Jamshidi, S.,
Ansorge L.,
David Vaca-Jiménez S.,
Gerbens-Leenes W.,
Aldaya M.M.,
Arastou, K.,
Wöhler L. Ecological Indicators (1470160X)
Faraji M.,
Yalameha, S.,
Hosseine M.,
Bafekry A.,
Bagheri, A.,
Abbasi, S.,
Mahmoodi, M.,
Akhavan, A.,
Blattner, F.R. Advanced Theory and Simulations (25130390)(10)pp. 101-107
In this study, first-principles calculations are used to systematically study the structural, mechanical, and optical properties of the honeycomb AuTe monolayer, as well as the influence of layered structures on their stability and electronic properties. Additionally, the effect of alkali metal atoms decorating AuTe-X (X = Li, Na, K) and related structural, electronic, optical, and topological insulator properties, along with the biaxial strain on the lithium-decorated AuTe-Li monolayer are investigated. The AuTe monolayer shows metallic characteristics, and when alkali metal atoms are decorated onto it, the resulting structures remain dynamically stable. Notably, the introduction of Li, Na, and K atoms induces bandgap opening in the decorated Li and Na monolayers near the Fermi level, causing metal-to-narrow bandgap semiconductor and Dirac semi-metal transitions. Conversely, the metallic nature of the decorated AuTe-K monolayer is retained. The emergence of a bandgap near the Fermi level, caused by alkali metal decoration, triggers a topological phase transition in AuTe-Li, AuTe-Na, and AuTe-K monolayers. Optical analyses reveal that AuTe-K decorated structure enhances light absorption in the visible spectrum. Consequently, the findings provide insights into the decoration of these two-dimensional material monolayers, potentially advancing research and motivating the production of such monolayers for current nanodevice applications. © 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
Zarei R., Khaledi Darvishan A., Porto P., Zare, M.R.
Ecological Indicators (1470160X)
Topographic variables play important roles not only on soil erosion, but also on sediment redistribution inside the watersheds, both of which can be studied using radiotracer of 137Cs. In this regard, the current research aims to establish a sediment budget using ecological indicators of topographic metrics and radiotracers and to examine the relationship between topographic metrics and the sediment budget components in two scales of pixel and hillslope. To achieve the study purposes, soil erosion and redistribution map was prepared based on 137Cs method and work units’ approach in the 102.14 ha control sub-watershed of Khamsan representative watershed, western Iran. Then, the 1-m digital elevation model was used to extract the topographic metrics. The sediment budget components including total erosion, total deposition, net erosion and sediment delivery ratio and topographic metrics including slope angle, slope length, profile curvature, plan curvature, stream power index, topographic wetness index and flow accumulation were calculated for 14 selected hillslopes. The results showed that land use dominates the rate of erosion and sedimentation of the watershed in the long term (60–70 years). Out of 526.87 t y−1 of erosion occurred in the study sub-watershed, only 20.26 t y−1 were redistributed within the watershed, and 506.61 t y−1 were delivered to the watershed outlet and the specific net erosion was calculated at the rate of 5.05 (t/ha y−1). The amount of erosion and sedimentation was noticeably affected by the reduction of the slope angle and changing rangelands to agriculture in the lower part of the slopes. At the pixel scale, the LS, slope angle and stream power index had significant positive correlations of 0.57, 0.60 (sig. < 0.01) and 0.39 (sig. < 0.05) with the rate of erosion and sedimentation, respectively. In the hillslope scale, with the decrease of the slope angle down the slopes, the intensity of erosion increased due to the land use change from rangeland to rainfed agriculture in the downslopes. Therefore, land use change to agriculture on lower slopes exacerbates soil erosion, emphasizing the need for targeted land management practices. © 2024 The Author(s)
Valian H., Hassan Emami M., Heidari A., Amjadi E., Fahim A., Lalezarian A., Ali Ehsan Dehkordi S., Maghool F.
Preventive Medicine Reports (22113355)
Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is an imperative quality measure for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. This retrospective observational study aimed to determine the trend of polyp detection rate (PDR) and ADR in asymptomatic average- and high-risk participants in different age groups who underwent screening colonoscopy over the seven years from April 2012 to March 2019 in a tertiary gastroenterology referral center of Iran. Of 1676 participants, 51.8 % were men (mean age 52.3 years). The overall PDR and ADR were 22.7 %, and 13.5 %, respectively. Both Polyps and adenomas were more common in age groups 51–59 and ≥60 years in high-risk patients than in the corresponding groups of average-risk patients (p < 0.05). Also, both PDR and ADR were more frequent in men than in women among all studied age groups, but it was statistically significant only for the youngest age group (16.8 % versus 10.5 %, p < 0.05) for PDR and the oldest age group (19.7 % versus 13 %, p < 0.05) for ADR, respectively. The trend of total ADR was upward over 7 years in both average-risk (6.7 % to 13.3 %) and high-risk (9.8 % to 27 %) groups and across all age groups in both sexes. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that high-risk individuals had an elevated risk of adenoma compared with average-risk patients (OR: 1.6, p = 0.006). Substantial variation in thresholds of polyp and adenoma detection by age, sex, and risk categories emphasizes the need for a risk-adapted approach to CRC screening and prevention programs. © 2023
Sajadi M., Fazilati M., Nazem H., Mahdevar M., Ghaedi, K.
Cancer Cell International (14752867)(1)
In this original article [1], the affiliation for the authors Manizheh Sajadi, and Habibollah Nazem was incorrect. The correct affiliation is as follows “Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran”. Also, the correct academic email address of the author Dr. Fazilati should be mfazilati@pnu.ac.ir. © 2023, The Author(s).
Rahimi A., Malakoutikhah Z., Rahimmanesh I., Ferns G.A., Nedaeinia R., Ishaghi S.M.M., Dana, N., Javanmard, S.H.
Cancer Cell International (14752867)(1)
The metastasis of melanoma cells to regional lymph nodes and distant sites is an important contributor to cancer-related morbidity and mortality among patients with melanoma. This intricate process entails dynamic interactions involving tumor cells, cellular constituents, and non-cellular elements within the microenvironment. Moreover, both microenvironmental and systemic factors regulate the metastatic progression. Central to immunosurveillance for tumor cells are natural killer (NK) cells, prominent effectors of the innate immune system with potent antitumor and antimetastatic capabilities. Recognizing their pivotal role, contemporary immunotherapeutic strategies are actively integrating NK cells to combat metastatic tumors. Thus, a meticulous exploration of the interplay between metastatic melanoma and NK cells along the metastatic cascade is important. Given the critical involvement of NK cells within the melanoma tumor microenvironment, this comprehensive review illuminates the intricate relationship between components of the melanoma tumor microenvironment and NK cells, delineating their multifaceted roles. By shedding light on these critical aspects, this review advocates for a deeper understanding of NK cell dynamics within the melanoma context, driving forward transformative strategies to combat this cancer. © 2023, The Author(s).
Bagheri A.R., Aramesh, N., Hasnain M.S., Nayak A.K., Varma, R.S.
Chemical Physics Impact (26670224)
The production of assorted metal nanoparticles based on greener synthesis approaches has garnered immense attention, which influences most humans and the environment. Metal nanoparticles are becoming increasingly useful in many areas of our everyday lives including the medical sciences. In this context, the deployment of advantageous greener methodology opens up new avenues for researchers to generate metal nanoparticles adhering to the green chemistry principles and exploiting the locally available and abundant resources rather than toxic chemicals. Various plant materials can be utilized to synthesize metal nanoparticles as they are easy to access, inexpensive, safe, good for the environment, and can be readily deployed for the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles of diverse sizes and shapes, as they incorporate unique properties of plant constituents in their assembly. This review article provides a comprehensive discussion on the different approaches to metal nanoparticles using renewable and sustainable plant materials as eco-friendly entities. Finally, the future outlook for the fabrication of metal nanoparticles by means of plant materials as a sustainable method has been discussed. © 2023 The Author(s)
Ghavamnia, M., Tavakoli, M., Rezazadeh, M.
Revista Electronica de Linguistica Aplicada (18859089)pp. 105-123
The present study aimed to examine the issue of production of requests by Iranian EFL learners, native speakers of Persian, and native speakers of English; exploring the type, frequency, and the content of semantic formulae with regards to the status of the interlocutors (higher or of equal power). For the purpose of this study, 30 Persian speaking learners of English were asked to fill out a Discourse Completion Test (DCT), consisting of 12 situations regarding the speech act of request. In addition, 30 native speakers of Persian were also asked to fill out the same DCT, rendered into Persian, for the purpose of investigating L1 transfer. For a cross-linguistic comparison the DCTs were sent to 30 Canadian native speakers of English through e-mail for completion and were then sent back to the researchers after completion. All 90 participants were female ranging between the ages of 20 to 23. The EFL learners were seniors majoring in English. However, the native speakers of Persian were from different majors excluding English. All data were coded and analyzed based on Hudson et al.'s (1995) model. The results revealed that there were differences in the frequency and type of strategies used in requests made by the three groups. For instance, while all three groups used opener (RSM strategy) such as hello, hi, excuse me, and sorry, the native speakers of English used it the most. On the other hand, some strategies were only used by the native speakers of English such as introducing themselves categorized under RSM strategies. In line with Eslamirasekh's (1993) findings, the results revealed the Persian speakers to make requests with less use of supporting strategies (direct strategies) whereas the English speakers produced more supportive strategies (indirect strategies). Overall, the results of this study indicate that making requests is a complex, multi-causal task as it requires the acquisition of the socio-cultural values of the L2 culture.
Reza jalilvand, M., Samiei N.
Internet Research (10662243)(5)pp. 591-612
Purpose: In an environment in which there has been a reduction in consumer trust of both organizations and advertising, as well as a decrease in television advertising, word of mouth (WOM) offers a way to obtain a significant competitive advantage. WOM is especially important in the hospitality and tourism industry, whose intangible products are difficult to evaluate prior to their consumption. When WOM becomes digital, the large-scale, anonymous, ephemeral nature of the Internet induces new ways of capturing, analyzing, interpreting, and managing the influence that one consumer may have on another. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of electronic WOM (eWOM) on a tourism destination choice, using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Further, an effort was employed to determine the effect of past travel experience on using eWOM and TPB constructs. Design/methodology/approach: A structural equation modeling procedure was applied to the examination of the influences of eWOM on attitudes towards visiting Isfahan, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and travel intention. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilised in order to analysing the relations between these constructs and past travel experience. The research model was tested empirically using a sample of 296 inbound tourists who had experience within the online communities and travelled to Isfahan during the period of research. Findings: Findings indicate that online WOM communications have a significant impact on attitudes toward visiting Isfahan, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to travel. In addition, travel experience has a significant impact on using eWOM and TPB constructs. Practical implications: The paper suggests that eWOM activity is more complex than previous research has argued. Managers should consider various eWOM facets and try to motivate tourists for participating in online travel communities and to build online travel communities with characteristics such usefulness and ease of use. Originality/value: There has been a lot of marketing research on eWOM but none has focused on covering eWOM in tourism industry and its impact on tourism destination choice by adding new dimension of eWOM to the theory of planned behavior. This paper seeks to fill this gap. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Panahi B., Moshtaghi N., Torktaz, I., Panahi A., Roy S.
Journal of Proteomics and Bioinformatics (discontinued) (0974276X)(9)pp. 214-216
Eukaryotic NHX transporters are trans-membrane proteins which are vital for cellular homeostasis. Plants vacuolar NHX antiporters have been suggested to be involved in sequestering Na + into vacuoles, thus preventing toxic effects of Na + in the cytoplasm. Primary and secondary structure analysis of NHX antiporter of Leptochloa fusca suggested that this antiporter is a hydrophobic protein containing a significant proportion of alpha helixes. In this study, a three-dimensional structures of NHX antiporter predicted by in silico 3D homology modeling studies. The resulting model was refined by energy minimization, subjected to the quality assessment from both geometric and energetic aspects and was found to be of reasonable quality. Validation of 3D structure was done by plotting Ramachandran plot and calculation of QMEAN score. This predicted information will help in better understanding of mechanisms underlying to salt tolerance in monocot plants and use of this information in protein engineering to improve plants to high salinity conditions. © 2012 Panahi B, et al.
Marateb, H.R.,
Mansourian, M.,
Kelishadi, R.,
Motlagh, M.,
Aminaee T.,
Taslimi M.,
Majdzadeh, R.,
Heshmat, R.,
Ardalan, G.,
Poursafa, P. Bmc Pediatrics (14712431)
Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) is in the process of establishing a new global database on the growth of school children and adolescents. Limited national data exist from Asian children, notably those living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This study aimed to generate the growth chart of a nationally representative sample of Iranian children aged 10-19 years, and to explore how well these anthropometric data match with international growth references.Methods: In this nationwide study, the anthropometric data were recorded from Iranian students, aged 10-19 years, who were selected by multistage random cluster sampling from urban and rural areas. Prior to the analysis, outliers were excluded from the features height-for-age and body mass index (BMI)-for-age using the NCHS/WHO cut-offs. The Box-Cox power exponential (BCPE) method was used to calculate height-for-age and BMI-for-age Z-scores for our study participants. Then, children with overweight, obesity, thinness, and severe thinness were identified using the BMI-for-age z-scores. Moreover, stunted children were detected using the height-for-age z-scores. The growth curve of the Iranian children was then generated from the z-scores, smoothed by cubic S-plines.Results: The study population comprised 5430 school students consisting of 2312 (44%) participants aged 10-14 years , and 3118 (58%) with 15-19 years of age. Eight percent of the participants had low BMI (thinness: 6% and severe thinness: 2%), 20% had high BMI (overweight: 14% and obesity: 6%), and 7% were stunted. The prevalence rates of low and high BMI were greater in boys than in girls (P < 0.001). The mean BMI-for-age, and the average height-for-age of Iranian children aged 10-19 years were lower than the WHO 2007 and United states Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 (USCDC2000) references.Conclusions: The current growth curves generated from a national dataset may be included for establishing WHO global database on children's growth. Similar to most low-and middle income populations, Iranian children aged 10-19 years are facing a double burden of weight disorders, notably under- and over- nutrition, which should be considered in public health policy-making. © 2012 Mansourian et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Raoof, J., Kiani, A., Ojani R., Valiollahi R.
Analytical And Bioanalytical Electrochemistry (20084226)(1)pp. 59-66
A carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified by multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs) and banana tissue was used for detection of dopamine (DA). The modified electrode show good selectivity toward DA in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA). The electrochemical determination of DA at the surface of modified electrode was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The linear curve was obtained in the range of 10-30 μM. The detection limit (3σ) was 2.09 μM for DA. Also the stability of modified electrode was investigated after 20 days, and results show that the modified has relatively good stability. © 2011 by CEE.
Aghababaei Jazi M., Alamatsaz m.h., M.H.
Pakistan Journal Of Statistics (10129367)(2)pp. 139-157
The family of generalized power series (GPS) distributions contains some known discrete distributions whose zero-inflated and inflated-parameter extensions have been used to model different types of dependent counts in various fields such as insurance, finance, biometrics, etc. However, in such extensions, the inflated parameter has been considered to be a constant value. In this paper, we shall first compare such extended distributions for the Bernoulli case with its mixture, when the inflated parameter is a random variable, in various types of stochastic orderings. Then, we shall investigate modality and divisibility properties of known members of inflated-parameter GPS distributions. Our findings happen to be the same as those for the classic GPS distributions except for the Bernoulli's case. © 2011 Pakistan Journal of Statistics.
Applied Soft Computing (15684946)11(2)pp. 1801-1810
Human face detection plays an important role in a wide range of applications such as face recognition, surveillance systems, video tracking applications, and image database management. In this paper, a novel fuzzy rule-based system for pose, size, and position independent face detection in color images is proposed. Subtractive clustering method is also applied to decide on the numbers of membership functions. In the proposed system, skin-color, lips position, face shape information and ear texture properties are the key parameters fed to the fuzzy rule-based classifier to extract face candidate in an image. Furthermore, the applied threshold on the face candidates is optimized by genetic algorithm. The proposed system consists of two main stages: the frontal/near frontal face detections and the profile face detection. In the first stage, skin and lips regions are identified in HSI color space, using fuzzy schemes, where the distances of each pixel color to skin-color and lips-color clusters are applied as the input and skin-likelihood and lips-like images are produced as the output. Then, the labeled skin and lips regions are presented to both frontal and profile face detection algorithms. A fuzzy rule-based containing the face and lips position data, along with the lips area and face shape are employed to extract the frontal/near frontal face regions. On the other hand, the profile face detection algorithm uses a geometric moments-based ear texture classification to verify its outcomes. The proposed method is tried on various databases, including HHI, Champion, Caltech, Bao, Essex and IMM databases. It shows about 98, 96 and 90% correct detection rates over 783 samples, in frontal, near frontal and profile face images, respectively. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Kinesiology (13311441)50(1)pp. 11-17
The aims of this study were to: 1) compare the effects of speed-based versus heart-rate-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on changes in high-intensity intermittent running performance, and 2) examine the between-group differences in heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) responses during the training sessions. Sixteen female students were divided into the HR-based (n=8, M±SD, age 17.3±0.2 years, body mass, 59.2±5.7 kg, and body height, 167.8±2.2 cm) and speed-based (n=8, age 17.2±0.3 years, body mass, 57.7±6.4 kg, and body height, 171.0±5.1 cm) groups before commencing the HIIT intervention. After completing five weeks of HIIT, both the HR-based and speed-based groups showed most likely moderate enhancement in high-intensity intermittent running performance (+9%, 90% confidence limits [CL] [6.4; 11.7]; standardized change [ES] +1.04 [0.75; 1.33]) and (+9.2%, [6.0; 12.5]; +1.09 [0.73; 1.46]), respectively. However, the difference between the experimental groups with regard to changes in high-intensity running performance was trivial. Between-group differences of weekly average HR and RPE responses showed trivial to moderate (ES range;-0.95; 0.15) and moderate to very large (ES:-0.63;-2.88) values, respectively. Although it seems that both the speed-based and HR-based HIIT approaches have some limitations when implementing for HIIT individualization, using the speed reached at the end of the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness test (VIFT) seems to elicit the same performance enhancement, but with lower psychophysiological responses during short-term interventions. © 2018, University of Zagreb - Faculty of Kinesiology. All rights reserved.
Lashkarizadeh Bami M., Sadeghi H.
International Journal Of Nonlinear Analysis And Applications (20086822)(1)pp. 235-245
In this paper we introduce the notion of ϕ–commutativity for a Banach algebra A, where ϕ is a continuous homomorphism on A and study the concept of ϕ–weak amenability for ϕ–commutative Banach algebras. We give an example to show that the class of ϕ–weakly amenable Banach algebras is larger than that of weakly amenable commutative Banach algebras. We characterize ϕ–weak amenability of ϕ–commutative Banach algebras and prove some hereditary properties. Moreover we verify some of the previous available results about commutative weakly amenable Banach algebras, for ϕ–commutative ϕ–weakly amenable Banach algebras. © 2018, Semnan University, Center of Excellence in Nonlinear Analysis and Applications. All rights reserved.
Keihani A., Shirzhiyan Z., Farahi M., Shamsi E., Mahnam, A., Makkiabadi B., Haidari M.R., Jafari A.H.
Frontiers In Human Neuroscience (16625161)
Background: Recent EEG-SSVEP signal based BCI studies have used high frequency square pulse visual stimuli to reduce subjective fatigue. However, the effect of total harmonic distortion (THD) has not been considered. Compared to CRT and LCD monitors, LED screen displays high-frequency wave with better refresh rate. In this study, we present high frequency sine wave simple and rhythmic patterns with low THD rate by LED to analyze SSVEP responses and evaluate subjective fatigue in normal subjects. Materials and Methods: We used patterns of 3-sequence high-frequency sine waves (25, 30, and 35 Hz) to design our visual stimuli. Nine stimuli patterns, 3 simple (repetition of each of above 3 frequencies e.g., P25-25-25) and 6 rhythmic (all of the frequencies in 6 different sequences e.g., P25-30-35) were chosen. A hardware setup with low THD rate (<0.1%) was designed to present these patterns on LED. Twenty two normal subjects (aged 23–30 (25 ± 2.1) yrs) were enrolled. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used for subjective fatigue evaluation after presentation of each stimulus pattern. PSD, CCA, and LASSO methods were employed to analyze SSVEP responses. The data including SSVEP features and fatigue rate for different visual stimuli patterns were statistically evaluated. Results: All 9 visual stimuli patterns elicited SSVEP responses. Overall, obtained accuracy rates were 88.35% for PSD and > 90% for CCA and LASSO (for TWs > 1 s). High frequency rhythmic patterns group with low THD rate showed higher accuracy rate (99.24%) than simple patterns group (98.48%). Repeated measure ANOVA showed significant difference between rhythmic pattern features (P < 0.0005). Overall, there was no significant difference between the VAS of rhythmic [3.85 ± 2.13] compared to the simple patterns group [3.96 ± 2.21], (P = 0.63). Rhythmic group had lower within group VAS variation (min = P25-30-35 [2.90 ± 2.45], max = P35-25-30 [4.81 ± 2.65]) as well as least individual pattern VAS (P25-30-35). Discussion and Conclusion: Overall, rhythmic and simple pattern groups had higher and similar accuracy rates. Rhythmic stimuli patterns showed insignificantly lower fatigue rate than simple patterns. We conclude that both rhythmic and simple visual high frequency sine wave stimuli require further research for human subject SSVEP-BCI studies. © 2018 Keihani, Shirzhiyan, Farahi, Shamsi, Mahnam, Makkiabadi, Haidari and Jafari.
Vakilian K., Kheiri M., Majidi A.
International Journal Of Women'S Health And Reproduction Sciences (23304456)(3)pp. 369-373
Objectives: Pregnancy significantly affects sexual performance due to the occurrence of biological, psychological, and physiological changes in women. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cognitive-behavioral approach to sexual counseling on the female sexual performance during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 100 pregnant women referred to the clinics of Arak, Iran. The participants were selected using single-stage cluster sampling technique. The data were collected using the standard sexual function questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire, which was related to the misbeliefs about sexual intercourse during pregnancy (MSIP). The subjects were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups using randomized blocks. The intervention group was provided with seven 90-minute counseling sessions, whereas the control group only received the routine information provided by the healthcare staff. The data analysis was performed using the student’s t test, chi-square test, and paired t test in the SPSS software version 16.0. Results: According to the results, out of 100 subjects, 22 cases received the sexual function score of <26 and MSIP score of <72. Conclusions: It seems that the cognitive-behavioral sexual counseling did not significantly improve the sexual function by teaching about misconceptions and facilitating behaviors to deal with the problems of pregnancy. In other words, consultation resulted in no biological or psychological changes and could not promote the sexual performance of the participants. However, the subjects reported increased sexual satisfaction after the counseling sessions. © 2018 The Author (s).
Taiwanese Journal of Mathematics (10275487)18(6)pp. 1999-2020
In this paper, we introduce the concept of a weak q-distance and for this distance we derive a set-valued version of Ekeland’s variational principle in the setting of uniform spaces. By using this principle, we prove the existence of solutions to a vector optimization problem with a set-valued map. Moreover, we define the (p, ε)-condition of Takahashi and the (p, ε)-condition of Hamel for a set-valued map. It is shown that these two conditions are equivalent. As an application, we discuss the relationship between an ε-approximate solution and a solution of a vector optimization problem with a set-valued map. Also, a well-posedness result for a vector optimization problem with a set-valued map is given. © 2014, Mathematical Society of the Rep. of China. All rights reserved.
Jahangiri M., Rajab A.B., Jahangiri A., Honarvar A.R., Sharif H.R.
African Journal of Psychiatry (South Africa) (discontinued) (19948220)(6)
Numerous attempts have recently been made to disambiguate the relationship between Language Learning Anxiety (LLA) and Oral Performance (OP). Nevertheless, these attempts have largely been hampered by the lump of factors associated with the anxietal phenomenon on the one hand and the lack of comprehensive scales capturing the whole gamut of anxiety on the other. Utilizing two valid, reliable and practical instruments, i.e. the Anxiety Questionnaire and FLOSEM, the present paper draws upon the data to arrive at the OLS equation of best fit for the associated data thus quantifying the long-needed elucidation of the relationship between LLA and OP. Further pedagogical implications of the study are also discussed. © 2014, Mohammad Jahangiri et al.
Hadian Jazi Z., Gheybi K., Zare Z., Shahsavari H.
BMC Nursing (14726955)(1)
Background: Although the need for justice and the elimination of injustice (or discrimination) is now a universally accepted principle, discrimination is still an unpleasant experience for many nursing students. This study aimed to explain the experiences of nursing students of educational discrimination and find out the main factors that cause this feeling. Methods: This is a qualitative study conducted in the nursing faculty of Shahr-e-Kord and the Iran university of medical science (IUMS) in Iran. Twelve nursing students were selected by purposeful sampling method and data were collected through face-to-face and in-depth interviews with semi-structured questions. All interviews were analyzed according to the content analysis method. Results: Three main themes and ten subcategories appeared. Extracted themes include: "inappropriate behavior of nursing professors (or instructors) " with 3 subcategories (1- discriminatory behavior by nursing professors (or instructors), 2- lack of sufficient self-confidence in nursing professors and transferring it to the student, and 3- the educator role in motivating or eliminating motivation); "Strict rules" with 3 subcategories (1- inequality in implementation of rights and rules among students of different disciplines, 2- differences in compliance with laws and regulations, and 3- nurses are being strictly monitored), and " Lack of nursing professional independence " with 4 subcategories (1- lack of authority, 2- lack of supportive organizations for nurses, 3- lack of proper social status of nursing in society, and 4- the high authority and power of physicians over other disciplines). Conclusions: In our study, it was shown that nursing students feel the most discrimination in front of medical students. Feelings of discrimination reduce self-confidence in nursing students. Therefore, nursing educators and professors must think of a solution, or at least they should not cause this feeling in them through inappropriate behavior and discriminatory speech and words. © 2022, The Author(s).
Sajadi M., Fazilati M., Nazem H., Mahdevar M., Ghaedi, K.
Cancer Cell International (14752867)(1)
Introduction: Transcription factors (TFs) are essential for many biological processes and regulate the expression of several genes. This study’s objective was to analyze the abnormalities in TF expression, their impact on patient prognosis, and related pathways in colorectal cancer (CRC). Method: The expression alterations of all TFs were investigated using the cancer genome atlas and GSE39582 data. Clinical data were also used to study the association between TFs expression and patient prognosis through the Cox regression test, and a predictive model of CRC patient survival was constructed based on TFs expression. Co-expression network was used to discover TF-related pathways. To validate the findings, the RT-qPCR method was applied to CRC samples and adjacent normal tissue. Results: The findings revealed that ANKZF1, SALL4, SNAI1, TIGD1, LEF1, FOXS1, SIX4, and ETV5 expression levels increased in both cohorts and were linked to the poor prognosis. NR3C2, KLF4, CASZ1, FOXD2, ATOH1, SALL1, and RORC expression, on the other hand, exhibited a significant decrease, and their increase was related to the good prognosis of patients. The patient mortality risk model based on expression of mentioned TFs revealed that, independent of clinical characteristics, the expression of ANKZF1, LEF1, CASZ1, and ATOH1 could accurately predict patient survival rates. According to the co-expression network, increased transcription factors were linked to metastatic pathways, while decreasing TFs were involved to apoptotic pathways. RT-qPCR findings showed that FOXS1 expression was markedly overexpressed in CRC samples. However, in CRC samples, the expression of CASZ1 decreased. Conclusion: In CRC, TFs expression of ANKZF1, LEF1, CASZ1 and ATOH1 are deregulated, which are associated with prognosis in patients. According to our findings, changes in the expression of the mentioned TFs have the potential to be considered diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CRC patients. © 2022, The Author(s).
Kokabi A., Salehiyoun M., Zarini A.
Computational Condensed Matter (23522143)
The structural and electronic characteristics of the Antimony–Bismuth binary monolayer is presented here. The electronic gap is reported as a function of the nanoflake dimensions. Tunable photocatalytic properties are observed. The stability of the SbBi binary nanoflakes falls by widening the nanosheet from both sides of the Zigzag and Armchair edges. The dependency of the energy bandgap between frontier orbital levels concerning the nanoflakes width across either of the Zigzag and Armchair boundaries are explored for structures having maximum of 388 atoms. Regions of chemical activity in SbBi monolayers are mainly focused on their middling points, leading to negligible chemical activity along the edges. Furthermore, some of the considered nanoflakes ions exhibit strong spin-exchange splitting. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Arkaban, H., Barani M., Akbarizadeh M.R., Chauhan N.P.S., Jadoun S., Soltani M.D., Zarrintaj P.
Polymers (20734360)(6)
Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is a non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer that gained lots of interest in recent years. PAA nano-derivatives can be obtained by chemical modification of carboxyl groups with superior chemical properties in comparison to unmodified PAA. For example, nano-particles produced from PAA derivatives can be used to deliver drugs due to their stability and biocompatibility. PAA and its nanoconjugates could also be regarded as stimuli-responsive platforms that make them ideal for drug delivery and antimicrobial applications. These properties make PAA a good candidate for conventional and novel drug carrier systems. Here, we started with synthesis approaches, structure characteristics, and other architectures of PAA nanoplatforms. Then, different conjugations of PAA/nanostructures and their potential in various fields of nanomedicine such as antimicrobial, anticancer, imaging, biosensor, and tissue engineering were discussed. Finally, biocompatibility and challenges of PAA nanoplatforms were highlighted. This review will provide fundamental knowledge and current information connected to the PAA nanoplatforms and their applications in biological fields for a broad audience of researchers, engineers, and newcomers. In this light, PAA nanoplatforms could have great potential for the research and development of new nano vaccines and nano drugs in the future. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Asadniaye fardjahromi, M., Nazari H., Ahmadi Tafti S.M., Razmjou, A., Mukhopadhyay S., Ebrahimi warkiani, M.
Materials Today Chemistry (24685194)
Over the past decade, tremendous growth has been witnessed in the synthesis of scaffolds fabricated by natural or synthetic, composite, or hybrid biomaterials to enhance wound healing, repair of bone fractures, and pathological loss of bones. However, the current limitations of using these scaffolds in tissue engineering are impaired cellular proliferation, poor differentiation, low mechanical stability, and bioactivity. Recent advances in the fabrication of nanoscale metal-organic framework (nano-MOF) scaffolds have provided golden opportunities to enhance the properties of scaffolds in bone and wound tissue engineering. In the past few years, studies have shown that incorporating nano-MOFs into scaffolds can be highly favorable in the regeneration of imperfect tissues owing to their unique properties such as high internal surface areas, high porosity, good mechanical stability, biocompatibility, and tunability. Moreover, the nanoscale structural and topological properties of nano-MOFs enhance the physicochemical properties of scaffolds, enrich them with drug-loading and ion-releasing capacity, and regulate stem cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation after transplantation. This review initially introduces the various nano-MOFs incorporated into scaffolds for tissue engineering. Recent applications of nanoMOFs for bone and wound healing are comprehensively discussed. The unique properties of nano-MOFs for improving osteoconductivity, osteoinductivity, and wound healing, such as high antibacterial activity, high drug loading capacity (i.e., bioactive molecules and growth factors), and controlled drug release, are discussed. Finally, challenges, clinical barriers, and considerations for implementing these nanomaterials in different scaffolds, tissue-like structures, implants, fillers, and dressers in the orthopedic and wound clinics are comprised. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Golestannejad Z., Khozeimeh F., Mehrasa, M., Mirzaeei S., Sarfaraz D.
Clinical and Experimental Dental Research (20574347)(1)pp. 184-190
Objectives: Topical treatment with acyclovir cream has shown low efficacy in recent studies. Nano drug delivery systems, have received much attention in recent decades. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of acyclovir nanofiber patch with acyclovir cream. Material and Methods: In this double-blind three-armed randomized clinical trial, a total of 60 patients with recurrent labial herpes, were randomly divided into three groups, each consisting of 20. The patients in the first, second, and third groups were treated with acyclovir nanofiber patch, placebo nanofiber patch, and acyclovir cream, respectively. A numerical scale was used by the patients to record the self-reported symptoms. Symptoms score, crusting time and healing time were assessed by the clinician. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the symptoms between the three groups, a survival test was also performed to evaluate the crusting and healing time. Data were analyzed in SPSS V22 at P-value < 0.05. Results: The mean scores of symptoms at baseline were 1.6, 1.5, and 1.4 in the first, second, and third groups, respectively. The symptoms were not significantly different between the three groups on different treatment days. The mean crusting time was 2.3, 2.4, and 2.6 days in the three groups, and the mean healing time was 7.4, 7.2, and 7.7 days, respectively. Crusting time and healing time were not significantly different between the three groups. Conclusions: Acyclovir nanofiber patches are recommended for accelerating symptom relief in recurrent labial herpes, however, they are not effective in shortening the crusting or healing time. Clinical Trial Registration Number: IRCT20141124020073N2. Registered in: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (www.irct.ir). © 2021 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
