Shiraz University

Electric vehicle (EV) integration into distribution grids introduces significant challenges in maintaining grid stability, minimizing operational costs, and ensuring overall system efficiency. In response to these challenges, a novel multi-objective optimization model is proposed that concurrently minimizes energy losses, energy procurement costs, load shedding, and voltage deviations over a 24-hour period, while also accounting for the operational costs associated with EV and battery management. The model is optimized using the Hiking Optimization Algorithm (HOA), which leverages an adaptive search mechanism based on Tobler’s Hiking Function. This mechanism enhances the exploration of the solution space and effectively avoids local optima, resulting in superior performance compared to conventional methods. Simulation results on a 33-bus distribution grid demonstrated that, with EV integration, operational costs were reduced by 19.3%, energy losses decreased by 59.7%, load shedding was minimized by 75.4%, and voltage deviations improved by 43.5% relative to a scenario without EVs. Additionally, the model eliminated photovoltaic (PV) curtailment, thereby ensuring optimal utilization of renewable energy resources. When benchmarked against alternative optimization techniques, the HOA achieved a 4.4% lower total cost than the Komodo Mlipir Algorithm (KMA) and reduced energy losses by 24.5% compared to Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). These results clearly demonstrate the model’s effectiveness in enhancing grid stability, optimizing costs, and improving operational efficiency. The proposed approach offers a scalable and reliable solution for modern grid management in the context of increasing EV penetration and renewable energy integration.

The effect of different waveforms on the performance of pulsed current cathodic protection in preventing crevice corrosion resulted from the creation of a holiday at the disbonded coating was investigated numerically. In order to achieve this goal, the oxygen concentration gradient, pH, sodium ion concentration gradient, potential distribution, and distribution of net current density were analyzed. The findings show that the ramp waveform is capable of reducing the oxygen concentration gradient along the crevice to the lowest possible level in comparison with other waveforms. Based on this, the oxygen concentration cell was moderated to the greatest level, and as a result, the potential gradient along the crevice was decreased to a greater extent compared to other waveforms.

Antifragility refers to an organization’s capacity to thrive under stressful and chaotic conditions. The theory of antifragility posits that certain systems and organizations not only withstand sudden crises and changes but actually benefit from them. The aim of this study is to construct a comprehensive model for evaluating organizational antifragility. We conducted a primary systematic literature review to identify the essential criteria that underpin organizational antifragility. In this paper, the Pythagorean Fuzzy Step Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (PF-SWARA) method was employed to assign weights to the criteria. The Pythagorean Fuzzy Combined Compromise Solution (PF-CoCoSo) method was utilized to rank companies. The findings of this study show that the criteria for organizational antifragility manifest across six dimensions, encompassing organizational structure, culture, leadership, risk embracement, learning, processes, and support systems. Risk embracement (weight = 0.206) is the most important criteria in crisis management, and Alyaf Golriz Qom has the highest antifragility score (5.772) among the alternatives. The novelty of this research can be expressed by considering the dimensions of culture and leadership, learning, process, and system support for organizational invulnerability. These dimensions can provide a comprehensive view of the movement of organizations from resilience to antifragility. The current study presents a new way to measure antifragility that takes into account many aspects of an organization and employs the PF method to effectively handle environmental uncertainties. This constitutes a progressive stride towards fostering antifragile organizations, surpassing the realms of resilience and robustness. The results of this research can facilitate the movement of managers towards antifragility by bolstering all facets of the organization to withstand critical stressors and fluctuations.

This study aimed to identify the role of sustained attention and its interaction with task complexity in shaping high school adolescents’ search performance (satisfaction and success) during web-based information retrieval. The study sample consisted of 90 female students from the tenth and eleventh grades at Shiraz University High School. Data was collected by recording, observing, and analysing user interaction reports on the web, utilising Camtasia version 2023 software. In this study, two search tasks (one simple task and one complex task) were designed for the subjects. The complexity of the search tasks was assessed through three components: information clarity, response dispersion, and cognitive activity. The levels of simplicity and complexity were determined by statistically analysing the scores assigned to the tasks by experts in knowledge and information science. Two methods were employed to evaluate performance, which included measuring both satisfaction and success. Success was determined by the subjects’ ability to correctly answer the tasks, and their responses were scored by three experts in knowledge and information science. To assess satisfaction, participants completed a questionnaire after finishing each task. Additionally, the level of sustained attention was measured using the computerised Continuous Performance Test developed by Rosvold et al. in 1956, which has been validated for reliability in Iran by Hadianfard et al. in 2000. The findings of the study indicated significant differences in the performance (satisfaction and success) of adolescents with varying levels of sustained attention. Specifically, adolescents with high levels of sustained attention demonstrated better performance than those with medium levels, while adolescents with medium levels outperformed those with low levels of sustained attention. Also, the results indicated that the greater the level of attention adolescents exhibited, the better their performance, in terms of satisfaction and success, when completing tasks—both simple and complex. Additionally, across all three groups of adolescents categorised by their levels of sustained attention (high, medium, and low), performance in simple tasks consistently outperformed that in complex tasks. Sustained attention is a crucial cognitive variable that significantly influences users’ search performance. However, past studies have given this aspect less attention, and the specific effects of sustained attention and its interaction with task complexity on adolescents’ search performance have yet to be examined. The findings of this study can inform better strategies, such as enhancing information retrieval systems, improving user interface design, and developing educational approaches to boost search performance among adolescents. By understanding how sustained attention varies among adolescents, information retrieval and user interface design experts can create more effective systems and interfaces tailored to the diverse needs of this user group. Additionally, the results will raise awareness among information science researchers and information literacy educators about the cognitive factors that impact adolescents’ web search performance, enabling them to devise targeted measures for improvement.

During psychological distress, breastmilk cortisol levels are increased and may affect infant temperament and behavior. We studied the association of maternal psychological distress and milk cortisol with infant temperament and growth. Using a cross-sectional design, 140 mother–infant dyads were studied. Infants were 3–4 months old and were exclusively breastfed. Maternal psychological distress and infant temperament were assessed by the depression, anxiety, and stress scale and infant behavior questionnaires, respectively. Milk cortisol concentrations and growth indices were determined. Maternal obesity and infant growth indicators did not show significant associations with the severity of maternal distress. Negative emotionality of infants had the most frequent and strongest association with maternal psychological distress: depression (b = 5.38; 95% CI 3.04, 7.72; P < 0.001), anxiety (b = 6.01; 95% CI 3.70, 8.32; P < 0.001), and stress (b = 4.10; 95% CI 2.74, 5.45; P < 0.001). The association existed both directly and indirectly through the mediating effect of breastmilk cortisol. Regulatory capacity was positively associated with maternal depression (b = 3.73; 95% CI 1.10, 6.37; P = 0.006) and anxiety (b = 3.02; 95% CI 0.33, 5.71; P = 0.030), but the association was not mediated by milk cortisol. Surgency was not associated with maternal depression, but it had negative associations with maternal anxiety and stress. Infant temperament was also reciprocally associated with maternal emotional states and breastmilk cortisol concentrations. Overall, this study highlighted associations between maternal psychological distress and infant mood and temperament, emphasizing the mediating effect of breastmilk cortisol.

In Iran’s education curriculum, there is a great emphasis on teaching religion-related moral values. The present longitudinal study examined changes in moral and moral-related variables among some Iranian university students. 90 Iranian university students completed a battery of scales comprising prosocial behaviors, prosocial moral reasoning, empathy, moral identity, identity styles, religiosity, social desirability, and intelligence in the first and eighth semesters. Repeated measures MANCOVA, after controlling the changes (Ds) of lie/nonsense responding and social desirability, indicated that there were decreases in ideological religiosity, experimental religiosity, informational identity style, internalization of moral identity, empathy, and increases in hedonistic prosocial moral reasoning, ritualistic religiosity, and consequential religiosity. There were no correlations of the changes (Ds) to intelligence, academic performance, and accommodation conditions. Overall, it seems that despite several moral/religious courses in Iran’s higher education, there is not any moral promotion and there is even some evidence of a decrease in some aspects of morality.

Equal-channel angular pressing in parallel channels (ECAP-PC) has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional ECAP for grain refinement. This review comprehensively examines the evolution of ECAP-PC, focusing on recent advancements in die design and processing parameters to enhance efficiency and broaden its applicability. Fundamental aspects of ECAP-PC, including strain distribution, tool stability, and die geometry, are critically analyzed. Notably, the paper introduces and thoroughly evaluates two innovative die configurations: twin parallel channel angular extrusion (TPCAE) and double twin parallel channel angular extrusion (DTPCAE). While TPCAE has been previously reported, the DTPCAE process is presented here for the first time, demonstrating superior performance in terms of material throughput, reduced frictional forces, and enhanced tool life compared to both TPCAE and conventional ECAP-PC. These improvements position ECAP-PC as a viable technique for industrial applications, particularly in the large-scale manufacturing of ultrafine-grained metals and alloys. By providing a comprehensive overview and in-depth analysis of these developments, this review aims to contribute to the advancement of ECAP-PC as a practical and effective processing technique.

Rationale Research on patient‐centeredness in managing chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disorders is gaining prominence. This approach in chronic disease management involves various dimensions and elements, the importance of which has been presented to differ. Aims and Objectives The present research, carried out in the year 2023, aimed to identify and prioritize existing dimensions and elements of patient‐centered care for chronic diseases. Methods Firstly, multiple databases including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus, PubMed and ProQuest were searched. Secondly, 35 chronic patients were interviewed; Finally, a sample of 30 experts familiar with the context was asked to rank the dimensions and elements of patient‐centered care using Best‐Worst method. Results The study identified 6 dimensions and 13 elements of patient‐centered care in chronic diseases. The findings indicated that accessibility, quality, education, timeliness and affordability were the five elements that ranked highest in importance for designing and implementing patient‐centered care interventions for chronic diseases. Conclusion The results presented that Iranian patients with chronic diseases exhibit a positive attitude towards paternalistic behavior and often prefer others to make the best therapeutic decisions on their behalf. Our research revealed that the concept of patient‐centered care differs across regions and cultures, highlighting the need for policymakers and researchers to adapt strategies to the specific characteristics of local populations around the globe.

In this study, we aimed to identify the clinical findings and efficacy of different diagnostic methods in feline visceral leishmaniasis (FVL) experimental model. Healthy adult cats were divided into trial and control groups. The first and second trial groups received 10⁸ and 10⁹ promastigotes of leishmania infantum (L. infantum) in the stationary phase intravenously and sterile isotonic distilled water (DW) was inoculated for control cats by the same volume and route. The follow-up examination was done up to 24 weeks post-inoculation(PI). Daily clinical examination and monthly blood sampling were done for serological, molecular, hematological, and biochemical evaluations. Bone marrow (BM) aspiration was started from the second month and repeated every 2 months until the end of study. Finally the cats were euthanized and histopathological examination and organ culture were performed. The blood and bone-marrow samples of all inoculated cats were positive at nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR) from the second and 8 weeks PI respectively and remained positive during the study. L. infantum amastigotes were detected in BM direct smear after 12 weeks and BM culture was positive at this time. N-PCR of Liver and lymph nodes, were positive in three cats in each experimental groups. In histopathological examination, amastigotes were not observed in organs but sinus histiocytosis in the spleen and lymphoid hyperplasia were the major histopathological changes. All cats remained seronegative in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) until the end of the study. All infected cats had a reasonable healthand no significant alteration in laboratory findings was noted. Long-lasting parasitemia and the presence of L. infantum in bone marrow, revealed that cats could be considered as secondary reservoirs for L. infantum. N-PCR is the best screening diagnostic method because the humoral immune response is not well activated in the feline model and antibody titers were not detected in the initial phase of L. infantum infection. Further studies are crucial to elucidate the immune system function and pathogenesis of L. infantum in cats.

The rise of image-based approaches has reshaped personalized dosimetry in radiopharmaceutical therapies, holding the promise of reducing organ toxicity and tailoring treatments to individual responses. However, implementing these strategies accurately demands numerous quantitative scans and complex data processing, posing significant clinical hurdles. Therefore, simplified methodologies like single-time point (STP) dosimetry have emerged, aiming to enhance efficiency in clinical dosimetry. STP dosimetry estimates absorbed doses in radiopharmaceutical therapy from a singular measurement of time-integrated activity (TIA) at a specific time point. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic exploration was performed on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. This review encompasses research concentrating on organ dosimetry in patients employing STP dosimetry from January 2012 to December 2023. Evaluation of these chosen articles exposes a variety of uses for STP dosimetry, outlining its theoretical bases, practical applications, and discussions regarding its vital role in achieving a balance between eliminating tumors and reducing exposure to healthy tissues. From this review, STP dosimetry offers a hopeful path in simplifying personalized dosimetry by decreasing imaging intervals without sacrificing its accuracy. This innovative approach holds potential for routine dosimetry in clinical settings, potentially revolutionizing the landscape of radiopharmaceutical therapy.

A thermo-responsive ruthenium catalyst was developed by grafting poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) on silica-modified iron oxide nanoparticle core–shell (Fe3O4@Si) through free-radical polymerization process. The amino-functionalized support was obtained by exposing it to ethylenediamine. Further, the as-prepared compound was treated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), followed by embellishment with Ru NPs to form a well-organized heterogeneous catalytic structure (Fe3O4@Si-modified PNIPAAm-Ru). This unique system exhibits several remarkable features, including a broad distribution of catalytic sites, exceptional thermal stability, and the utilization of environmentally friendly solvents. Additionally, it offers significant features like easy separation and recyclability of the catalyst waste. Various characterization methods proved catalyst structure properly. The catalyst demonstrated a remarkable role in the carbon–carbon cross-coupling transformations of Sonogashira-Hagihara, Suzuki–Miyaura, and Mizoroki–Heck using different aryl halides under TBAB, copper, and amine-free conditions. One key advantage of this catalytic system is its ability to be reused for a minimum of 8 repetitions without any considerable decline in activity, structural changes, or leaching.

The diastereoselective synthesis of N‐protected indolo β‐lactam hybrids 5a‐n by a classic [2 + 2] Staudinger reaction and the study of their anti‐inflammatory and anticancer activities are reported in this paper. The structures of these new compounds were confirmed based on IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR spectral data, and elemental analysis. The diastereoselectivity (cis stereoisomer) of these novel β‐lactam hybrids was confirmed based on ¹H NMR. The in‐vitro anti‐inflammatory activity was investigated for these synthesized compounds. Compounds 5b, 5d, 5m, and 5n showed good anti‐inflammatory activities. Compound 5d with an anti‐inflammatory ratio of >53.70 was the most active one compared to dexamethasone with an anti‐inflammatory ratio of 37.78 as reference. The molecular docking studies revealed that 5d displayed the best score among the synthesized compounds, indicating a potentially stronger and more stable binding with the iNOS enzyme's active site. Therefore, it can be regarded as a potential candidate for anti‐inflammatory purposes. In anticancer studies, imines 4b and 4c exhibited the most activity against A549 (lung), AGS (gastric), and MDA‐MB‐468 (breast) cancer cell lines. Imine 4b (IC50 of 14.17, 10.95, 12.49 µM), showed more activity than the reference, Cisplatin (IC50 of 20.76, 14.95, 20.97 µM) toward these cell lines respectively. Indolo β‐lactams, 5h and 5l exhibited good activity toward the AGS cell line. Both compounds 4c and 5l with an allyl group had a less toxic effect than 4b and 5h having a benzyl group.

In the investigation of condensed phase reactions, obtaining kinetic parameters is vital for understanding reaction behavior and optimizing conditions. To achieve this, differential methods have been devised, yet due to the instability of calculating instantaneous reaction rates through numerical differentiation, they have been less commonly utilized. In this study, the extraction of smooth reaction rate curves from highly noisy experimental data via the Chebyshev series expansion (CSE) approach is explained. Furthermore, a novel combined kinetic analysis is developed to determine reaction kinetic parameters utilizing the Chebyshev series expansion. By employing the new method, kinetic parameters can be accurately deduced by performing multiple linear regression analysis on kinetic data generated from reactions. The CSE has consistently exhibited exceptional accuracy in approximating the conversion function. The primary advantage of the new method lies in its ability to accurately determine unique values for kinetic parameters, including activation energy, pre‐exponential factor, and conversion function, without prior knowledge of the reaction mechanism. The new method has been validated using kinetic data from a simulated reaction and poly(methyl methacrylate) thermal degradation. To facilitate readers in applying the new methods to various kinetic data, the GNU Octave/MATLAB codes have been made publicly available.

Toxoariasis is recognized as one of the most widespread diseases affecting both animals and humans, exhibiting a global distribution. In light of the public health challenges it poses, particularly for children infected with Toxocara canis, the development of effective diagnostic tests or vaccines is of paramount importance. Serological methods are routinely employed to detect specific anti-Toxocara antibodies in infected individuals. This bioinformatics study aims to formulate a multi-epitope protein for Toxocara canis, leveraging various immunoinformatics web servers to enhance the accuracy of serodiagnosis. The identification of linear and conformational B-cell epitopes for the antigens TES-26, TES-30, and TES-120 was conducted using the ABCpred and BepiPred servers. Various web servers were employed to evaluate antigenicity, solubility, and physicochemical properties, as well as to examine secondary and tertiary structures, enhance the three-dimensional model, and confirm the findings. This process led to the identification of conformational B-cell epitopes, aimed at exploring possible protein-antibody interactions. Ultimately, further experimental investigations are essential for this multi-epitope construct before it can be incorporated into commercial serodiagnosis kits.

The subway is a widely used mode of public transportation around the world. Induction motors (IMs) in subway cars are essential to the traction system. High performance can lead to mechanical and electrical issues in these IMs over time. However, monitoring their condition is challenging due to excessive noise. This paper presents a methodology for detecting bearing faults and stator winding faults in IMs. It utilizes signature analysis of motor current, drive’s input DC current, current RMS value, noise cancelation by a Wiener filter as an adaptive filter, and the empirical wavelet transform to extract intrinsic modulation information by breaking down a signal into mono-components within an orthogonal basis. A convolutional neural network is employed for classifying features. Leveraging the RMS values of the current signal, this method is adaptable to both traditional data acquisition systems that employ sinusoidal current signals and RMS values and to drive systems that utilize a drive’s input DC current. The drive’s input DC current is used for the first time in this paper in order to diagnose the IM fault. This method was tested in a laboratory setting using an IM’s input AC current signal and in a subway environment with a wagon drive’s input DC current signal. The results of the tests illustrate that the presented method can very accurately detect faults in the bearing and stator winding of IMs.

Abstract Drought stress is a severe climatological challenge affecting agricultural productivity worldwide. As potential solutions, Kinetin, a plant growth regulator, and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been recognized for their roles in enhancing plant stress tolerance. However, limited research has been conducted on their combined effects in mitigating drought stress. In this study, maize (Zea mays L.) seeds were treated with PGPR consortium (Cytobacillus firmus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and foliar application of Kinetin (10−3 M) to assess their effects on physiological, biochemical and growth parameters under different drought stress levels (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% field capacity). The drought-tolerant PGPR strains exhibited significant stress resistance due to their ACC-deaminase activity and siderophore synthesis, along with positive phosphorus and zinc solubilization. Under drought stress conditions, oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide anion radical (O2°−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increased, resulting in reduced relative water content (RWC), photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophyll (TChl.), Chl.a, Chl.b and carotenoids), and growth parameters. However, the application of PGPRs and Kinetin significantly mitigated these adverse effects. The combined PGPRs+Kinetin application increased growth parameters, RWC, antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase), compatible osmolytes (proline, total soluble protein, and total soluble carbohydrate, and secondary metabolites (anthocyanin, flavonoids, and phenolics). Mitigation of oxidative stressrelated traits (MDA, O2°−, and H2O2, and electrolyte leakage) during stress conditions was also observed by application of PGPRs+Kinetin, suggesting its involvement in imparting stress tolerance. The utilization of PGPB as bioformulations and Kinetin has emerged as an effective strategy for mitigating drought stress over the past decade. The application of biostimulants and biofertilizers is increasingly recognized as an effective tool for advancing sustainable agriculture. These eco-friendly solutions not only enhance crop resilience but also minimize the adverse effects of various abiotic stresses.

Achillea wilhelmsii (AW), a plant rich in flavonoids, including lutein, apigenin, rutin, and phenolic compounds with antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, is used in traditional medicine. In this study, the impact of AW extract on the growth, immune response, and biochemical indices of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) was investigated. Over 8 weeks, fish were fed diets supplemented with varying concentrations of AW extract (0%, 0.5%, 1%, or 2%). No significant differences were observed in growth performance, glucose levels, or key enzymes such as lactic acid dehydrogenase, alanine transaminase, or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) between the AW‐supplemented groups and the control group. However, fish that received AW supplementation showed significantly higher levels of total serum protein, lysozyme activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and immunoglobulin M (IgM). Moreover, the AW‐fed groups exhibited lower mortality after exposure to Yersinia ruckeri . In conclusion, AW supplementation could enhance immune function in rainbow trout and decrease mortality after exposure to Y. ruckeri . Therefore, using this plant (1% and 2%) in aquaculture could be justified as a means to increase resistance to pathogens and improve the immune system performance of fish.

In the presented work, peanut shell was used as one of the cheap agricultural wastes for the preparation of porous carbon to design of TiO2/porous carbon nanocomposite (TiO2/PCN) by its thermal decomposition with nano titanium dioxide. The synergic effect of porous carbon to the catalytic ability of titanium dioxide in the structure of TiO2/PCN is one of the most important advantages of the designed nanocomposite. The structure of the prepared nanocomposite was characterized by some analyses such as fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) Adsorption Isotherm, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic absorption spectroscopy. TiO2/PCN was successfully used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of pyrimido[4,5-b] quinolines by the reaction of various aromatic aldehyde with 6-amino-1,3-dimethyluracil and dimedone in high yields (75–95%) and short reaction times.