Ferdowsi University Of Mashhad

Despite the innate regenerative capacity of peripheral nerves, regeneration after a severe injury is insufficient, and sensorimotor recovery is incomplete. As a result, finding alternative methods for improving regeneration and sensorimotor recovery is essential. In this regard, we investigated the effect of IL-33 treatment as a chemokine with neuroprotective properties. IL-33 can facilitate tissue healing by potentiating the type 2 immune response and polarizing macrophages toward the pro-healing M2 phenotype. However, its effects on nerve regeneration remain unclear. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of IL-33 on sciatic nerve injury in male C57BL/6 mice. After crushing the left sciatic nerve, the animals were given 10, 25, or 50 µg/kg IL-33 intraperitoneally for seven days. The sensorimotor recovery was then assessed eight weeks after surgery. In addition, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and real-time PCR were used to assess macrophage polarization, cytokine secretion, and neurotrophic factor expression in the injured nerves. IL-33 at 50 and 25 µg/kg doses could significantly accelerate nerve regeneration and improve sensorimotor recovery when compared to 10 µg/ kg IL-33 and control groups. Furthermore, at 50 and 25 µg/kg doses, IL-33 polarized macrophages toward an M2 phenotype and reduced proinflammatory cytokines at the injury site. It also increased the mRNA expression of NGF, VEGF, and BDNF. These findings suggest that a seven-day IL-33 treatment had neuroprotective effects in a mouse sciatic nerve crush model, most likely by inducing macrophage polarization toward M2 and regulating inflammatory microenvironments.

Breast cancer (BC) is a multifactorial disease and is one of the most common cancers globally. This study aimed to compare different machine learning (ML) techniques to develop a comprehensive breast cancer risk prediction model based on features of various factors. The population sample contained 810 records (115 cancer patients and 695 healthy individuals). 45 attributes out of 85 were selected based on the opinion of experts. These selected attributes are in genetic, biochemical, biomarker, gender, demographic and pathological factors. 13 Machine learning models were trained with proposed attributes and coefficient of attributes and internal relationships were calculated. Compared to other methods random forest (RF) has higher performance (accuracy 99.26%, precision 99%, and area under the curve (AUC) 99%). The results of assessing the impact and correlation of variables using the RF method based on PCA indicated that pathology, biomarker, biochemistry, gene, and demographic factors with a coefficient of 0.35, 0.23, 0.15, 0.14, and 0.13 respectively, affected the risk of BC (r2 = 0.54). Breast cancer has several risk factors. Medical experts use these risk factors for early diagnosis. Therefore, identifying related risk factors and their effect can increase the accuracy of diagnosis. Considering the broad features for predicting breast cancer leads to the development of a comprehensive prediction model. In this study, using RF technique a breast cancer prediction model with 99.3% accuracy was developed based on multifactorial features.

This study presents the design, implementation, and assessment of a combined passive and active flow control technique with the aim of increasing the aerodynamic performance of fixed-wing Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs). Power consumption restrictions in MAVs support the choice of passive flow control solutions such as the use of a modified (tubercled) wing leading edge. This strategy successfully allows to delay and mitigate aerodynamic stall but detrimental effects are found at pre-stall operating conditions. In order to retrieve the lift-generation capabilities of the baseline wing at pre-stall, a subsidiary active flow control method making use of air blowing was designed and installed in the modified wing. Guidance to the selection of optimum settings was provided by experimental and computational analyses. The resulting hybrid flow control system demonstrated its effectiveness, thus producing generalized lift enhancements irrespectively of the attitude of the wing.

Abstract Background Some individuals may manifest psychotic symptoms that do not fulfill the requisite clinical criteria for a formal diagnosis of psychosis. The assessment of susceptibility to delusions, encompassing both clinical and non-clinical cohorts, frequently makes use of the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI-40). This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Persian version of Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI-40) in Iranian non-clinical and clinical samples. Methods The present study employed a cross-sectional, correlational design in 2020. A total of 1402 Iranian participants were recruited for the study, which consisted of three distinct stages. The first stage involved an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) conducted on a non-clinical sample of 512 participants. The second stage comprising different non-clinical sample 764 participants to perform a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). In the third stage, a clinical sample of 126 psychotic patients was compared to a non-clinical sample. All participants completed the PDI-40, the Community Assessment of Psychotic Experiences (CAPE-42), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The internal structure of PDI-40 was examined through the analysis of its factor structure using LISREL 8.8. Results The EFA analysis unveiled nine components within Persian version of PDI-40. The CFA analysis demonstrated an excellent fit of the nine-factor structure of Persian PDI-40 to the data. The total score exhibited high internal reliability, as indicated by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.92. Moreover, Persian PDI-40 exhibited satisfactory evidence of convergent validity, as significant correlations were observed between dimensions of PDI-40 and subscales of CAPE-42 and DASS-21. Lastly, findings indicated that psychotic participants scored higher than non-clinical participants in all components of the PDI-40(p

Background Food addiction at the individual level causes physical and mental health problems, impairs individuals' social functioning, and causes dysfunction in the family system. Therefore, a tool to identify this behavioral disorder is one of the health requirements of communities. This research aimed to investigate the psychometric assessment of the Persian translation of Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) in Iranian college students. Method This research was cross-sectional descriptive, and 451 students were selected by convenience sampling method. Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 (YFAS 2.0), Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait, reduced (FCQ-T-r) were used to collect data. Results The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that single-factor model provides a good fit to data (SRMR = 0.078; CFI = 0.94; NFI = 0.92; IFI = 0.94; RFI = 0.91; GFI = 0.90; RMSEA = 0.078). The YFAS's 2.0 positive correlations with three DASS-21 subscales ranged from 0.30 to 0.39, and Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait, reduced (FCQ-T-r) ranged from 0.58 to 0.72. All correlations were statistically significant, indicating acceptable convergent validity (P < 0.01). Conclusion The validity of the Persian questionnaire translation has been confirmed. Researchers and specialists can use this scale to diagnose food addiction for research or diagnostic purposes in Iranian society.

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPBs) play a crucial role in mitigating the oxidative damage caused by water stress in different plant species. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of PGPBs and mycorrhiza-like fungi (Piriformospora indica) on improving drought tolerance in moldavian balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L.), a medicinal and aromatic plant. For this purpose, a greenhouse study was conducted in a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete design with three replications. Results indicate that water stress reduces the membrane stability index (MSI), total chlorophyll content (Chlt), carotenoids, and maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv′/Fm′) in moldavian balm plants, while increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content compared to the control (no water stress). Inoculation with PGPBs and Piriformospora indica helped alleviate the negative effects of water stress. The highest MSI (48%) and Fv′/Fm′ value (0.82) were observed when inoculated with Enterobacter and Piriformospora, respectively, under non-water-stressed conditions. Inoculation with Agrobacterium, Piriformospora, and Enterobacter improved the Chlt and leaf proline contents, as well as the SOD activity under high water stress, compared to the non-inoculated control values. Furthermore, inoculation with Pseudomonas under high water deficit stress levels increased the MDA content (0.51 mmol g⁻¹ FW) and H2O2 levels (0.40 mmol g⁻¹ FW). The highest yield of flowering branches (2.414 g pot⁻¹) in moldavian balm was obtained with Enterobacter. Based on the enhanced physiological and biochemical responses, as well as increased antioxidant enzyme activity that improve water tolerance in this plant, it is recommended to use PGPBs and Piriformospora indica fertilization.

Drought associated with climate change is undoubtedly one of the most prodigious challenges facing agricultural production and human food security throughout the world. Regarding the increasing incidence and potency of drought under ongoing global warming, determining the potential impacts of water-deficit tension on insect demographic attributes is a key element in success of any management program. By subjecting the western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis, to well-watered and water-stressed cherry tomato plants, the impacts of this stressor on thrips performance were assessed. The key life-history parameters of WFT on fully-irrigated plants (FIT), 80% and 60% FIT were compared. WFT performed worse on drought-stress plants. Thrips specimens developed faster on 60% FIT and the female individuals were less fecund. When reared on plants grown under 60% full irrigation treatment (FIT), WFT displayed lower net reproductive rates and intrinsic and finite rates of increase compared to those reared on stress-free plants. Moreover, with increasing water stress intensity, the sex ratio became more male-biased which might in turn cause mate shortages and consequently a reduction in population growth. Our analysis showed that activities of the enzymes CAT and POD are elevated under WS conditions, and this might be correlated with reduced WFT fitness. In total, 60% FIT drought stress could have the capacity to lessen the abundance and upsurge risk of this destructive pest species under future climate change scenarios. The knowledge gained in this study will aid tomato producers understand how drought stress impact WFT demographic traits, and to foresee if pesticide treatments will be required to manage this infamous pest.

Numerous variables are involved in determining the market capitalization and price of cryptocurrencies. So, It is impossible to ignore the feedback of each variable on the other ones. Also, Bitcoin management is challenging due to inter-dependencies and feedback between economic and social drivers. To better understand the dynamics that different variables have on Bitcoin, a system dynamics approach has been developed to investigate the complex interactions between factors related to Bitcoin and paper money and how these factors may affect the stability of Bitcoin. This paper aims to examine the impact of government support for Bitcoin in the future, news and sentiments effect on Bitcoin market price, and the future orientation of Bitcoin. For this purpose, a simulation period is considered from 2017 to 4500 days later. Moreover, In this study, policies have been designed to check the impact of policies on variables in the long term by keeping other variables constant. The results show that if governments support Bitcoin as an official trading currency in the future, the market price of Bitcoin and its trading volume will grow upward and fluctuate so that its market price will go up to about 90 thousand dollars.

While students can benefit from mindfulness and reflective thinking practices in their academic success, few studies grasp the entire scope of individuals’ experiences. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship among mindfulness, reflective thinking, reading anxiety, and reading comprehension ability‎ in two groups of lower intermediate and advanced Iraqi EFL learners. The research questions investigated role of mindfulness, reflective thinking, and foreign language reading anxiety in the reading comprehension ability of Iraqi EFL learners as well as the predicative power of these variables in EFL learners’ success. The research also examined the effect of these variables on learners’ level. Finally, learners’ attitudes towards the investigated variables were reported. To meet the objectives of the study, mixed-methods research was employed. A total of 200 Iraqi EFL learners were selected and assigned to the experimental and control groups. Both groups were subjected to the reading anxiety comprehension scale, reflective thinking questionnaire, mindfulness scale, and iBT TOEFL reading tests. Data in the qualitative phase of the study were obtained from the semi-structured interviews. It was found that mindfulness and reflective thinking played a positive role in Iraqi EFL learners’ reading comprehension, while reading anxiety could negatively affect it. There was a significant difference between Iraqi lower intermediate and advanced EFL learners concerning their mindfulness, reflective thinking, reading anxiety, and reading comprehension ability. Some of the themes arose from the analysis of the interview included working memory enhancement by mindfulness, meta-cognitive reading by reflective thinking, and fear of frustration by anxiety. In conclusion, variables of mindfulness, reflective thinking, and reading anxiety could affect the reading comprehension of EFL Arab learners at advanced and lower intermediate levels. Therefore, teachers are highly recommended to create an atmosphere in which pupils are relaxed and secure.

Understanding gene expression kinetics and the underlying physiological mechanisms in stress combinations is a challenge for the purpose of stress resistance breeding. The novelty of this study is correlating the physiological mechanisms with the expression of key target genes in tall fescue under a combination of various salinity and osmotic stress treatments. Four drought- and salt-responsive genes belonging to different crucial pathways evaluated included one transcription factor FabZIP69, one for the cytosolic polyamine synthetase FaADC1, one for ABA signaling FaCYP707A1, and another one for the specific Na⁺/H⁺ plasma membrane antiporter FaSOS1 involve in osmotic homeostasis. FaSOS1, FaCYP707A1, and FabZIP69 were induced early at 6 h after NaCl treatment, while FaSOS1 and FaCYP707A1 were transcribed gradually after exposure to PEG. However, stress interactions showed a significantly increased expression in all genes. Expression of these genes was positively correlated to Pro, SSs, IL, DPPH, and antioxidant enzyme activity and negatively correlated with RWC, total Chl, and MSI. Chemical analyses showed that tall fescue plants exposed to the combination of stresses exhibited increased quantity of reactive oxygen species (H2O2), EL and DPPH, and higher levels of antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, and SOD), Pro, and SSs content, compared with control seedlings. Under dual-stress conditions, the expression of FabZIP69 was effective in controlling the expression of FaSOS1 and FaADC1 genes differently.

In this work, the effect of different parameters on catalyst efficiency in the catalytic oxidative desulfurization (ODS) and denitrogenation (ODN) process is studied. A series of samples with different metal compounds, including Ni, Cu, Co, CoNi, CoCu, and CuNi on a reduced graphene oxide (GO) were prepared by an impregnation method. The synthesized samples were carefully characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, and X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD) techniques. The potential of this methodology was illustrated by the oxidation of 84.11% carbazole (CBZ) and 88.36% dibenzothiophene (DBT) in model fuel containing 500 ppmw sulfur and nitrogen. The effect of DBT and CBZ initial concentration and oxidant type on the oxidation process was investigated. The initial concentration of 250 ppmw for DBT and 100 ppmw for CBZ showed more efficiency than other initial concentrations (1,000, 750, 500, 250 ppmw) for DBT and (500, 400, 250, 100 ppmw) for CBZ, and NaClO as an oxidant showed higher performance than H2O2, formic acid, and oxygen. The results indicated that the Co‐Cu/rGO catalyst shows higher activity than other prepared catalysts in the oxidation of DBT and CBZ. Moreover, the catalyst could be regenerated three times with no discernible decrease in its catalytic activity. Lastly, the catalytic oxidation of CBZ and DBT was the proposed reaction mechanism.

The dairy industry is among the most contaminated of the food industries. Dairy industry wastewater contains a high organic load and chemical oxygen demand (COD). In recent years, due to the development of the dairy industry, the administration of dairy effluents has become the main problem since dairy effluents can be a dangerous and significant threat, especially to the aqueous environment. Therefore, there is an important need to improve the management and remediation of dairy effluents in order to ensure the economic viability of this major agricultural industry and to decrease environmental problems. Several works focused on the remediation of dairy wastewater. In this study, the effect of the electro-Fenton process on COD and turbidity removal from dairy wastewater was studied. The electro-Fenton process was optimized for four independent variables (pH, reaction time, volume of H2O2, and H2O2/Fe2+ (the molar ratio)). Moreover, the response surface methodology was utilized to design experiments and determine optimum operating conditions. Under optimal conditions (pH = 5.95, reaction time = 60 min, volume of H2O2 = 1.5 ml and the molar ratio of H2O2/Fe2+ = 1.8), the removal efficiency of COD was 95.8%. Also under optimal conditions (pH = 6.37, reaction time = 60 min, volume of H2O2 = 1.5 ml and the molar ratio of H2O2/Fe2+ = 2.09), the removal efficiency of turbidity was 97.2%.

Bis(trifluorobenzoylacetonato) copper(II), Cu(tfba)2, was assayed for isomerism, molecular structure, spectroscopic analysis, and complete vibrational assignment using calculated results from Density Functional Theory (DFT), Natural Bond Orbital (NBO), Atoms-In-Molecules (AIM) analysis at the B3LYP level with 6-311G(d) basis set, and experimental results were obtained via observed vibrational and UV–Vis spectra. To investigate the effects of methyl groups substitution by CF3 on the structure and metal–ligand bond strength of the titled molecules, the structure and vibrational spectra of Cu(tfba)2 were compared with those of bis(benzoylacetonato) copper (II), Cu(bzac)2 using the aforementioned calculation and experimental techniques. Additionally, the calculated values were compared to reported X-ray results. The theoretical and experimental spectroscopic results showed no significant difference between the Cu–O bond strength of Cu(tfba)2 and Cu(bzac)2. In addition, the results of antibacterial activities show that both complexes could be considered potential antibacterial candidates, but Cu(tfba)2 has slightly more antibacterial activity than Cu(bzac)2. Molecular docking studies also indicate that both complexes interact with DNA spontaneously via a minor groove.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is one of the world's most expensive medicinal and aromatic plants, which is extensively grown in Iran. Viral diseases are important causes of serious losses and quality decline in saffron production worldwide. To investigate the saffron viromes in the major commercial saffron fields in Iran, we used RNA deep sequencing and RT-PCR and found almost complete sequences of three potyviruses, including an unrecorded virus. Assays showed the presence of turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), saffron latent virus (SaLV), and an unrecorded potyvirus, which has been tentatively named saffron yellow mosaic virus (SYMV). There was no evidence of recombination. The viral genome of the SYMV-IR isolate was 9541 nucleotides long (excluding poly(A) tail) and showed conserved potyvirus-specific patterns and motifs. It featured two open reading frames, one of which encoded a polyprotein comprised of 3097 amino acids and the other encoded a PIPO protein of 64 amino acids. Phylogenetic analyses and sequence comparisons supported that SYMV is a distinct potyvirus most closely related to members of the bean yellow mosaic virus group (with 54–63% nucleotide identity across the genome). According to our knowledge, this is the first instance of mixed infections of potyviruses associated with Iranian saffron plants naturally. The results expand our understanding of the diversity of viruses that inflict a severe limitation on the commercial production of saffron in Iran. This has important implications for saffron breeding programs globally.

Universities are expected to play a pivotal role in promoting environmental conservation goals, yet a comprehensive analysis of their actual contributions remains limited. This study delves into the perceptions of socio-environmental responsibility among faculty members within Iran’s top 13 universities. Using random cluster sampling, we collected 410 questionnaires from these institutions, evaluating socio-environmental responsibility through eight distinct variables. The outcomes unveil widespread deficiencies in responsibility across all universities, with 66% exhibiting low levels of engagement. Notably, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources displays the lowest level, while Bu-Ali Sina University ranks highest. The research variables exhibit significant positive correlations, elucidating the interconnectedness of different aspects of socio-environmental responsibility. Furthermore, the study identifies a significant disparity in mean university socio-environmental responsibility concerning gender, although no significant relationships are found with factors such as professors’ academic rank, employment status or age. Sixteen codes are highlighted based on qualitative analysis. These findings underscore the urgency for universities to redefine their roles within the community and prioritize community empowerment, stakeholder engagement, capacity building and environmental education. By addressing these facets, universities can elevate their levels of socio-environmental responsibility and contribute more effectively to environmental conservation efforts.

In this work, we obtain exact thick brane models in $$4+1$$ 4 + 1 dimensions generated by higher order field theory kinks, inspired by specific potentials for $$\phi ^{10}$$ ϕ 10 and $$\phi ^{18}$$ ϕ 18 models. We verify that the geodesic equation along the fifth dimension confirms the confining effects of the scalar field on the brane for all of these models. These models provide new solutions with exponential and power-law tails which live in different topological sectors. We show that the resulting branes of specific exponential law models do not possess $$Z_2$$ Z 2 -symmetry. Furthermore, we examine the stability of the thick branes, by determining the sign of the $$w^2$$ w 2 term in the expansion of the potential for the resulting Schrödinger-like equation. It turns out that two of the three models of the $$\phi ^{10}$$ ϕ 10 brane are stable, while another contains unstable modes for certain ranges of the model parameters. We also show that the brane solution from the specific $$\phi ^{18}$$ ϕ 18 models are stable, while the others involve neutral equilibrium. The asymptotic behaviour of the brane solutions are also discussed.

Modifying a simple Brayton cycle by utilizing an intercooler/reheater during compression/expansion processes within the compressor/turbine is an enviro-economic feasible approach for a more efficient system with cleaner productions. A Brayton-Rankine cycle performance is enhanced in this study by placing an ejector refrigerating cycle (ERC) to produce refrigerating load from wasted heat recovery for the intercooling process between the compression stages in the Brayton cycle. Analyses including energy, exergy, economics, and environmental are performed to investigate the proposed combination of the Brayton-Rankine cycle with the ERC and compare it with various typical types of the Brayton-Rankine cycles. Eventually, a robust parametric study and multi-criteria optimization model are developed based on the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II method to assess system performance and find its optimal operating point. Results showed that the intercooler with cooling fluid coming from the ERC reduces the fuel consumption, CO2 emission, and combined cycle's levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) significantly compared to common intercoolers with atmospheric air as the cooling fluid. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the proposed cycle are higher than the typical Brayton-Rankine cycles. The highest thermal and exergy efficiencies and the lowest fuel consumption, LCOE, and CO2 emissions are 62.79%, 60.11%, 114.7 kg/MWh, 27.61 $/MWh, 316.83 kg/MWh, respectively, related to the combination of the ERC and the reheat Brayton-Rankine cycle. These values are obtained through stand-alone technical and economic analyses. Applying simultaneous effects of exergy and economic indices in multi-objective optimization resulted in the optimum exergy efficiency of 57.64% and LCOE of 29.93 $/MWh.

Many researchers have shown interest in profile monitoring; however, most of the applications in this field of research are developed under the assumption of normal response variable. Little attention has been given to profile monitoring with non-normal response variables, known as general linear models which consists of two main categories (i.e., logistic and Poisson profiles). This paper aims to monitor Poisson profile monitoring problem in Phase II and develops a new robust control chart using support vector regression by incorporating some novel input features and evolutionary training algorithm. The new method is quicker in detecting out-of-control signals as compared to conventional statistical methods. Moreover, the performance of the proposed scheme is further investigated for Poisson profiles with both fixed and random explanatory variables as well as non-parametric profiles. The proposed monitoring scheme is revealed to be superior to its counterparts, including the likelihood ratio test (LRT), multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (MEWMA), LRT-EWMA and other machine learning-based schemes. The simulation results show superiority of the proposed method in profiles with fixed explanatory variables and non-parametric models in nearly all situations while it is not able to be the best in all the simulations when there are with random explanatory variables. A diagnostic method with machine learning approach is also used to identify the parameters of change in the profile. It is shown that the proposed profile diagnosis approach is able to reach acceptable results in comparison with other competitors. A real-life example in monitoring Poisson profiles is also provided to illustrate the implementation of the proposed charting scheme.

Walnut kernels are susceptible to oxidative rancidity and rapid deterioration due to their high oil content. Despite its global importance, little is known about this nut’s optimal storage conditions and shelf life. This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of different temperature (4 °C and 25 °C) and packaging (5% vacuum and air-containing package) on walnut kernels quality during 6 months’ storage. The cultivars ‘Common’ and ‘Claw tip’, both of which are important to the market, were examined. According to the results, the lowest level of peroxide value was observed in stored samples at the temperature of 4 °C under 5% vacuum packaging, while control samples stored at 25 °C with air packaging showed a four-fold increase over the same period in both genotypes. The antioxidant capacity and total phenol of the samples stored in a 5% vacuum at 4 ℃ were significantly higher in both cultivars than in other treatments. In both cultivars, polyphenol oxidase activity was effectively reduced by 5% vacuum packaging and low temperature. The highest L* index was observed in ‘Claw tip’ cultivar in 5% and air-containing package at 4 ℃, while in the ‘common’ cultivar, the highest level of L* was observed in 5% vacuum at 4 ℃. These results showed that low temperature and 5% vacuum significantly improved kernel quality of walnut cultivars ‘Common’ and ‘Claw tip’ during storage.