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In this research, the levels of safety, health, and environmental risks in a building stone processing company (BSPC) have been identified using the integrated approach of EFMEA (Environmental Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and William Fine method, along with the TOPSIS technique for prioritizing organizational safety layers, examining potential incidents, and enhancing organizational efficiency. To achieve this, data and risk assessment information were first collected and evaluated, and then, with the formation of an expert task force, brainstorming sessions were held to identify and analyze environmental risks in the production process using the EFMEA technique. Additionally, with the assistance of the William Fine method, safety and health risks in the production process were identified and examined. In the next step, the costs of corrective actions were calculated, and the results obtained from the tables of both EFMEA and William Fine techniques were combined, and decisions were made regarding risks with high and very high levels. Subsequently, using TOPSIS, protective layers were prioritized based on two criteria: cost and time. Following the risk assessment using the EFMEA method, 4 risks were classified as high-risk, 9 risks as medium-risk, and 2 risks as low-risk. Subsequently, employing the William Fine technique, a total of 41 hazards were evaluated across 5 worksheets. 5% of the hazards were categorized as very high-risk, 19% as high-risk, 27% as medium-risk, and 49% of the evaluated hazards were classified as low-risk. Ultimately, the results obtained from the integration of the William Fine and EFMEA techniques categorized 2 risks as very high-risk, 12 risks as high-risk, 20 risks as medium-risk, and 22 risks as low-risk. Furthermore, working at heights was selected as one of the risks with high risk, and protective layers and control measures were proposed and examined. The use of helmets, shoes, harnesses, and the establishment of a safety platform, considering both time and cost criteria, is the first priority for controlling risks in working at heights activity.

Introduction Vocal and motor tics are characteristic for Tic disorders (TD) and Tourette’s syndrome (APA 2022) . Because of the pathophysiology of the disorders not being fully understood and the presence of the externally measurable symptoms; great attention has been paid to the cortico-striatal regions of patients with TD . In addition to the alterations in motor symptoms patients can experience a premonitory urge (PU) which can be felt before a tic (Reese et al. Behav. Ther. 2014; 45 177–186) . Previous studies found an impact of these urges on sensory perception, attention and social cognition as well as an involvement of the brain regions insula, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) (Seeley J. Neurosci. 2019; 39 9878–9882, Kucyi et al. J. Neurophysiol. 2012; 108 3382–3392, Uddin et al. Brain Topogr. 2019; 32 926–942) . These findings lead to the idea of altered functional connectivity of the salience network (SN) in patients with TD. Objectives This study aims to investigate the connectivity changes of the SN in patients with TD. We examined functional resting-state scans of patients with TD and searched for possible correlations between the tic and PU severity and the connectivity of the SN. Methods 21 Patients (mean age: 30.9 years ± 10.0 [range = 19–57], 6 females) diagnosed with TD, and 20 healthy controls (mean age: 29.7 years ± 8.9 [range = 18–50], 5 females) underwent a resting-state fMRI scan. Functional and anatomical images were conducted on a 3T Siemens Prisma fit MRI scanner. PU and tic severity were measured by the Premonitory Urges for Tics Scale (PUTS) and the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). The connectivity analysis of the resting-state scans was done using the CONN toolbox v21.a. After pre-processing and de-noising steps, a whole-brain seed-based connectivity analysis was carried out with the seeds being the major cortical nods of the SN. For the correlation analysis a linear regression of the YGTSS score/PUTS score and the brain connectivity of the seed regions was conducted. Results The PUTS score was 25.3±5.4 (range 10-33) and the YGTSS total tic score was 23.1±7.9 (range 10-38) for the patients. The connectivity analysis revealed a significant difference in connectivity between the groups for the ACC, the right insula and the TPJ. A negative correlation between the YGTSS scores and the connectivity of the left insula and the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) was shown in the correlation analysis. No significant correlation was found for the PUTS scores in the investigated seed regions. Conclusions The right SFG mediates motor urgency and inhibitory control. Since we found a negative correlation between the insula and the right SFG regarding to higher YGTSS scores of the patients, our results might shed some light on the pathophysiology regarding lower inhibitory control in patients which experience higher tic severity. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Soil pollution is a significant environmental threats that cannot be directly measured from the surface. Therefore, it is essential to have metrics for assessing soil's environmental quality efficiently. The Fuzzy Soil Quality Index (FSQI) is constructed by analyzing resistivity and chargeability using four Gaussian membership functions to achieve an FSQI ranging from 0 to 100, where 0 denotes the lowest quality, and 100 denotes the highest quality. SigmaSQI and PiSQI are also introduced and statistically analyzed to enhance the performance of FSQI. Cross-validations indicate good fits, and the results are justified by experimental data. By changing the resistivity due to contaminants in the soil, the presence or absence of contamination can be traced. To achieve this, two geophysical profiles with a surveying length of 50 m on a track were performed time-lapse, once after olive and grape shrubs were irrigated with lead and zinc drainage and then again after two weeks. The contamination spread vertically and laterally so that the lateral resistivity of less than 18 Ωm reached more than 371 Ωm after the spread of pollution. As time went by, the contaminated area is reduced due to the absorption of pollutants by plant roots and microorganisms in the soil. The research results demonstrate that plants have high efficiency in absorbing pollutants due to their broad-rooted system and can reduce the risk of leaching and the movement of heavy metal contaminants to groundwater resources. Finally, to validate the presented models, five soil samples in different depths related to the presence of pollutants in the interpreted models were collected, these samples were analyzed in critical sections, and the results presented by the introduced methods showed good compliance.

Introduction: In developing countries, Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) offers numerous benefits, including the identification of hidden costs, waste reduction, improved environmental outcomes, enhanced product quality and competitiveness, and increased process and resource productivity. The zinc mining industry and related activities, such as concentrate production and zinc smelting, require process life cycle analysis due to the extensive pollution they generate, including contamination of surface and underground water from heavy elements in the leachate. Through the use of MFCA modeling, it is possible to accurately evaluate the inputs and outputs of current processes in this field and analyze them for environmental effects.Materials and Methods: This study involved visits to industrial smelting units, expert opinions, and integration with the Sima Pro software database to prepare a life cycle model and network of the product life cycle and its environmental effects. By analyzing the life cycle of Iran's zinc smelting industry, green product productivity was used to calculate the cost-material flow in the selected sample unit, track the material flow, and present a model for the life cycle of zinc. This involved utilizing information from Iran's zinc smelting industry, data from the Sima Pro software database, and the implementation of the MFCA model on information related to zinc smelting and concentrate products. In this model, zinc smelting and zinc concentrate production processes were treated as input and greenhouse gas emissions as output.* Corresponding Author’s email: Sarkheil@khu.ac.ir Results: Based on the material balance relationship, the combination of calcine with sulfuric acid produces leach cake, silver, lead, and air pollution. The research estimates that for the production of one ton of zinc ingot, the amount of air pollution generated is 7 kg. MFCA analysis of the leaching unit of the industrial research complex indicates that the cost of 5070 kilograms of input materials is 12,350,000 Tomans, the cost of the system is 30,000,000 Tomans, and the cost of energy is 1,950,000 Tomans. The study also found that 3549 kg of product is obtained for 9,100,000 Tomans, while 1536 kg of waste is produced at the cost of 3,250,000 Tomans. This highlights the input values, the primary product, and the secondary product.Discussion: Through the provision of comprehensive life cycle models for the zinc smelting process, especially the zinc smelting concentrate process, the inputs and outputs of the production chain were evaluated. By accurately determining the flow cost of these materials, the process of zinc smelting concentrate production can be optimized to minimize losses, reduce environmental pollution, lower direct costs, and increase economic output, thereby leading to the growth and development of the industrial complex.

In the present study, the effects of startup and addition of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and sodium nitrite (NaNO2) salts for 4 weeks before fish stocking on efficiency of biofilter for removal of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) from water, survival rate, growth performance, ammonia metabolizing and urea cycle enzymes activities as well as mucosal immunity of African cichlid (Labidochromis lividus) fingerling. The experimental unit was a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) with water holding capacity of 200 L in which 20 fingerling fish with average weight of 3.06±0.07 g were stocked and cultured for 30 days. The experimental groups included the RAS without startup and adding salts (control, group 1), startup of RAS before fish stocking (group 2) and startup RAS with adding salts (group 3). Water from each experimental unit was sampled after 0, 10, 20 and 30 days of fish stocking. The results showed that the TAN concentration in the groups 2 and 3 was significantly lower than the control group (P

The growth of mining activities reduces the area covered by natural ecosystems and the value of ecosystem services (ES) provided by them. It is necessary to estimate the impacts of land-use changes on the ES value of the ecosystems located in the areas directly and indirectly influenced by mining activities as well as the cost of environmental damages inflicted on the ecosystems. Green mining makes it possible to develop a suitable and effective mechanism for the policymakers and planners to optimally and sustainably upgrade resources utilization. Estimating the cost of the environmental damage of mining activities would effectively preserve ES values and prevent the degradation of ecosystems. It is also an efficient approach in making effective decisions and plans for the restoration of mines. The recent study is the first research to investigate the relationship between mining activities and their impact on reducing/losing the value of ecosystem services by offering a comprehensive and specific framework. The total estimated cost of environmental damages inflicted on ecosystem services influenced by the mining activities in the Sungun Copper Mine was estimated at Int $ 7543232 (1734943 million IRR). This research aimed to develop a comprehensive framework for the stages involved in estimating the changes and losses inflicted on the values of ecosystem services provided by the ecosystems within the scope of direct and indirect effects of mining activities. This framework can help policymakers, stakeholders, and land use planners at regional and national levels preserve ecosystem services and make sustainability plans for the mining regions.

Mineral extraction plays an essential role in economic and social development. On the other hand, mining and its dependent processes can have harmful consequences on natural ecosystems, including air pollution, water, soil, and the impact on biodiversity and land use. Therefore, by quantifying these consequences and estimating the costs of damages to ecosystem services, it is possible to reduce the destruction of ecosystems in the country by applying measures based on prevention and control of effects. Jajarm bauxite mining area, as the largest and most crucial bauxite mine in the country, is located in North Khorasan province. Bauxite mining has negative environmental consequences on neighboring ecosystems during the exploitation and extraction of valuable aluminum material. Since the maximum impact area of ​​this mine is cultivated areas downstream and around the extraction area of ​​this area is 6000 hectares, in this study, the cost of environmental damages to the mine has been estimated using the benefit-transfer approach on this biome. The cost of damages to ecosystem services due to bauxite mining in the cultivated Areas (for 1000 hectares of affected cultivated areas) is estimated at 2481375 million IRR (equivalent to USD 9925500) in the year (2021). This highlights the importance of mine reclamation as well as ecological rehabilitation after mining activities in the area.Using economic tools to prevent and control the effects of mining activities is essential.

Dysregulated frontostriatal circuitries are viewed as a common target for the treatment of aberrant behaviors in various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Accordingly, experimental neurofeedback paradigms have been applied to modify the frontostriatal circuitry. The human frontostriatal circuitry is topographically and functionally organized into the “limbic,” the “associative,” and the “motor” subsystems underlying a variety of affective, cognitive, and motor functions. We conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding functional magnetic resonance imaging-based neurofeedback studies that targeted brain activations within the frontostriatal circuitry. Seventy-nine published studies were included in our survey. We assessed the efficacy of these studies in terms of imaging findings of neurofeedback intervention as well as behavioral and clinical outcomes. Furthermore, we evaluated whether the neurofeedback targets of the studies could be assigned to the identifiable frontostriatal subsystems. The majority of studies that targeted frontostriatal circuitry functions focused on the anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the supplementary motor area. Only a few studies (n = 14) targeted the connectivity of the frontostriatal regions. However, post-hoc analyses of connectivity changes were reported in more cases (n = 32). Neurofeedback has been frequently used to modify brain activations within the frontostriatal circuitry. Given the regulatory mechanisms within the closed loop of the frontostriatal circuitry, the connectivity-based neurofeedback paradigms should be primarily considered for modifications of this system. The anatomical and functional organization of the frontostriatal system needs to be considered in decisions pertaining to the neurofeedback targets.

The life of all human beings on the planet depends on several factors, the occurrence of defects in each of them or their poor performance will cause irretrievable issues. Agriculture, due to its huge food supply, is one of the sectors that lives of billions of people on the planet dependent on it. Appropriate use of this sector requires proper thinking and action. Naturally, trained and specialized manpower will be able to use technology to make this sector prosper, so that not only rural development is possible, but also to give the green economy to the people of their country. With more and more sustainable growth, agriculture export increases and consequently competitiveness in international markets would be more stable. Therefore, the present study examined the effect of higher education on the development of agricultural exports in a selection of middle-income countries during the years 2000-2019. The results of this study showed that allocating a percentage of GDP to the higher education sector along with the number of students enrolled in the university had a negative effect on agricultural exports, but the number of the population of the studied countries had a positive and significant effect on agricultural exports.

Introduction Psychiatric emergencies in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are characterised by multiple types of symptoms including risk of self-harm and suicidal ideation. S-ketamine intranasally (Spravato) has recently been shown to help alleviate symptoms during depressive emergencies. In this case-series, we detail the clinical effects and usability of S-ketamine applied intranasally in a psychiatric emergency setting. Objectives To describe the effects of S-Ketamine on depressive crises associated with suicidality and self-harm in a psychiatric emergency setting. Methods Patients with MDD in a psychiatric emergency were provided with intranasal S-Ketamine according to clinical indication in routine clinical care in a University inpatient setting. Clinical characteristics were assessed in a standardised manner and symptom measures were applied pre-and posttreatment. Experience with 10 patients is systematically described in this case-series. Results Patients had a primary diagnosis of MDD accompanied by a variety of secondary psychiatric comorbidity. Among these 10 patients, the majority were female (70 %) and the mean age was 49.5 yrs (range 26-66). All cases were considered treatment resistant and suffered severe acute suicidal ideation. Across all cases, pre-treatment MADRS was 37 on average (range 20-47) indicating a severe form of MDD. High severity was confirmed in elevated BDI scores (pre-treatment 39). Post-treatment, MADRS scores were reduced to 18 on average, alongside BDI scores (mean 24). S-ketamine administration was well-tolerated and side effects such as dissociation were of short-lived duration. Conclusions S-Ketamine intranasally can be safely and effectively administered in an acute psychiatric setting to treat psychiatric emergencies. Disclosure BTB received honoraria for consultancy and presentations from AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Servier, Wyeth, LivaNova, Janssen, Novartis, Otsuka, Angelini.

Our research focuses on a health and safety management system based on risk identification and analysis. The research is vital due to its relation with GDP. GDP assessment performed in developing countries showed that losses caused by unmanaged HSE (Health, Safety, and Ecology) risks on average resulted in 4.2 % decline in GDP for those countries, with similar losses in various countries in this group. Hidden accidents and incidents caused by uncontrolled HSE result in damages that are about 12 times higher than the cost of direct damage. Our research goal was to substantiate the necessity to create a national authority for managing HSE in one of the country's basic regulatory agencies. Its basic responsibilities will include developing national regulation in the sphere and increase awareness of various organizations that it is vital to identify risks and hazards within the HSE management system. In order to solve the task, a think tank was organized that held regular meetings and included experts from three or-ganizations, namely the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, and the Environmental Protection Agency located at the top three points of the “HSE triangle”. Another important part of our research was results and conclusions based on evaluating the existing situation with the national health, safety, and environment management system; it allowed introducing ten priority research projects. The research indicated that it was also very important to harmonize concepts, examples and methods of dealing with HSE, standardize and harmonize HSE systems at all levels in the country, finding possibility to transfer scientific and technical experience of foreign institutions and domestic institutions, as well as facilitating their maximum participation in sustainable development.

ABSTRACT: Background: CRC is the second and third most common cancer in women and men, respectively. The national comprehensive cancer network guidelines recommend oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy as a preferred regimen for patients with advanced or metastatic colon cancer. Oxaliplatin is also used in the off-label treatment of gastric cancer. FDA uses post-marketing study commitments to gather additional information about a product’s safety, efficacy, or optimal use. It is necessary to perform safety monitoring after marketing authorization is received; such monitoring can be done by means of characterizing the safety of drugs in patients being treated in real-world clinical practice settings. Objectives: This Phase IV study aimed to evaluate the safety profile of a brand-name formulation of the generic drug oxaliplatin (AlvoxalⓇ, NanoAlvand, Tehran, Iran) in Iranian patients diagnosed with either colorectal or other, different types of cancer. Methods: Patients with colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, or other malignancies receiving oxaliplatin as a part of their treatment were included in this open-label, multicenter, observational Phase IV study. This study aimed to assess the safety profile of oxaliplatin in patients diagnosed with different cancers. Findings: A total of 483 patients from 16 cities in Iran were enrolled. The most common malignancy was colorectal cancer (55.49%), followed by gastric cancer (28.16%). Based on the results, 405 patients experienced at least 1 adverse event. Most of these adverse events were grade 1 or 2, and the most commonly reported adverse event was anemia (60.66%). During the study, 26 serious adverse events occurred in 15 (3.11%) patients, which were perhaps related to oxaliplatin. There were no remarkable differences in the incidences of adverse events in the system organ classes of blood and lymphatic system disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, or nervous system disorders among patients with different malignancies (ie, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and other malignancies) or between genders. The results of this open-label, multicenter, observational, postmarketing surveillance study demonstrated no unexpected safety findings from the use of this oxaliplatin product (AlvoxalⓇ) in Iranian patients diagnosed with different types of cancer. Conclusions: This Phase IV study provides data on the safety profile of a number of chemotherapy regimens containing an oxaliplatin product given to Iranian patients diagnosed with different types of cancer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eco-tourism culture on conservation of Lar National Park. The research method was descriptive-survey and the data were collected by field survey. The statistical population of this study was all the researchers (ecotourists) of Lar National Park in 2017. Due to the limited statistical population (more than 100 thousand people), the statistical sample of the study was 384 tourists based on statistical tables (Krejci & Morgan) using an available sampling method. After distributing and collecting data and separating incomplete and confused questionnaires, statistical analysis was performed on 345 questionnaires. The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire which its face and content validity were confirmed by 11 professors of tourism and environmental sciences. The structural validity of the questionnaire was examined by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability of the questionnaire through Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the ecotourist culture’s questionnaire and national park protection’s questionnaire were obtained (α = 0.89) and (α = 0.90) respectively. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used and the research model was analyzed using SPSS and LISREL software. This project indicated that the variables of responsibility, social behavior, normalization, education, knowledge and awareness, and religious and traditional values are affecting environmental behaviors. As a general result, it can be said that culture is the determinant for tourist’s behavior in national parks and the environmental behavior of individuals in a community originated from this key factor.

Public concerns and official pressures around environmental protection as well as exhausting petroleum resources have brought about preferences in studying and applying environmental-friendly polymers instead of synthetic petroleum-based polymers. For this aim, biopolymers can have outstanding advantages in biodegradability by saving time, energy and effort spent on increasingly costs of polymeric wastes. Natural starch (being studied in this work), as one of the most abundant natural resources for polymer materials, is inexpensive and biodegradable. As starch necessarily needs for modifications and processing before being used as ideal green polymer material, it is vital to perform feature extraction and defect detection measures in structure by some method like image analysis. Fractal as a new geometry has circumstantially progressed recently in the fields of image processing, physical space–time, medical image analysis, electrochemical patterns, digital images, sounds etc. Box Count Fractal Dimension as a very important and popular part of fractal geometry can be a useful factor in feature extraction and pattern recognition. This paper presents a new method for defect detection in the structure of natural starch modification images using the fractal dimension (FD) along with mean and standard deviation of image color. This is performed via feature extraction based on artificial intelligence by MatLab R2013a for box counting algorithms. Otsu’s graythresh method by MatLab R2013a is applied to binarize the images. The results of proposed methodology are illustrated as log–log curves where the fractal dimensions are recognized by curve fitting (CF) tool with more than 95% accuracy. The outputs express that starch samples’ FD vary in the range from 1.636 to 1.926 among which the last is identified as non-defective polymer. Non-defective feature is of great importance for quality control measures and chemical reactivity being here highlighted as biodegradability. Keywords: Image analysis, Natural starch, Fractal dimension FD, Box counting, Pattern recognition, Computer program

Wetland valuation is a policy tool available to environmental planners and policy-makers to justify the general costs of wetland preservation activities. Because there is no integrated procedure for valuing goods and services in the country, this article is the first attempt in Iran to provide a comprehensive yet simple and practical framework on how to value ecosystem goods and services. Estimating the cost of damage to ecosystem services can be effective in preventing further damage to wetland ecosystems. The study aims to propose a framework for estimating the environmental costs of development activities and estimating the damage to the values of the wetland ecosystem services within the direct and indirect effects of development activities. The benefit transfer method was used to estimate the values of ecosystem services of each land use/land cover (LULC) class and damage costs to ecosystem goods and services provided by wetlands. Using the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database (ESVD), the coefficients of the average values of ecosystem services for the country over a period of one year were estimated using the equation for adjusting the overall price levels. The mean values of ecosystem services per hectare of coastal and inland wetlands were updated based on the price levels in 2021. Then the corresponding values were adjusted for Iran. The sum of the “means” of the adjusted ecosystem service values per hectare for the Iranian coastal mangrove wetland ecosystems and inland wetland ecosystems are estimated to be 67,665 USD and 42,171 USD, respectively.

This study accomplishes fuzzy wastewater environmental quality assessment in South Pars Complex. Indeed, the proposed Fuzzy Wastewater Quality Index FWWQI comprises four pollutants: COD, BOD, TSS, and pH. Limits of fuzzy quality levels in membership functions are prepared by literature advice, environmental standards, and environmental expertise judgments. The research results express those dominant pollutants in Fuzzy Environmental Quality Index FWWQI are known as COD and BOD. FWWQIs of refinery#A of the South Pars Gas Complex in 2013 and 2014 equal 48.8 (Good) and 44 (Good), respectively. This matter represents perfect standardization of refinery#A in wastewater pollution control, which improves environmental quality and risk indices with a fair time pattern. For the computerized interface of FWQI assessment, created in this research, a Matlab code using Microsoft Office Excel Sheet for Input/output data of the Inference System. This benefit is an important achievement of management systems: ISO 14001 and Health, Safety and, Environment Management System.

Our research focused on the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) management systems. These issues impact business processes and organizations to achieve risk, incident, and anomaly feedback analysis. Our research goal was to investigate an HSE integrated management system’s impact on key safety performance indicators, a retrospective empirical nature. This system was done in phase one of the South Pars gas complex in Iran by using three safety indices; total recordable incident rate (TRIR), lost time injury frequency (LTIF), and total recordable cases frequency (TRCF). In this study, we investigate these indicators for contractors and operators in industrial and non-industrial areas. The data collected included accident reporting, incident analysis, and incident review for two years from April 2017 to March 2018. The results showed an essential difference in the number of hot spots between different safety indices in this period. In this study, the primary sources of accidents have been considered. The research results in total TRIR have not significant changes from Apr to Jun 2017, and its changes only amount to 0.03. The maximum value for TRIR decreased continuously, and the LTIF indicator value for both company and contractor is zero, while its target in 2017 and 2018 can get to 0.33 and 0.25, respectively. An essential part of the conclusions shows that defining indicators can help the immune system’s effectiveness, detecting malformed feedback, risk reduction, and continually improving the system.

Wetlands employ extensive ranges of environmental consideration, pollution control, and financial services in the premise of sustainability. Hence, the study of the pollution of the wetlands is vital. The Anzali wetland-being scoped in this research is located in the Caspian Sea vicinity, the northern part of the Persian plate. Due to proximity to densely populated rural and urban areas, large-scale industries, and agricultural activities, the wetland is exposed to various environmental problems, most of which would be water and soil pollutants. While on the other hand, it provides social, economic, and ecological advantages to local, national, and even worldwide communities in sustainable development. This wetland is in contact with some activities with the main economic benefits investigated in this study and listed in nine sectors. This study's proposed ecological model is a dynamic attitude giving the complex ecological feedback mechanisms to integrate economic aspects. While introducing the wetland restoration level, solving the given model's governing equations specifies the wetland's critical points by providing nonlinear equations between economic and ecological parameters. They were also introduced and applied an empirical fuzzy method solution for the dynamic state analysis of the Anzali wetland. Results show that the Anzali wetland system was irreversible in phosphorus resilience at 0.112% of the wetland entrance. By plotting the wetland's general condition, it was determined that the Anzali wetland is in high levels of contamination and needs urgent care. Finally, the risk of economic activities in the nine sections studied in this study should reach as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) risk level via more supervision.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common and lethal infectious diseases. Objectives: Due to the impact of biological, behavioral, socio-economic factors on the incidence of TB and the risks of the disease, we aimed to investigate the factors affecting TB in TB patients in Semnan. Patients and Methods: All patients with confirmed TB, who were referred to primary healthcare centers in Semnan for receiving medication, enrolled in the study (2012 to 2016). Data collected from clinical records and in-person interviews. The questionnaire consisted of two parts; the first part was demographic data and the other was related to the risk factors for TB. Results: The household crowding index was 1.86 ± 0.88. Most of patients (48.1%) were elderly (≥60 years old), female (59.7%), housewife (48.1%), had a pre-diploma education (63.6%), low-monthly income (62.3%) and married (63.6%). Around13.0% had diabetes. 20.8% drug abuser, 16.9% cigarettes and tobacco smokers, and 1.3% consumed alcoholic beverages. Besides, 40.3% were Afghans and 1.3% had the Pakistani nation. Conclusion: Identifying and controlling the social, geographical and biological factors affecting the incidence and mortality of TB in different regions can help to formulate appropriate strategies for achieving global goals. These factors differ among native and non-native population.

Psychomotor disturbance has been consistently regarded as an essential feature of depressive disorders. Studying objectively measurable motor behaviors like finger-tapping may help advance the diagnostic methods.Twenty-five patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 15 healthy participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements while tapping their index fingers. The finger-tapping (FT) task was performed by the right hand (the tapping frequency varied between 1, 2 and 4 Hz) or both hands either in synchrony or alternation (the tapping frequency varied between 1 and 2 Hz). A mixed-model ANOVA was used for between- and within-group comparisons of the task accuracy and fMRI percent signal change in the supplementary motor area (SMA) during 26-second sequences of finger-tapping. Furthermore, using seed-based correlation analyses we compared the connectivity of the SMA between the two samples.At the behavioral level, no significant group differences in FT performance between the patient and control groups was observed. The mean fMRI percent signal change of the SMA was significantly elevated at higher levels of speed in both groups. In the MDD group, an increased connectivity of the left SMA with the bilateral cortical and cerebellar motor- and vision-related regions was found. Most importantly, a decreased connectivity between the SMA and the basal ganglia was found at frequencies of 4 Hz.Our findings support the contention that, in depression, brain connectivity measures during motor performance may reveal deviant neural processes that are potentially relevant to measurable (bio)markers for individual diagnosis and treatment. Keywords: Finger-tapping, Depression, SMA, Seed-based connectivity, Fronto-striatal

Background: Traumatic experiences are associated with neurofunctional dysregulations in key regions of the emotion regulation circuits. In particular, amygdala responsivity to negative stimuli is exaggerated while engagement of prefrontal regulatory control regions is attenuated. Successful application of emotion regulation (ER) strategies may counteract this disbalance, however, application of learned strategies in daily life is hampered in individuals afflicted by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hypothesized that a single session of real-time fMRI (rtfMRI) guided upregulation of prefrontal regions during an emotion regulation task enhances self-control during exposure to negative stimuli and facilitates transfer of the learned ER skills to daily life. Methods: In a cross-over design, individuals with a PTSD diagnosis after a single traumatic event (n = 20) according to DSM-IV-TR criteria and individuals without a formal psychiatric diagnosis (n = 21) underwent a cognitive reappraisal training. In randomized order, all participants completed two rtfMRI neurofeedback (NF) runs targeting the left lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) and two control runs without NF (NoNF) while using cognitive reappraisal to reduce their emotional response to negative scenes. During the NoNF runs, two %%-signs were displayed instead of the two-digit feedback (FB) to achieve a comparable visual stimulation. The project aimed at defining the clinical potential of the training according to three success markers: (1) NF induced changes in left lateral prefrontal cortex and bilateral amygdala activity during the regulation of aversive scenes compared to cognitive reappraisal alone (primary registered outcome), (2) associated changes on the symptomatic and behavioral level such as indicated by PTSD symptom severity and affect ratings, (3) clinical utility such as indicated by perceived efficacy, acceptance, and transfer to daily life measured four weeks after the training. Results: In comparison to the reappraisal without feedback, a neurofeedback-specific decrease in the left lateral PFC (d = 0.54) alongside an attenuation of amygdala responses (d = 0.33) emerged. Reduced amygdala responses during NF were associated with symptom improvement (r = −0.42) and less negative affect (r = −0.63) at follow-up. The difference in symptom scores exceeds requirements for a minimal clinically important difference and corresponds to a medium effect size (d = 0.64). Importantly, 75% of individuals with PTSD used the strategies in daily life during a one-month follow-up period and perceived the training as efficient. Conclusion: Our findings suggest beneficial effects of the NF training indicated by reduced amygdala responses that were associated with improved symptom severity and affective state four weeks after the NF training as well as patient-centered perceived control during the training, helpfulness and application of strategies in daily life. However, reduced prefrontal involvement was unexpected. The study suggests good tolerability of the training protocol and potential for clinical use in the treatment of PTSD.

Self-relevant functional abnormalities and identity disorders constitute the core psychopathological components in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Evidence suggests that appraising the relevance of environmental information to the self may be altered in BPD. However, only a few studies have examined self-relevance (SR) in BPD, and the neural correlates of SR processing has not yet been investigated in this patient group. The current study sought to evaluate brain activation differences between female patients with BPD and healthy controls during SR processing. A task-based fMRI paradigm was applied to evaluate SR processing in 23 female patients with BPD and 23 matched healthy controls. Participants were presented with a set of short sentences and were instructed to rate the stimuli. The differences in fMRI signals between SR rating (task of interest) and valence rating (control task) were examined. During SR rating, participants showed elevated activations of the cortical midline structures (CMS), known to be involved in the processing of self-related stimuli. Furthermore, we observed an elevated activation of the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the regions belonging to the mirror neuron system (MNS). Using whole-brain, seed-based connectivity analysis on the task-based fMRI data, we studied connectivity of networks anchored to the main CMS regions. We found a discrepancy in the connectivity pattern between patients and controls regarding connectivity of the CMS regions with the basal ganglia-thalamus complex. These observations have two main implications: First, they confirm the involvement of the CMS in SR evaluations of our stimuli and add evidence about the involvement of an extended network including the MNS and the SMA in this task. Second, the functional connectivity profile observed in BPD provides evidence for an altered functional interplay between the CMS and the brain regions involved in salience detection and reward evaluation, including the basal ganglia and the thalamus.

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The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential effects of dietary synbiotic (SYN) (Pediococcus acidilactici + Galactooligosaccharides; 10 g kg−1), sodium propionate (SP; 5, 10 and 20 g kg−1) and a combination of SYN + SP on the growth performance, humoral immunity, antioxidant responses and disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila of African cichlid (Labidochromis lividus) fingerlings (0.52 ± 0.05 g) in a feeding trial lasting 63 days. A completely randomized design was run with eight treatments, including 0 (control) and supplemented diets containing SYN + SP (e.g., 10 + 5, 10 + 10, 10 + 20, 0 + 5, 0 + 10, 0 + 20 and 10 + 10). The lowest feed conversion ratio value was observed in fish fed the 5 g kg−1-SP and 10 g kg−1-SYN (p < 0.05). The highest values of protein efficiency ratio and protein productive value were recorded in fish fed the 10 g kg−1-SYN (p < 0.05). Fish fed the 10 g kg−1-SYN diet had the highest activities of immunity (lysozyme, immunoglobulin) and antioxidant responses (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) (p < 0.05). After 28 days post-challenge, the highest survival rate (57%) was recorded in the diet containing 10 g kg−1 SYN and 5 g kg−1 SP. The results indicated that the single administration of SYN or combined with SP, especially at the level of 5 g kg−1 of diet, enhanced the survival and growth performances, humoral immune response, antioxidant and digestive enzymes of African cichlid.

Introduction: Application of inherently safety principle in the early phase of the design process is very efficient, as this approach is an economic and high efficiency method. While a complete information is not available in the initial phases of the process, the use of valid index to evaluate inherently safety can be efficient. In this case, the best route to design safer process can be selected by comparing the quantitative results. Material and Method: The comprehensive index to evaluate the inherently safety design (ISD) and cost evaluation of the implementing inherently safety design (ISDC) were studied using a three-step hierarchical matrix screening in this research. Utilizing the proposed inherently safety index, Acetic acid production process and cost resulting from ISD were evaluated. Dimensions of the Matrix for ISD and ISDC included: 1) quadrature inherently safety design vector, 2) location vector of inherently safety design and 3) quantity parameter vector of inherently safety design. Result: In order to optimize the implementation of inherently safety design and its cost, three hypotheses were used. From them, the idea of using two processes with half capacity and also using 50% Methanol were selected as a design with the highest level of inherently safety and a design with the lowest-cost process, respectively. Conclusion: In these evalustions the total score for the assumptions of the inherently safety index 1, 2 and 3, were 55,70 and 135, respectively. And the total cost assumptions 1, 2 and 3, have been estimated 858,000, 746,000 and 803,000 US dollars, respectively. Therefore, this tool could show the impact of various scenarios in inherently safety design and also the contrast between the four principles of ISD and its impact on safety and cost factors can be analyzed using an alternative system supplier of methanol.

Accident statistics indicate that the majority of accidents at four categories of human, environment, equipment, and reputation of a community have mainly occurred in the process industries. Amongst them, the Oil and Gas industries have a significant portion, as these industries handle large quantities of flammable, toxic chemicals, and exposure to the high potential of serious accidents. Having considered these issues, it is essential to execute an in place safe system of work in such industries. Permit to work system (PTWS) is one of the most important and effective key of HSE-MS sub-systems, which has a significant role in identifying, predicting, controlling, and eliminating hazards of activities and probable accidents at workplaces. As a question for this research, it is being used in the oil and gas industry. Currently used PTWS method at gas refineries in Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ) is a paper-based management system document, based on the statistical results obtained using the experiences of trustees and experts, which intrinsically contains some defects and deficiencies; consequently it could not provide sufficient and effective barriers. These inherent PTWS errors and faults as the data-based permit to work system (D.B.P.T.W) are leading the operating system to different types of accidents, and finally system failures and catastrophic disasters. Therefore, in this study Bayesian theory was applied for the conditional probability of fault creator cases (FCCs) of PTWS assessment. Fault creator cases analysis in permit to work system with changes in the current PTWS were used (Current Permit to Work, C.P.T.W) in gas refineries by logical management. So that the use of this new method based on historical and interconnected and multi-faceted fault factors communication and also disconformity/capability for immediate and simultaneous informing and discovering on the relevant system components and also according to a Bayesian analysis on seven important and critical variables for both CPTWS and DPTW.S for pessimist and optimist statuses may improve the protection safety layers and it is possible to decease and finally eliminate accidents as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) level at gas refinery plants.

BackgroundA disturbed self-image is central to the characteristic symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Evaluations of self-relevance (SR) are highly important in cognitive and emotional processing of information and adaptive behavior.MethodIn the current study, we used affective statements to investigate if SR is altered in patients with higher scores on Borderline Symptom List (BSL-95). Forthyfemale adults with BPD and 20 healthy participants assessed a set of stimuli consisting of sentences in third-person for relevance to self.ResultsBPD patients exhibited a higher SR for negative contents as compared to healthy controls (p < .001). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation coefficient was found between the increased bias in evaluating the SR of stimuli and borderline symptom severity scores, as measured by BSL-95 questionnaire (r = 0.67, p < .001). This effect persisted after controlling for depressive symptoms by a partial correlation analysis.ConclusionOur results revealed an enhanced SR for negative statements, which was related to the severity of individuals' BPD symptoms. These findings add to the diagnostic information regarding the disturbed organization of self in this clinical population. We suggest the maladaptive evaluation of SR offers an important treatment target for therapeutic approaches to BPD.

Background and objectives: Dried pulps and peels of Ziziphus jujuba fruits are commonly applied as food because of their high nutritional value. It has been widely used in traditional medicine as laxative, tonic, wound healing agent and appetizer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-melanogenic effects of Z. jujuba fruit. Methods: Fruit extracts were obtained by two different extraction methods, percolation (cold extraction) and soxhlet (hot extraction) using methanol 80% as the solvent. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity and anti-tyrosinase capacity of the MeOH extracts from Z. jujuba fruits were evaluated in vitro. In addition, the effects of fruit extracts on the melanin content and cytotoxicity on human melanoma SKMEL-3 cells were determined after 72 hours. Results: The amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the cold extract were found higher in comparison to the hot extract. Moreover, the antioxidant (SC50 =1.40 mg/mL) and anti-tyrosinase activities (IC50 = 0.54 mg/mL) of the cold extract were significantly stronger than the hot extract. At the dose of 500 μg/mL, the cold extract showed weaker toxicity to the melanoma cells than the hot extract. Melanin content of the cold extract was reduced to 30% at this concentration, while the hot extract had no inhibitory effect on melanin formation. Conclusion: The results showed that the percolation method was more suitable for extraction of the (poly) phenolics from Z. jujuba fruits. In addition, the results of tyrosinase activity and melanin content assays suggested that the cold extract of Z. jujuba fruit can be considered as a dermatological whitening agent in skin care products.

A Schiff base ligand derived from 4-(benzeneazo) salicylaldehyde and (±)trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine (H2L) and its corresponding Cu(II) complex (CuL) has been synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, UV-VIS and 1H NMR. The copper Schiff base complex encapsulated in the nanopores of zeolite-Y (CuL-Y) by flexible ligand method and its encapsulation have been ensured by different studies. The homogeneous and its corresponding heterogeneous catalysts have been used for oxidation of different alkenes with tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Under the optimized reaction conditions, the oxidation of cyclooctene, cyclohexene, styrene and norbornene catalyzed by CuL gave 89, 63, 46 and 13% conversion, respectively. These olefins were oxidized efficiently with 50, 96, 96 and 92% conversion in the presence of CuL-Y, respectively. Comparison of the catalytic behavior of CuL and CuL-Y showed the higher catalytic activity and selectivity of the heterogeneous catalyst with respect to the homogenous one.

A Schiff base ligand (H2L) derived from 2´-hydroxypropiophenone and (±)trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine was synthesized. The reactions of MCl2.xH2O (M =Cu(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and Mn(II))with the di-Schiff base ligand (H2L) were studied. This ligand when stirred with 1 equivalent of CuCl2.2H2O in the solution of ethanol and chloroform undergoes partial hydrolysis of the imino bond and the resultant tridentate ligand (HL′)immediately forms complex[CuL´Cl]∙3/2CHCl3(1)with N2O coordination sphere. Under the same condition, the reaction of H2L with MCl2.xH2O (M = Co(II) (3), Zn(II) (4) and Mn(II) (5)) gave complexes[ML]•1/2CHCl3∙3/2H2O (3-5)with N2O2 coordination sphere and no hydrolytic cleavage was occurred. Also, the reaction of H2L with CuCl2.2H2O in THF gave the complex CuL (2)with N2O2 coordination sphere. The ligand and complexes were characterized by FTIR, UV-Vis, 1H NMRand elemental analysis. The homogeneous catalytic activity of the complexes1, 3 and 5wasevaluated for the oxidation of styrene using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as oxidant. Finally, the copper(II) complex(1)encapsulated in the nanopores of zeolite-Y by flexible ligand method (CuL´-Y)and its encapsulation was ensured by different studies. The catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalyst in the styrene oxidation with TBHP was investigated. The catalytic tests showed that the homogenous and heterogeneous catalysts were active in the oxidation of styrene.