Gashmard R., Hasanpour E., Daman S., Amini P.H., Sefidi M.J.G., Ladani F.K., Bagherieh M., Nabizadeh M.
Publication Date: 2024
Revista Latinoamericana de Hipertension (18564550)(8)pp. 342-348
Introduction: Heart disease can have debilitating physical and mental consequences that can affect the care behavior of the elderly. The aim of study was the effect of a support program based on the psychosocial needs of the family on the family care burden of ischemic heart patients. Methods: Science Direct, Pub Med, Google Scholar, SID, MagIran databases were reviewed and electronic data were used to identify the psychosocial needs of the family on the burden of family care of heart patients. In the initial search, 824 articles were obtained, of which 379 duplicate articles were removed. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the number of articles was reduced to 445 articles. Finally, 10 articles were included in study. Results: A total of 824 articles were screened, which led to the selection of 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were included in study. Some studies defined caregivers as family caregivers. Five studies focused on life partners and caregivers of patients. Some studies generally defined caregivers as someone identified by the patient as a caregiver. Conclusion: Providing a training program about the different dimensions of support that family caregivers need reduces the perceived stress of family caregivers of cardiac patients. © 2024, Venezuelan Society of Pharmacology and Clinical and Therapeutic Pharmacology. All rights reserved.
Nouri H., Nasri R., Abtahi S.-H.
Publication Date: 2023
International Journal of Retina and Vitreous (20569920)(1)
Background: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is an innovative technology providing visual and quantitative data on retinal microvasculature in a non-invasive manner. Main body: Due to variations in the technical specifications of different OCTA devices, there are significant inter-device differences in OCTA data, which can limit their comparability and generalizability. These variations can also result in a domain shift problem that may interfere with applicability of machine learning models on data obtained from different OCTA machines. One possible approach to address this issue may be unsupervised deep image-to-image translation leveraging systems such as Cycle-Consistent Generative Adversarial Networks (Cycle-GANs) and Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models (DDPMs). Through training on unpaired images from different device domains, Cycle-GANs and DDPMs may enable cross-domain translation of images. They have been successfully applied in various medical imaging tasks, including segmentation, denoising, and cross-modality image-to-image translation. In this commentary, we briefly describe how Cycle-GANs and DDPMs operate, and review the recent experiments with these models on medical and ocular imaging data. We then discuss the benefits of applying such techniques for inter-device translation of OCTA data and the potential challenges ahead. Conclusion: Retinal imaging technologies and deep learning-based domain adaptation techniques are rapidly evolving. We suggest exploring the potential of image-to-image translation methods in improving the comparability of OCTA data from different centers or devices. This may facilitate more efficient analysis of heterogeneous data and broader applicability of machine learning models trained on limited datasets in this field. © 2023, Brazilian Retina and Vitreous Society.
Shahin, K., Soleimani-delfan, A., He Z., Sansonetti P., Collard J.-M.
Publication Date: 2023
Gut Pathogens (17574749)(1)
The human gut bacteriome is believed to have pivotal influences on human health and disease while the particular roles associated with the gut phageome have not been fully characterized yet with few exceptions. It is argued that gut microbiota can have a potential role in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The public microbiota database of ASD and typically developing (TD) Chinese individuals were analyzed for phage protein-coding units (pPCU) to find any link between the phageome and ASD. The gut phageome of ASD individuals showed a wider diversity and higher abundance compared to TD individuals. The ASD phageome was associated with a significant expansion of Caudoviricetes bacteriophages. Phages infecting Bacteroidaceae and prophages encoded within Faecalibacterium were more frequent in ASD than in TD individuals. The expansion and diversification of ASD phageome can influence the bacterial homeostasis by imposing pressure on the bacterial communities. In conclusion, the differences of phages community in in ASD and TD can be used as potential diagnosis biomarkers of ASD. Further investigations are needed to verify the role of gut phage communities in the pathogenesis of ASD. © 2023, BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
Noruzi M., Zare, D., Khoshnevisan K., Davoodi D.
Publication Date: 2011
Spectrochimica Acta - Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy (13861425)(5)pp. 1461-1465
This study reports a green method for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles using the aqueous extract of rose petals. The effects of gold salt concentration, extract concentration and extract quantity were investigated on nanoparticles synthesis. Gold nanoparticles were characterized with different techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy experiments showed that these nanoparticles are formed with various shapes. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that gold nanoparticles were functionalized with biomolecules that have primary amine group (-NH 2), carbonyl group, -OH groups and other stabilizing functional groups. X-ray diffraction pattern showed high purity and face centered cubic structure of gold nanoparticles. Dynamic light scattering technique was used for particle size measurement, and it was found to be about 10 nm. The rate of the reaction was high and it was completed within 5 min. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ansari Y., Gerasim D., Mahdavinia M.
Publication Date: 2011
African Journal of Agricultural Research (1991637X)(15)pp. 3619-3622
Although agricultural credit is one of the important issues in agriculture, almost no organized study has been done on caring about the distribution and utilization to achieve the agricultural prosperity and economic growth. This analytic and descriptive study was conducted to explore, that factor affecting the efficiency of agricultural facilities from viewpoint of farmers and credit experts. To achieve the objectives of the study, the survey data were collected by an effective and reliable questionnaire designed to this study. Results indicated that the process of agricultural training, low age and higher education of farmer had a positive significance relationship with effectiveness of their earning facilities on the fields of profit, increasing productions employment, and satisfaction with farming. © 2011 Academic Journals.
Hosseini, S.R., Pouryayevali m.r.,
Publication Date: 2011
Nonlinear Analysis, Theory, Methods and Applications (0362546X)(12)pp. 3884-3895
In this paper, a notion of generalized gradient on Riemannian manifolds is considered and a subdifferential calculus related to this subdifferential is presented. A characterization of the tangent cone to a nonempty subset S of a Riemannian manifold M at a point x is obtained. Then, these results are applied to characterize epi-Lipschitz subsets of complete Riemannian manifolds. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Heravi M.R.P., Loghmani-khouzani, H., Sadeghi, M.M.M., Zendehdel, M., Jackson, R.F.W., Adams, H.
Publication Date: 2009
X-ray Structure Analysis Online (18833578)(4)pp. 43-44
The title compound, 2-(4-methoxybenzylthio)-1-phenylethanone, was synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The space group was Pna21 with the following unit-cell parameters: a = 7.5424(4)Å, b = 11.9347(6)Å, c = 15.2506(7)Å, V = 1372.80(12)Å3 and Z = 4. The final R value was R1 = 0.0274 for 1499 measured reflections. 2009 © The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.
Asgary S., Moshtaghian, J., Hosseini M., Siadat H.
Publication Date: 2008
Pakistan Journal Of Pharmaceutical Sciences (1011601X)(4)pp. 460-464
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a leguminous plant with high contents of phytoestrogen and saponin which are both useful in preventing cardiovascular disorders. This study was designed to evaluate the preventive effect of dietary alfalfa on the development and the progression of atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic rabbits. Twenty male rabbits were obtained and kept under standard conditions. After 2 weeks of accommodation to the new place, the animals were semi-randomly distributed into four groups of five each. Animals in Group 1 received basic diet and the ones in Group 2 received the same diet to which 1% cholesterol was added. Groups 3 and 4 received similar diets as Groups 1 and 2 respectively, but supplemented with alfalfa. Each of the four groups was fed with its respected diet for a period of 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected from all animals at the beginning and at the end of the study and blood factors were measured. At the end of the study samples from the right and the left coronary arteries as well as the aorta were collected from all animals for pathological evaluations. Though dietary alfalfa decreased total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride and this effect was not significant, but dietary alfalfa significantly increased HDL. The formation of fatty streaks in the aorta, the right and the left coronary arteries were significantly reduced under the influence of dietary alfalfa. The indication that dietary alfalfa may have preventive effects on the progression of fatty streak formation calls for more studies to clarify the mechanisms of the effect.
Faghihian h., H., Mohammadi M.H.
Publication Date: 2008
Iranian Journal Of Chemistry And Chemical Engineering (10219986)(4)pp. 115-118
Nitrate is an anion of major importance particularly in biological areas. Excessive amounts in water supplies indicate pollution from sewage or agricultural effluents. The effects of excessive quantities of nitrate in water are well known. In this research structural modification of natural clinoptilolite by isomorphic substitution was performed. Isomorphously substituted zeolite was prepared under melting conditions from natural clinoptilolite. It was characterized by XRD, XRF, DIG and SEM techniques. The characterization process revealed that product is different from AlPo. Ion exchange property of the modified product was studied for NO3, NO2, and F' ion. The uptake ofF' was higher than those of NO 3, and NO2,. Anion exchange isotherms were constructed for NO3, and discussed. The ion exchange chromatography and neutron activation technique were used to study the extent of the exchange.
Almodares A., Hadi m.r., , Ahmadpour H.
Publication Date: 2008
African Journal of Biotechnology (16845315)(22)pp. 4051-4055
The aim of this study was to select the most suitable cultivar for salty land in this geographical area. Two sweet sorghum cultivars (Keller and Sofra) and one grain sorghum cultivar (Kimia) were grown in greenhouse benches under four salinity levels of 2, 4, 8 and 12 dSm-1 to evaluate the effects of salinity on stem yield and soluble carbohydrate (sucrose, glucose and fructose). The results showed that in all cultivars as salinity increased, the amount of stem yield and soluble carbohydrate decreased. In all salt concentrations, Keller and Kimia had the highest and the lowest stem yield and sucrose, respectively. At the highest salt concentration (12 dSm-1), Keller had the lowest stem yield reduction (less than 1%) and the highest sucrose content while Kimia had the highest stem yield reduction (more than 18%) and the lowest sucrose content. Therefore, Keller and Kimia can be considered as salt tolerance and salt sensitive cultivars, respectively. As salinity increased, the amount of glucose and fructose in Keller decreased while they increased in Sofra. Increasing glucose and fructose in Sofra is not an indication of its salt tolerance. At the physiological maturity stage, the plant has the highest stem yield and sucrose content while it has the lowest glucose and fructose content than flowering stage. Base on the results, Keller is recommended to be planted under soil salinity conditions and harvested at physiological maturity stage. © 2008 Academic Journals.
Hossein, H.H.S., Zarrabi, A., Zarepour, A.
Publication Date: 2017
Journal of Babol University of Medical Sciences (15614107)(6)pp. 64-70
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Considering the increasing number of patients with cancer and the relative ineffectiveness of existing treatments, finding a modern technique for cancer treatment has been one of the major topics of research in recent decades. The present study aims to load curcumin anticancer drug on targeted iron oxide nanoparticles. METHODS: In this laboratory research, iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using polyol method. Then, they were coated with polyglycerol as a polymeric coating through ring - opening polymerization method. Folic acid (with three weight ratios of 2, 25 and 50%) was used to target the system constructed for specific penetration into the cancer cells. The experiments of loading the drug were performed with three weight ratios of 0.5, 1 and 2 µg nanoparticles on coated and targeted nanoparticles. Then, drug release rate was measured under in vitro conditions. Finally, MTT Assay was used to analyze cell toxicity of the loaded drug. FINDINGS: Results indicated successful construction of 20 nm nanoparticles. The maximum rate of drug loading into the system was about 88 and 82% for non-targeted nanoparticles and targeted nanoparticles, respectively, while increased targeting had adverse effects on drug loading. Moreover, the loaded drug had a more successful therapeutic effect compared with the free drug. CONCLUSION: Results of the study demonstrated that the constructed nanoparticles have the necessary efficiency to act as a system for transferring anticancer drug. © 2017, Babol University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Sengupta B., Sahihi, M., Dehkhodaei, M., Kelly D., Arany I.
Publication Date: 2017
PLoS ONE (19326203)(6)
Plant flavonoids are well known as antioxidants against oxidative stress induced by exposure to external pollutants. Nicotine (NIC) is one of those agents which increases renal oxidative stress, an important factor in the pathogenesis of renal epithelial injury in smokers. Although several studies had been conducted on flavonoids and oxidative stress, the mechanism of the protective pathways are not fully understood. Here, we present studies on antioxidant properties of two mono-hydroxyflavone isomers, 3-hydroxyflanove (3HF)-and 7-hydroxyflavone (7HF), against nicotine-associated oxidative stress and injury in cultured renal proximal tubule cells and correlate their antioxidant properties with their chemical structure. Our data clearly demonstrates, for the first time, that while both 3HF and 7HF protect renal cells from NIC-associated cytotoxicity, the mechanism of their action is different: 3HF elicits protective activity via the PKA/CREB/MnSOD pathway while 7HF does so via the ERK/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations with two major signaling pathway proteins showed significant differences in the binding energies of 3HF (-5.67 and -7.39 kcal.mol-1) compared to 7HF (-5.41 and -8.55 kcal.mol-1) in the matrices of CREB and Keap1-Nrf2 proteins respectively, which corroborate with the observed differences in their protective properties in the renal cells. The implications of this novel explorative study is likely to promote the understanding of the mechanisms of the antioxidative functions of different flavones. © 2017 Sengupta et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Zonoubi R., Eslami-rasekh, A., Tavakoli, M.
Publication Date: 2017
System (0346251X)pp. 1-12
Teachers' efficacy beliefs exert a significant influence on their practice and their students' learning. This study investigates the contribution of two six-month Professional Learning Community (PLC) interventions to 10 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) novice and experienced teachers' self-efficacy. The data were collected through pre and post-interviews with the participants, their reflective journals, and recordings of the PLC meetings. The findings suggest that the experienced teachers' self-efficacy improved in terms of employing innovative instructional strategies and language proficiency. An increase was also observed in the novice teachers’ self-efficacy for classroom management, their autonomy, and their perceived language proficiency. Finally, the participants in both groups developed a stronger sense of professional community membership as reflected in their focus on their collective efficacy toward the end of the PLCs. © 2017
Peimanifard Z., Rashid-nadimi, S.
Publication Date: 2017
Electrochemistry Communications (13882481)pp. 37-40
A concept for light-powered visual detection of glucose is developed. The detection mechanism is based on pairing a photo-active anode with an electrochromic counter electrode. The photoelectrochemical reaction changes the oxidation state of the analyte, leading to a change in the color of the electrochromic material, which makes visual detection possible. All of the electrical charge required to change the color of the electrochromic material is supplied by the photoelectrochemical reaction powered by visible light, so no conventional energy source is required. The proposed system consists of hematite modified with nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) as the photoanode, and Prussian blue deposited on a fluorine-doped tin oxide electrode as the electrochromic cathode. Under illumination, photo-oxidation of glucose at the photoanode is followed by reduction of Prussian blue to Prussian white at the cathode. The presence of glucose can therefore be detected visually as decolorization of Prussian blue occurs. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.
Abedi M., Ghalavand, Y.
Publication Date: 2021
Water Science and Technology: Water Supply (16069749)(7)pp. 3557-3569
One of the important approaches in thermal desalination processes is consumed energy reduction. To achieve this aim, three arrangements of humidification-compression (HC) processes are designed. Two single-stage processes and one double-stage HC process are designed and their performances are compared based on desalinated water production, gained output ratio (GOR) and power consumption. An attempt is made to reduce the power consumption and improve the system performance. All three processes are simulated to examine the effect of operation parameters on HC performance. To validate these simulations, the theoretical results are compared with an experimental rig with a humidifier column of 1.5 m height. The results indicate that the simulation values conform to the experimental data. The effect of minimum approach temperature (ATmin) on system performance is investigated for three processes subject to constant operating conditions (feed temperature, water mass flow, air mass flow, and pressure ratio). For this purpose, four values of ATmin are considered (7.5,10,12.5 and 15 °C) for heat exchanger operations. The results indicate that an increase in ATmin in all three cases increases desalinated water volume and GOR. Also, the double-stage HC system has higher water production rate (66.08 kg/h) and higher GOR (17.19) compared with its counterparts. © 2021 The Authors
Nabi-Afjadi M., Karami H., Goudarzi K., Alipourfard I., Bahreini E.
Publication Date: 2021
Clinical and Molecular Allergy (14767961)(1)
The concern of today's communities is to find a way to prevent or treat COVID-19 and reduce its symptoms in the patients. However, the genetic mutations and more resistant strains of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerge; the designed vaccines and adjuvant therapies would potentially control the symptoms and severity of COVID-19. The most important complication of this viral infection is acute respiratory distress syndrome, which occurs due to the infiltration of leukocytes into the alveoli and the raised cytokine storm. Interferons, as a cytokine family in the host, play an important role in the immune-related antiviral defense and have been considered in the treatment protocols of COVID-19. In addition, it has been indicated that some nutrients, including vitamin D, magnesium and zinc are essential in the modulation of the immune system and interferon (IFN) signaling pathway. Several recent studies have investigated the treatment effect of vitamin D on COVID-19 and reported the association between optimal levels of this vitamin and reduced disease risk. In the present study, the synergistic action of vitamin D, magnesium and zinc in IFN signaling is discussed as a treatment option for COVID-19 involvement. © 2021, The Author(s).
Dadkhah Tehrani R., Givi H., Crunteanu D.-E., Cican G.
Publication Date: 2021
Applied Sciences (Switzerland) (20763417)(21)
In this paper, Predictive Functional Control (PFC) is used for X-Y pedestal control for LEO satellite tracking. According to the nonlinear characteristics of the X-Y pedestal and pedestal model variation caused by its operating point change, the use of system identification algorithm, which is based on special types of orthonormal functions known as Laguerre functions, is presented. This algorithm is combined with PFC to obtain a novel adaptive control algorithm entitled Adaptive Predictive Functional Control (APFC). In this combination, Laguerre functions are utilized for system identification, while the PFC is the control law. An interesting feature of the proposed algorithm is its desirable performance against the interference effect of channel X and channel Y. The proposed APFC algorithm is compared with Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller using simulation results. The results confirm that the proposed controller improves the performance in terms of the pedestal model variations; that is, the controller is capable of adapting to the model changes desirably. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Rasaei N., Asbaghi, O., Samadi M., Setayesh L., Bagheri, R., Gholami F., Soveid N., Casazza K., Wong, A., Suzuki, K., Mirzaei K.
Publication Date: 2021
Antioxidants (20763921)(11)
It is well-established that green tea supplementation has antioxidant properties. However, whether green tea supplementation leads to oxidative stress reduction remains unclear, as clinical investigations on this subject have yielded inconsistent outcomes. Consequently, we aimed to determine the effects of green tea supplementation on oxidative stress in adults. A systematic search of English language publications up to 21 August 2021 was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and ISI Web of Science, utilizing pertinent keywords. These searches included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the relationship between green tea supplementation, malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in adults. A random-effects model was used to estimate the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Meta-regression and non-linear dose-response analyses were performed to investigate the association between the dosage of green tea (mg/day) and the duration of the intervention (weeks) with pooled effect size. Sixteen RCTs with seventeen arms including 760 participants met the inclusion criteria. Our results indicated that green tea supplementation had significant effects on TAC (weighted mean difference [WMD]: 0.20 mmol/L; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.30, p < 0.001) and significant heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 98.6%, p < 0.001), which was largely related to gender and body mass index (BMI). Subgroup analysis in TAC identified a significant relationship except with low dose supplementation and obese individuals. No relationship between MDA and green tea supplementation was observed in any subgroups; however, meta-regression analysis revealed a linear inverse association between the dosage and significant change in MDA (r = −2117.18, p = 0.017). Our outcomes suggest that green tea supplementation improves TAC and affects MDA based on the dose of the intervention in adults. Future RCTs with longer durations are needed to expand our findings. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Boroumandfar Z., Kianpour, M., Afshari M.
Publication Date: 2020
BMC Women's Health (14726874)(1)
Background: According to recent studies, the number of women drug users is dramatically increasing. However, the information on the issue of drug rehab in women is not sufficient, and there are numerous traditional, organizational, political and cultural barriers to the provision of relevant information in this regard in Iran. This study, thus, aimed to explain the factors influencing the decision of these women to stop drug use. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in two rehab camps of Isfahan (in Iran) on July to October 2017. Thirty participants (women drug users) were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling until data saturation was reached. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: Based on the analysis of the obtained results, the women's experience of the ups and downs of stopping drug use yielded two themes and nine sub-themes. The themes were "the need for emancipation (the deviated path, being abused, compulsive drug use, acquaintance with God, a supportive family)" and "Sinking factors (non-assisting mates, pro-addictive family, unawareness of assisting official organization and non-government organization, woman's lack of authority, ineffective opportunities)". Conclusions: It was concluded that addiction rehab strategies can lead to a brighter life for women drug users only when they are coupled with open-hearted assistance of the families and women specific rehab centers are established to help them meet their specific needs. © 2020 The Author(s).
Khatami S.M., Naderpour H., Razavi S.N.M., Barros R.C., Sołtysik B., Jankowski R.
Publication Date: 2020
Applied Sciences (Switzerland) (20763417)(10)
Earthquake-induced structural pounding may cause major damages to structures, and therefore it should be prevented. This study is focused on using an artificial neural network (ANN) method to determine the sufficient seismic gap in order to avoid collisions between two adjacent buildings during seismic excitations. Six lumped mass models of structures with a different number of stories (from one to six) have been considered in the study. The earthquake characteristics and the parameters of buildings have been defined as inputs in the ANN analysis. The required seismic gap preventing pounding has been firstly determined for specified structural arrangements and earthquake records. In order to validate the method for other structural parameters, the study has been further extended for buildings with different values of height, mass, and stiffness of each story. Finally, the parametric analysis has been conducted for various earthquakes scaled to different values of the peak ground acceleration (PGA). The results of the verification and validation analyses indicate that the determined seismic gaps are large enough to prevent structural collisions, and they are just appropriate for all different structural arrangements, seismic excitations, and structural parameters. The results of the parametric analysis show that the increase in the PGA of earthquake records leads to a substantial, nearly uniform, increase in the required seismic gap between structures. The above conclusions clearly indicate that the ANN method can be successfully used to determine the minimal distance between two adjacent buildings preventing their collisions during different seismic excitations. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Azarafza, M., Akgün, H., Feizi-Derakhshi M.-R., Azarafza M., Rahnamarad, J., Derakhshani, R.
Publication Date: 2020
Heliyon (24058440)(5)
This study presents a fuzzy logical decision-making algorithm based on block theory to effectively determine discontinuous rock slope reliability under various wedge and planar slip scenarios. The algorithm was developed to provide rapid response operations without the need for extensive quantitative stability evaluations based on the rock slope sustainability ratio. The fuzzy key-block analysis method utilises a weighted rational decision (multi-criteria decision-making) function to prepare the ‘degree of reliability (degree of stability-instability contingency)’ for slopes as implemented through the Mathematica software package. The central and analyst core of the proposed algorithm is provided as based on discontinuity network geometrical uncertainties and hierarchical decision-making. This algorithm uses block theory principles to proceed to rock block classification, movable blocks and key-block identifications under ambiguous terms which investigates the sustainability ratio with accurate, quick and appropriate decisions especially for novice engineers in the context of discontinuous rock slope stability analysis. The method with very high precision and speed has particular matches with the existing procedures and has the potential to be utilised as a continuous decision-making system for discrete parameters and to minimise the need to apply common practises. In order to justify the algorithm, a number of discontinuous rock mass slopes were considered as examples. In addition, the SWedge, RocPlane softwares and expert assignments (25-member specialist team) were utilised for verification of the applied algorithm which led to a conclusion that the algorithm was successful in providing rational decision-making. © 2020 The Author(s); Earth sciences, Mathematics, Engineering, Applied mathematics, Geotechnical engineering, Artificial intelligence, Geomechanics, Geological engineering, Rock mechanics, Discontinuous rock slope, Stability analysis, Discontinuity network, Fuzzy logic, Multi-criteria decision-making, Weighted decision functions © 2020 The Author(s)
Shourabi P., Bagheri, R., Ashtary-larky, D., Wong, A., Motevalli, M.S., Hedayati A., Baker, J.S., Rashidlamir, A.
Publication Date: 2020
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (17443881)
Background: and purpose: Nerve growth factor (NGF) concentrations and balance are reduced in diabetic neuropathy (DN) patients. We examined the effects of hydrotherapy and massage on NGF, balance and glycemic markers in middle aged DN patients. Materials and methods: Patients were randomly assigned into four groups, aquatic exercise (AE; n = 10), AE + massage (AM; n = 10), massage (M; n = 10) or control (C; n = 9). Subjects in AE and AM groups exercised three times per week. Subjects in the AM and M groups received massage during the same period. Glycemic markers, NGF and balance were evaluated prior to and following the interventions. Results: NGF, glycemic markers and dynamic balance improved in AE, AM and M groups; however, the increase was greater following the AM trial (p < 0.01) when compared to the other trials. Conclusion: A combination of hydrotherapy and massage enhances NGF concentrations, balance and the glycemic profile compared to hydrotherapy or massage alone. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Zargar, S.M., Hafshejani D.K., Eskandarinia A., Rafienia m., M., Zargar kharazi, A.
Publication Date: 2019
Journal Of Medical Signals And Sensors (22287477)(3)pp. 181-189
Novel drug delivery systems have ameliorated drugs' pharmacokinetics and declined undesired ramifications while led to a better patient compliance by extending the time of release. In fact, although there has been a multitude of encouraging achievements in controlled drug release, the application of micro- and nano-carriers is confronted with some challenges such as rapid clearance and inefficient targeting. In addition, since cell systems can be an appropriate alternative to micro- and nano-particles, they have been used as biological carriers. In general, features such as stable release into blood, slow clearance, efficient targeting, and high biocompatibility are the main properties of cells applied as drug carriers. Furthermore, some cells such as erythrocytes, leukocytes, stem cells, and platelets have been used as release systems. Hence, most common cells that were used as aforementioned release systems are going to be presented in this review article. © 2019 Journal of Medical Signals & Sensors.
Amiri-simkooei, A., Koop L., van der Reijden K.J., Snellen M., Simons D.G.
Publication Date: 2019
Geosciences (Switzerland) (20763263)(7)
Seafloor characterization using multibeam echosounder (MBES) backscatter data is an active field of research. The observed backscatter curve (OBC) is used in an inversion algorithm with available physics-based models to determine the seafloor geoacoustic parameters. A complication is that the OBC cannot directly be coupled to the modeled backscatter curve (MBC) due to the correction of uncalibrated sonars. Grab samples at reference areas are usually required to estimate the angular calibration curve (ACC) prior to the inversion. We first attempt to estimate the MBES ACC without grab sampling by using the least squares cubic spline approximation method implemented in a differential evolution optimization algorithm. The geoacoustic parameters are then inverted over the entire area using the OBCs corrected for the estimated ACC. The results indicate that a search for at least three geoacoustic parameters is required, which includes the sediment mean grain size, roughness parameter, and volume scattering parameter. The inverted mean grain sizes are in agreement with grab samples, indicating reliability and stability of the proposed method. Furthermore, the interaction between the geoacoustic parameters and Bayesian acoustic classes is investigated. It is observed that higher backscatter values, and thereby higher acoustic classes, should not only be attributed to (slightly) coarser sediment, especially in a homogeneous sedimentary environment such as the Brown Bank, North Sea. Higher acoustic classes should also be attributed to larger seafloor roughness and volume scattering parameters, which are not likely intrinsic to only sediment characteristics but also to other contributing factors. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Moradi, M., Abdolhosseini M., Zarrabi, A., Johari B.
Publication Date: 2019
Nano-Structures and Nano-Objects (2352507X)
Introduction: Bone malignancies are common problems among the juvenile population. Bone metastasis is also prevalent among victims of other cancers. Traditional therapeutic methods are not completely successful for the remedy of this malady since they lack adequate precision and efficacy for diagnosis and therapy. Nano-structures by having broad applications in diagnosis and treatment of tumors have attracted extensive attention. In the current review, different aspects of various nanostructures applications in diagnosis, treatment and amending the bone lesion caused by tumors or their removal are discussed. Evidence Acquisition: A wide range of nano-structures and their applications in different steps of diagnosis, treatment, and repairing the related bone defects are discussed to provide an outlook for all physician and nano-scientists who wish to work on the subject. Data have been collected from high validity databases including; Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Results: Magnetic/para-magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots, and fluorescent nanoparticles are useful for tumor imaging. Lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, dendrimers, nanocrystals, and carbon nanotubes could be used for drug delivery to the tumor cells. Silver nanoparticles can cause apoptosis of cancerous cells, nanobodies could be useful in cancer diagnosis and treatment, and various nano-structure scaffolds could be helpful for treating bone lesions left by tumors or their surgical removal. Conclusion: Nontechnology based methods for bio-imaging and treatment of cancer could provide earlier diagnosis and more effective remedy compared with traditional methods. Application of nano-structures and nano-objects should be considered for further studies of treating bone malignancies. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Asian S., Pool, J.K., Nazarpour A., Tabaeeian, R.A.
Publication Date: 2019
Benchmarking (14635771)(5)pp. 1550-1564
Purpose: Developing strategic relationships with third-party logistics (3PL) providers has long been one of the key challenges in automotive supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new approach for evaluation and indexing 3PL providers using the Kano model. Design/methodology/approach: The statistical population used in this research comprises managers from the Iranian automotive industry. The Kano evaluation approach is used to analyze the data collected and to classify the criteria used in selection of the preferred 3PL providers. Findings: The results suggest that the proposed framework, based on the Kano classification, can be a powerful tool for the automotive industry in evaluating 3PL providers. Moreover, the analyses indicate that 3PL providers need to improve their service offering in aspects that are to be found in the Kano model’s requirements, namely, must-be, one-dimensional and attractive. Originality/value: This study contributes to the supply chain management literature by being the first to classify selection indices of 3PL providers in the automotive industry using the Kano model. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
