Yazd University

To gain a better understanding of the global application of soil erosion prediction models, we comprehensively reviewed relevant peer-reviewed research literature on soil-erosion modelling published between 1994 and 2017. We aimed to identify (i) the processes and models most frequently addressed in the literature, (ii) the regions within which models are primarily applied, (iii) the regions which remain unaddressed and why, and (iv) how frequently studies are conducted to validate/evaluate model outcomes relative to measured data. To perform this task, we combined the collective knowledge of 67 soil-erosion scientists from 25 countries. The resulting database, named 'Global Applications of Soil Erosion Modelling Tracker (GASEMT)', includes 3030 individual modelling records from 126 countries, encompassing all continents (except Antarctica). Out of the 8471 articles identified as potentially relevant, we reviewed 1697 appropriate articles and systematically evaluated and transferred 42 relevant attributes into the database. This GASEMT database provides comprehensive insights into the state-of-the-art of soil- erosion models and model applications worldwide. This database intends to support the upcoming country-based United Nations global soil-erosion assessment in addition to helping to inform soil erosion research priorities by building a foundation for future targeted, in-depth analyses. GASEMT is an open-source database available to the entire user-community to develop research, rectify errors, and make future expansions.

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or (2019-nCoV) with unknown origin spread in Hubei province of China. The epidemic disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 called coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The presence of COVID-19 was manifested by several symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic/mild symptoms to severe illness and death. The viral infection expanded internationally and WHO announced a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. To quickly diagnose and control such a highly infectious disease, suspicious individuals were isolated and diagnostic/treatment procedures were developed through patients' epidemiological and clinical data. Early in the COVID-19 outbreak, WHO invited hundreds of researchers from around the world to develop a rapid quality diagnosis, treatment and vaccines, but so far no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine has been approved by the FDA. At present, COVID-19 is managed by available antiviral drugs to improve the symptoms, and in severe cases, supportive care including oxygen and mechanical ventilation is used for infected patients. However, due to the worldwide spread of the virus, COVID-19 has become a serious concern in the medical community. According to the current data of WHO, the number of infected and dead cases has increased to 8,708,008 and 461,715, respectively (Dec 2019 -June 2020). Given the high mortality rate and economic damage to various communities to date, great efforts must be made to produce successful drugs and vaccines against 2019-nCoV infection. For this reason, first of all, the characteristics of the virus, its pathogenicity, and its infectious pathways must be well known. Thus, the main purpose of this review is to provide an overview of this epidemic disease based on the current evidence.

A novel modified carbon nanotube paste electrode of 2-(4-oxo-3-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-quinazolinyl)-N'-phenyl-hydrazinecarbothioamide (2PHC) was fabricated, and the electro-oxidation of epinephrine (EP), norepinephrine (NE), and their mixture has been studied using electrochemical methods. The modified electrode displayed strong catalytic function for the oxidation of EP and NE and resolved the overlap voltammetric response of EP and NE into two well-defined voltammetric peaks of about 240 mV with square wave voltammetry (SWV). A linear response in the range of (5 x 10(-8))-(5.5 x 10(-4)) M with a detection limit (S/N = 3) of 9.4 nM for EP was obtained.

Visual target tracking is one of the most sought-after yet challenging research topics in computer vision. Given the ill-posed nature of the problem and its popularity in a broad range of real-world scenarios, a number of large-scale benchmark datasets have been established, on which considerable methods have been developed and demonstrated with significant progress in recent years – predominantly by recent <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">deep learning</i> (DL)-based methods. This survey aims to systematically investigate the current DL-based visual tracking methods, benchmark datasets, and evaluation metrics. It also extensively evaluates and analyzes the leading visual tracking methods. First, the fundamental characteristics, primary motivations, and contributions of DL-based methods are summarized from nine key aspects of: network architecture, network exploitation, network training for visual tracking, network objective, network output, exploitation of correlation filter advantages, aerial-view tracking, long-term tracking, and online tracking. Second, popular visual tracking benchmarks and their respective properties are compared, and their evaluation metrics are summarized. Third, the state-of-the-art DL-based methods are comprehensively examined on a set of well-established benchmarks of OTB2013, OTB2015, VOT2018, LaSOT, UAV123, UAVDT, and VisDrone2019. Finally, by conducting critical analyses of these state-of-the-art trackers quantitatively and qualitatively, their pros and cons under various common scenarios are investigated. It may serve as a gentle use guide for practitioners to weigh when and under what conditions to choose which method(s). It also facilitates a discussion on ongoing issues and sheds light on promising research directions.

Iran is experiencing unprecedented climate-related problems such as drying of lakes and rivers, dust storms, record-breaking temperatures, droughts, and floods. Here, we use the ensemble of five high-resolution climate models to project maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall distribution, calculate occurrences of extreme temperatures (temperatures above and below the historical 95th and 5th percentiles, respectively), analyze compound of precipitation and temperature extremes, and determine flooding frequencies across the country. We found that compared to the period of 1980-2004, in the period of 2025-2049, Iran is likely to experience more extended periods of extreme maximum temperatures in the southern part of the country, more extended periods of dry (for ≥120 days: precipitation <2 mm, Tmax ≥30 °C) as well as wet (for ≤3 days: total precipitation ≥110 mm) conditions, and higher frequency of floods. Overall, the combination of these results projects a climate of extended dry periods interrupted by intermittent heavy rainfalls, which is a recipe for increasing the chances of floods. Without thoughtful adaptability measures, some parts of the country may face limited habitability in the future.

. NAC is a precursor of L-cysteine that results in glutathione elevation biosynthesis. It acts directly as a scavenger of free radicals, especially oxygen radicals. NAC is a powerful antioxidant. It is also recommended as a potential treatment option for different disorders resulted from generation of free oxygen radicals. Additionally, it is a protected and endured mucolytic drug that mellows tenacious mucous discharges. It has been used for treatment of various diseases in a direct action or in a combination with some other medications. This paper presents a review on various applications of NAC in treatment of several diseases.

The meaning of gene therapy is the delivery of DNA or RNA to cells for the treatment or prevention of genetic disorders. The success rate of gene therapy depends on the progression and safe gene delivery system. The vectors available for gene therapy are divided into viral and non-viral systems. Viral vectors cause higher transmission efficiency and long gene expression, but they have major problems, such as immunogenicity, carcinogenicity, the inability to transfer large size genes and high costs. Non-viral gene transfer vectors have attracted more attention because they exhibit less toxicity and the ability to transfer large size genes. However, the clinical application of non-viral methods still faces some limitations, including low transmission efficiency and poor gene expression. In recent years, numerous methods and gene-carriers have been developed to improve gene transfer efficiency. The use of Polyethylenimine (PEI) based transfer of collaboration may create a new way of treating diseases and the combination of chemotherapy and gene therapy. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the PEI as an appropriate vector for the effective gene delivery.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to assess the prevalence of dry eye syndrome and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 2 diabetic patients and their contributing factors. METHODS: 199 type 2 diabetic patients referred to Yazd Diabetes Research Center were consecutively selected. All Subjects were assessed by questionnaire about other diseases and drugs. Dry eye syndrome was assessed with Tear break up time tests and Schirmer. All the subjects underwent indirect ophthalmoscopy and retinal color photography. DR was graded according to early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) criteria. RESULTS: Of 199 subjects, 108 patients (54.3%) suffer from dry eye syndrome. Although dry eye syndrome was more common in older and female patients, this association was not significant. But there was significantly association between dry eye syndrome and duration of diabetes (P = 0.01). Dry eye syndrome was more frequent in diabetic patients with DR (P = 0.02). DR was found in 140 patients (70.35%), which included 34 patients (17.1%) with mild non proliferative DR (NPDR), 34 patients (17.1%) with moderate NPDR, 22 patients (11.1%) with severe NPDR and 25 patients (25.1%) with proliferative DR (PDR). There were significant relation between age, sex and duration of diabetes and DR. CONCLUSION: In this study the prevalence of dry eye syndrome was 54.3%. Diabetes and dry eyes appear to have a common association. Further studies need to be undertaken to establish an etiologic relationship. However, examination for dry eye should be an integral part of the assessment of diabetic eye disease.

With the explosive development of decentralized finance, we witness a phenomenal growth in tokenization of all kinds of assets, including equity, funds, debt, and real estate. By taking advantage of blockchain technology, digital assets are broadly grouped into fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFT). Here non-fungible tokens refer to those with unique and non-substitutable properties. NFT has widely attracted attention, and its protocols, standards, and applications are developing exponentially. It has been successfully applied to digital fantasy artwork, games, collectibles, etc. However, there is a lack of research in utilizing NFT in issues such as Intellectual Property. Applying for a patent and trademark is not only a time-consuming and lengthy process but also costly. NFT has considerable potential in the intellectual property domain. It can promote transparency and liquidity and open the market to innovators who aim to commercialize their inventions efficiently. The main objective of this paper is to examine the requirements of presenting intellectual property assets, specifically patents, as NFTs. Hence, we offer a layered conceptual NFT-based patent framework. Furthermore, a series of open challenges about NFT-based patents and the possible future directions are highlighted. The proposed framework provides fundamental elements and guidance for businesses in taking advantage of NFTs in real-world problems such as grant patents, funding, biotechnology, and so forth.

The capacity of a labyrinth spillway is a function of the total head, the effective crest length, and the crest coefficient. The crest coefficient depends on the total head, weir height, thickness, crest shape, apex configuration, and the angle of the side legs. Data and a procedure are presented for designing labyrinth weirs for angles between 6° and 35°, and for a range of heads. The design procedure allows the angle of the side legs and the number of cycles to be varied until the desired layout and capacity are achieved. The solution is presented in a spreadsheet format that automatically calculates the dimensions for the labyrinth. Even though the design procedure is quite accurate, it is recommended that the capacity and performance be verified with a model study. The model can evaluate factors not included in the design procedure, like aeration effects at low heads, unusual flow conditions in the approach channel, and flow conditions in the discharge channel.

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.

We introduce the notion of strong intuitionistic fuzzy graphs and investigate some of their properties. We discuss some propositions of self complementary and self weak complementary strong intuitionistic fuzzy graphs. We introduce the concept of intuitionistic fuzzy line graphs.

Abstract The complete characteristics knowledge of clay minerals is necessary in the evaluation studies of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Ten samples taken from two wells in a heterogeneous clastic gas reservoir formation in NE Iran were selected to conduct the transmission Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests for the clay mineralogy studies. The FTIR analysis showed that there were clear signs of clay minerals in all samples. The wavenumber region of the clay minerals in FTIR tests was detected to be 3621, 3432, 1034, and 515 cm −1 for illite, 3567, 3432, 1613, 1088, 990, 687, 651, and 515 cm −1 for magnesium-rich chlorite, 3700, 3621, 3432, 1034, 687, and 463 cm −1 for kaolinite, and 3567, 1088, 990, and 463 cm −1 for glauconite. After screening of samples by the FTIR method, the samples were then analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The PXRD and SEM result showed illite was by far the most common clay present. Kaolinite, magnesium-rich chlorite, and traces of smectite and the mixed-layer clays of both the illite–smectite and chlorite-smectite types were also recognized. The combination of PXRD and WDXRF results could quantify the clay abundances in the each well too. It was concluded that the FTIR analysis successfully could show the absorption bonds of all constituent clays. However, the infrared absorption spectra of mixed-layer clays overlapped those of the respective constituents of each mixed-layer minerals. This can be considered as the evidence of the usefulness of FTIR technique in the screening of the samples for the clay mineralogy studies.

Conveying information secretly and establishing hidden relationship has been of interest since long past. Text documents have been widely used since very long time ago. Therefore, we have witnessed different method of hiding information in texts (text steganography) since past to the present. In this paper we introduce a new approach for steganography in Persian and Arabic texts. Considering the existence of too many points in Persian and Arabic phrases, in this approach, by vertical displacement of the points, we hide information in the texts. This approach can be categorized under feature coding methods. This method can be used for Persian/Arabic watermarking. Our method has been implemented by Java programming language

Abstract Background Increasing antibiotic resistance continues to focus on research into the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents. Due to its antimicrobial and wound healing-promoting activity, metal nanoparticles have attracted attention for dermatological applications. This study is designed to investigate the scope and bactericidal potential of zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe 2 O 4 NPs), and the mechanism of anti-bacterial action along with cytocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and wound healing properties. Results ZnFe 2 O 4 NPs were synthesized via a modified co-precipitation method. Structure, size, morphology, and elemental compositions of ZnFe 2 O 4 NPs were analyzed using X-ray diffraction pattern, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In PrestoBlue and live/dead assays, ZnFe 2 O 4 NPs exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on human dermal fibroblasts. In addition, the hemocompatibility assay revealed that the NPs do not significantly rupture red blood cells up to a dose of 1000 µg/mL. Bacterial live/dead imaging and zone of inhibition analysis demonstrated that ZnFe 2 O 4 NPs showed dose-dependent bactericidal activities in various strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Interestingly, NPs showed antimicrobial activity through multiple mechanisms, such as cell membrane damage, protein leakage, and reactive oxygen species generation, and were more effective against gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, in vitro scratch assay revealed that ZnFe 2 O 4 NPs improved cell migration and proliferation of cells, with noticeable shrinkage of the artificial wound model. Conclusions This study indicated that ZnFe 2 O 4 NPs have the potential to be used as a future antimicrobial and wound healing drug.

In this paper, we introduce a three–parameter generalization of the Lindley distribution. This includes as special cases the exponential and gamma distributions. The distribution exhibits decreasing, increasing and bathtub hazard rate depending on its parameters. We study various properties of the new distribution and provide numerical examples to show the flexibility of the model. We also derive a bivariate version of the proposed distribution.

High-performance wearable electronic devices with the capability of converting mechanical force into electrical energy have been gaining increasing attention for biomedical monitoring applications. We present a novel wearable piezoelectric sensor based on a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibrous membrane containing microporous zirconium-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for arterial pulse monitoring. It is shown that the incorporation of 5 wt % of MOF greatly enhances the piezoelectric constant of the polymer fibrous mat by 3.4-fold without significant loss in its flexibility. The nanofibrous composite exhibits a peak-to-peak voltage of 600 mV under an applied force of 5 N, which is superior to many flexible pressure sensors. It is demonstrated that the enhanced piezoelectric performance of the nanofibrous composite is not only attributed to the increased degree of crystallinity and polar β phase content (75%) but also to the surface chemistry and topography of the nanofibers. Evaluations of the piezoelectric output of the sensor attached to the radial artery at normal body conditions reveal significantly better output voltage (568 ± 76 mV) and sensitivity (0.118 V/N) than nanofibrous PVDF devices for wrist pulse monitoring. The results of this work pave a new way to develop flexible piezoelectric nanofibrous sensors based on MOFs for environmentally sustainable energy generation and wearable healthcare monitoring systems.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak is a global pandemic, during which the community preventive and protective behaviors play a crucial role in the containment and control of infection. This study was designed to contribute to the existing knowledge on how risk communication (RC) and risk perception (RP) affect protective and preventive behaviors (PPB) during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: The required data were extracted from a national online survey of Iranian adults aged 15 and older during March 15-19, 2020 (n=3213). Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The study findings reveal that RC has direct and indirect positive effects on PB. Furthermore, this study also provides new evidence indicating that RP mediates the relationship between RC and PB and there is a two-way relationship between RC and RP. These interactions may have impact on risk communication strategies which should be adopted during this pandemic. CONCLUSION: The study findings have remarkable implications for informing future communications as well as interventions during this ongoing outbreak and subsequent national risk events.

This article summarized the spatiotemporal pattern of land use/land cover (LU/LC) and urban heat island (UHI) dynamics in the Metropolitan city of Tehran between 1988 and 2018. The study showed dynamics of each LU/LC class and their role in influencing the UHI. The impervious surface area expanded by 286.04 (48.27% of total land) and vegetated land was depleted by 42.06 km2 (7.10% of total land) during the period of 1988–2018. The mean land surface temperature (LST) has enlarged by approximately 2–3 °C at the city center and 5–7 °C at the periphery between 1988 and 2018 based on the urban–rural gradient analysis. The lower mean LST was experienced by vegetation land (VL) and water body (WB) by approximately 4–5 °C and 5–7 °C, respectively, and the higher mean LST by open land (OL) by 7–11 °C than other LU/LC classes at all time-points during the time period, 1988–2018. The magnitude of mean LST was calculated based on the main LU/LC categories, where impervious land (IL) recorded the higher temperature difference compared to vegetation land (VL) and water bodies (WB). However, open land (OL) recorded the highest mean LST differences with all the other LU/LC categories. In addition to that, there was an overall negative correlation between LST and the normal difference vegetation index (NDVI). By contrast, there was an overall positive correlation between LST and the normal difference built-up index (NDBI). This article, executed through three decadal change analyses from 1988 to 2018 at 10-year intervals, has made a significant contribution to delineating the long records of change dynamics and could have a great influence on policy making to foster environmental sustainability.

We have developed a mechanistic model to interpret spectral induced polarization data of partially saturated clay-rocks. This model accounts for the polarization of the grains through an electrical double layer model with a polarization model of the inner part of the electrical double layer called the Stern layer. The polarization model accounts also for the Maxwell-Wagner polarization at frequencies higher than 100 Hz. The Maxwell-Wagner polarization is modelled by using a conductivity model modified to account for the presence of a non-wetting immiscible phase like air in the pore space. The resulting model is consistent with the first and second Archie's laws in the case where surface conductivity can be neglected. The volumetric charge density of the diffuse layer at saturation is divided by the saturation of the water phase to account for the partial water saturation of the porous material. The model comprises seven fundamental parameters: the formation factor, the second Archie's exponent, a critical water saturation level, the mean electrical potential of the pore space at saturation, the density of the counterions in the Stern layer, and at least two parameters describing the grain size distribution. Most of these parameters can be derived independently using alternative measurements and electrochemical models. Measurements were performed in the frequency range 10 mHz-45 kHz using five samples from the Callovo-Oxfordian formation in the eastern part of the Paris Basin, France. The model agrees fairly well with the experimental data at saturation and for partially saturated clay-rocks down to 1 Hz. Most of the seven physical parameters entering the model were independently evaluated.