and 1 AML patients. Only 2 cases experienced GVHD (1 acute GVHD grade2 and 1limited chronic GVHD). All three cases of SCID that transplanted very late after many infectious complications are dead. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that CBT is curative in some thalassemic patients but in future, we can improve results of CBT with use of ATG, Alemtuzumab, Thiotepa, G-CSF, double cord, TNC dose of 4×107/kg and elimination of methotrexate for GVHD prophylaxis in HLA- match sibling.

Abstract Equal channel angular rolling (ECAR) is a severe plastic deformation (SPD) process in order to achieve ultrafine-grained (UFG) structure. In this paper, the mechanical properties of ECAR process using artificial neural network (ANN) and nonlinear regression have been illustrated. For this purpose, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) based feed-forward ANN has been used to predict the mechanical properties of ECARed Al5083 sheets. Channel oblique angle, number of passes and the route of feeding are considered as ANN inputs and tensile strength, elongation and hardness are considered as the outputs of ANN. In addition, the relationship between input parameters and mechanical properties were extracted separately using nonlinear regression method. Comparing the outputs of models and experimental results shows that models used in this study can predict and estimate mechanical properties appropriately. Where, the performance of ANN model is better than the correlations to predict mechanical properties. Finally, the developed outputs of neural network model are used to analyze the effects of input parameters on tensile strength, elongation and hardness of ECARed Al5083 sheets.