r. alizadeh

This study simulated the production of bioethanol from mixed microalgae to the assess economic feasibility on an industrial scale. For the first time, the kinetic study of the chemical hydrolysis of mixed microalgae was carried out using the AQUASIM software. The chemical hydrolysis for the pretreatment of microalgae was carried out using H2SO4 (2.5%, 5%, 10% (v/v)), H3PO3 (2.5%, 5%, 10% (v/v)), and NaOH (1%, 2%, 4% (v/v)) at the different biomass concentrations (25 to 100 g/L) at the temperature of 121 ℃ for 70 min. Kinetic constants were calculated using experimental data and the AQUASIM software. It was found that the optimum yield of sugars, which was obtained, was about 93%. From the comparison of the values ​​of the reaction rate constant (k), it was observed that the hydrolysis rate ​​at 50 g/L by using H2SO4 2.5% (v/v), is higher compared to 25, 75, and 100 g/L, and the higher reaction rate constant supports the faster hydrolysis of algal biomass. These kinetic constants were applied in simulating the process on an industrial scale using the SuperPro Designer software. Experimental and simulation results showed that 3.6 g/L of bioethanol is produced from the 9.3 g/L of glucose under optimal conditions. Also, simulation results using the SuperPro Designer software demonstrated that eliminating the algal biomass drying stage has the potential to save up to 713,000 $ in operational expenses.

 This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate perceived stress (PS) and eating disorders (ED) among a sample of Iranian nurses.

 149 nurses in the hospitals of Bojnurd city, Iran were studied. ED and PS were examined by the valid Persian version of eating disorders scale and the valid Persian version of PS scale respectively.

 The nurses had moderate or high PS levels. Overall eating disorders (OED) and Anorexia nervosa (AN) scores were higher in the single subjects than married ones. OED scores were higher in the persons without experience of getting diseases themselves or without experience of losing their families due to diseases, while Bulimia scores were greater in the nurses with experience of losing their families due to diseases than ones without this experience. Significant correlations were observed between OED score (r= 0.20, p= 0.01) and AN (r= 0.38, p<0.001) with physical activity level and age of persons (OED score: r= -0.23, p= 0.005; AN score: r= -0.20, p= 0.01).

 The nurses had moderate or high PS levels. OED and AN scores were greater in the single persons than married ones. OED scores were higher in the persons without experience of getting diseases themselves or without experience of losing their families due to diseases, while Bulimia scores were greater in the nurses with experience of losing their families due to diseases than ones without this experience. Significant correlations were found between OED score and AN score with physical activity level and age of persons.

Although Mg-Si alloys have promising potential applications in various industries, their mechanical properties are challenged by the presence of coarse primary and eutectic Mg2Si particles and their heterogeneous distribution in the microstructure. To address this issue, several methods have been employed to refine the microstructure and improve the mechanical properties. This study examines the effects of equal channel angular pressing on the microstructural evolution and shear strength of an as-cast Mg-2Si alloy. The alloy was initially extruded at 350 °C and then underwent four passes of equal channel angular pressing at 200 °C. Microstructural analysis was conducted using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Shear strength was assessed using the shear punch test. The obtained results indicated that the equal channel angular pressing process led to a more homogeneous distribution of the Mg2Si particles within the microstructure compared to the as-cast alloys, significantly improving the shear strength. In particular, ultimate shear stress  showed a significant increase from 87 MPa in the as-cast condition to 122 MPa after equal channel angular pressing, corresponding to 40 % improvement.

In this study, three composite adsorbents with different percentages zeolite ZSM-5 and silica aerogel, were synthesized. The adsorbents were characterized by FESEM, XRD, FTIR, BET-BJH, and zeta potential. By comparing the performance of the zeolite ZSM-5 (25)/silica aerogel (75) adsorbent as an optimal adsorbent and other inexpensive adsorbents, it was observed that the adsorbent studied in this experiment has good adsorption efficiency. The saturated adsorption capacity reached 476.2 mg/g for Pb+2. To obtain the best isotherm and kinetic model, error functions and regression coefficients, especially the Chi-square test (χ2) and sum square error (SSE), were used. The findings fit well with Temkin isotherm models, according to the adsorption isotherm investigations. The kinetic data for the pseudo-second-order kinetic model exhibited a high correlation coefficient and a low error function. The activation energies for lead were and 11.31 kJ/mol, respectively. These values indicate that physical adsorption has occurred. The Com3 absorbent was separated from the wastewater and reused after recovery. This feature caused the adsorbent to have a strong adsorption ability, so the adsorption process was performed in five cycles. FTIR and EDX analyses were performed to confirm the adsorption of heavy metals by the adsorbent. The results show that the zeolite ZSM-5/silica aerogel composite is a suitable adsorbent for the removal of various toxins(such as heavy metals) in aqueous systems that contain an adsorbate. As a result, the new zeolite ZSM-5/silica aerogel composite may be used on a larger scale as a material to absorb a variety of contaminants.

Oxidative stress is one of the effective mechanisms in neurodegeneration and aging process in central nerve system. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of aerobic exercises with tryptophan supplementation on enzymatic antioxidant defense and lipid peroxidation in brain tissues of elderly rats fed with high-fat diets.

In this experimental study, 36 elderly male Wistar rats (age of 18 months and mean weight of 500 g ±100) were randomly divided into five groups including normal food control, G1 (n = 6); high-fat food, G2 (n = 6); high-fat food and exercise, G3 (n = 8), high-fat food and supplement, G4 (n = 8); and high-fat food, exercise and supplement, G5 (n = 8). Aerobic interval training program was carried out on treadmill including three days per week at speeds of 12–26 m/min for eight weeks. Each rat in the supplemented groups (G4 and G5) was administrated with 100 mg of tryptophan supplement per kilogram of body weight daily via gavage. Serum levels of superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde and lactate dehydrogenase were assessed using kits and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and MANOVA test at p < 0.05.

Results showed no significant differences between the two groups of normal and high-fat foods for the highlighted factors as well as interactive effects of exercise and supplementation for weight factor (p = 0.441), brain tissue weight (p = 0.78), ratio of brain tissue weight to total weight (p = 0.47), malondialdehyde (p = 0.13), superoxide dismutase (p = 0.55) with no significant differences. However, significant differences were observed for LDH (p = 0.05).

It seems that high-intensity interval training with tryptophan supplementation does not include effects on antioxidant system and lipid peroxidation in brain tissues of elderly rats.

Aging is a major risk factor for several diseases, including liver-related metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to assess effects of aerobic interval training with Citrus aurantium consumption on gene expression of AMPK and PI3K in liver tissues of elderly rats.

In this experimental study, 30 elderly female rats (16–18 months old) were divided to five equal groups of (1) control, (2) sham (normal saline), (3) Citrus aurantium, (4) aerobic interval training and (5) aerobic interval training and Citrus aurantium. Aerobic interval training was carried out for eight weeks with the intensity of 85–110% VO2max and speed of 25–15 m per min. Citrus aurantium extract (300 mg/kg/day) was injected to the animals intraperitoneally. Expression of AMPK and PI3K genes in liver tissues were assessed using real-time PCR. For data analysis, one-way analysis of variance followed by Bonferroni post-hoc test was used at p < 0.05.

Results showed significant differences between the groups in expression of AMPK in liver tissues (F = 14.614, p = 0.0001); significant increases in Citrus aurantium group (p = 0.014), aerobic interval training group (p = 0.0001) and aerobic interval training and Citrus aurantium group (p = 0.0001) were seen, compared to the control group. Similarly, expressions of PI3K in liver tissues of different groups were significantly different with (F = 18.151, p = .0001). Specifically, significant increases were seen in the aerobic interval training and Citrus aurantium group, compared to the control group (p = 0.001), Citrus aurantium group (p =0.001) and aerobic interval training group (p = 0.013).

It seems that aerobic interval training with Citrus aurantium consumption could help improve gene expression of the metabolic markers in liver tissues during the elderly.

In this work, an effective methodology is introduced for modeling the fatigue crack propagation in linear elastic brittle media. The displacement discontinuity method is used to accomplish the analysis, and the boundaries are discretized with quadratic elements in order to predict the stress intensity factors near the crack tips. This procedure is implemented through 2D linear elastic fracture mechanics. The normal and shear displacement discontinuity around the crack tip is applied to compute the mixed-mode stress intensity factors. The crack growth is incremental, and for each increment of extension, there is no need to use a re-meshing procedure. This method has benefits over the finite element method due to its simplicity in meshing. The crack growth direction is assessed using the maximum principal stress theory. In these analyses, a repetition method is used in order to estimate the correct path of crack propagation. Therefore, the different lengths of incremental growth do not affect the crack growth path analysis. The results are exhibited for several examples with different geometries to demonstrate the efficiency of the approach for analyzing the fatigue crack growth. The accuracy represents that this formulation is ideal for describing the fatigue crack growth problems under the mixed-mode conditions.

Water and solid effective diffusivities and shrinkage were correlated for finite hollow cylinder-shaped apple samples during the candying operation in the osmotic solution. Experiments were conducted in the sucrose solution as an osmotic agent at different temperatures (i.e., 40, 50, and 60 °C) and at a constant concentration of 55 °Brix. The effective diffusivities of water and solid were calculated by fitting the water loss and solid uptake experimental data to Fick’s second law and fractional calculus method, considering the shrinkage of the samples during the candying process. The obtained results exhibited that the volume of the apples reduced linearly by increasing the water loss. For above conditions of the candying process, water effective diffusivities with Fick second law were determined in the range of 3.7×10−10 m2/s–8.73×10−10 m2/s, and those with fractional calculus method were in the range of 2.75×10−10 m2/s–6.98×10−10 m2/s. The results indicated that the coefficient of determination for the fractional calculus method was more than the coefficient of determination for the Fick model. The value of the empirical parameter α for the Non-Fickian diffusion model was always higher than unity, meaning that the dehydration process had a super-diffusive mechanism.

  High-intensity interval training (HIIT), compared with continuous training, can result in relatively more improvement in max exercise capacity, mitochondrial enzymes, and other cellular factors involved in energy metabolism. So the present study was aimed to examine the effect of six weeks of HIIT on the insulin resistance index, HOMA-beta cell, and atherogenic index among overweight men. The participants included 24 overweight men that classified into interval training and control groups. The participants became familiar with the laboratory environment in several sessions, and blood sampling along with the measurement of height, weight, body composition, and maximal oxygen consumption was performed. Fasting blood samples were collected from the participants’ brachial artery in order to measure their glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL before HIIT and 48 hours after training. The results indicated significant changes in insulin, insulin resistance, and beta cell function index, however, glucose, lipid profile, and atherogenic index did not show any significant changes. Although the HIIT exercises are performed during a short period of time, they feature the same beneficial effects as those of aerobic exercises and other forms of training that take relatively longer time. It could, therefore, be said that such exercises could help inactive and overweight people to improve their insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of diseases related to lipid profile, glucose, insulin, and high fat percentage. Therefore, it is suggested that overweight people, and even healthy people, benefit from this type of training

  Human respirovirus 3 is the second most common agent for respiratory disease in children under five years old. Near 68% of respiratory tract infections belong to this type. However, there is no established vaccine for this virus. The aim of this study was to synthesize a DNA plasmid for HN gene of human respirovirus 3 (HPIV-3) as a first step for the preparation of a vaccine. The HN gene was synthesized and cloned into pcDNA3 plasmid. The plasmids were transformed into COS-7 cell lines. To evaluate the expressed HN protein, the western blotting assay was applied. The HN protein 36 KD was detected on nitrocellulose membrane using anti-His-tag antibodies. We prepared a DNA plasmid containing HN gene of human respirovirus 3 to be used for the future studies towards making an effective vaccine. Among hospitalized Iranian children, one-month to five-year, human respirovirus 3 was most frequently observed in respiratory tract infection

Hospitalization in intensive care units is regarded as a critical problem for patients and their family. The issue of visiting in these units is one of the most basic issues in promoting holistic care to patients. Although evidences show the benefits of visiting، it is forbidden in intensive care units of Iran. Visiting is always a challenging matter for nurses; consequently، they show different reaction to it. For changing the policy of visiting in intensive care units، it is important to pay attention to nurses’ beliefs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the nurses’ beliefs toward the open visiting in intensive care units.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 127 nurses working in intensive care units of educational hospitals affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Sciences in Rasht in 2014. Data collection instrument form to access nurses’ socio-demographic information and BAVIQ questionnaire to assess nurses’ beliefs. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS ver. 21 by t test and binomial test and (P<0. 05) was considered as significant.

Results indicated that 80. 3 and 78. 7 percent of nurses have more negative beliefs to open visiting due to hampering adequate planning interfering with direct nursing care. But 59. 80 percent of nurses believe that open visiting policy decreases family’s anxiety (p<0. 05).

Most nurses believe that open visiting due to bad effects on patient and increasing their work load، is not useful and therefore insist on its prohibition.