• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.413-418
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• 2014

Hydatid cyst caused by Echinococcus granulosus is one of the most important parasitic diseases around the world and many countries in Asia, including Iran, are involved with this infection. This disease can cause high mortality in humans as well as economic losses in livestock. To date, several molecular methods have been used to determine the genetic diversity of E. granulosus. So far, identification of E. granulosus using real-time PCR fluorescence-based quantitative assays has not been studied worldwide, also in Iran. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of E. granulosus from center of Iran using real-time PCR method. A total of 71 hydatid cysts were collected from infected sheep, goat, and cattle slaughtered in Isfahan, Iran during 2013. DNA was extracted from protoscolices and/or germinal layers from each individual cyst and used as template to amplify the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) (420 bp). Five cattle isolates out of 71 isolates were sterile and excluded from further investigation. Overall, of 66 isolates, partial sequences of the cox1 gene of E. granulosus indicated the presence of genotypes G1 in 49 isolates (74.2%), G3 in 15 isolates (22.7%), and G6 in 2 isolates (3.0%) in infected intermediate hosts. Sixteen sequences of G1 genotype had microgenetic variants, and they were compared to the original sequence of cox1. However, isolates identified as G3 and G6 genotypes were completely consistent with original sequences. G1 genotype in livestock was the dominant genotype in Isfahan region, Iran.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.87-101
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• 2020

The construction of combined pile-raft foundations is considered as the main option in designing foundations in high-rise buildings, especially in soils close to the ground surface which do not have sufficient bearing capacity to withstand building loads. This paper deals with the geotechnical report of the Northern Fereshteh area of Tabriz, Iran, and compares the characteristics of the single pile foundation with the two foundations of pile group and geogrid. Besides, we investigate the effects of five principal parameters including pile diameter and length, the number of geogrid layers, the depth of groundwater level, and pore water pressure on vertical consolidation settlement and pore water pressure changes over a year. This study assessed the mechanism of the failure of the soil under the foundation using numerical analysis as well. Numerical analysis was performed using the two-dimensional finite element PLAXIS software. The results of fifty-four models indicate that the diameter of the pile tip, either as a pile group or as a single pile, did not have a significant effect on the reduction of the consolidation settlement in the soil in the Northern Fereshteh Street region. The optimum length for the pile in the Northern Fereshteh area is 12 meters, which is economically feasible. In addition, the construction of four-layered ten-meter-long geogrids at intervals of 1 meter beneath the deep foundation had a significant preventive impact on the consolidation settlement in clayey soils.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.407-408
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• 2012

요약은 이 연구는 다양한 식이 섭취와 일회 지구성 운동으로 야기되는 근육(백색 비복근) 내 AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK), Extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK 1/2)와 p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)의 신호전달체계를 구명해 보고자 실시되었다. 실험에 사용된 쥐(Sprague-Dawley)는 총 160마리로 크게 일반 탄수화물 식이(CHO; 40마리), 포화지방 식이(SAFA; 40마리), 단일불포화 식이(MUFA; 40마리)와 다불포화 식이(PUFA; 40마리)로 나누어 연구를 진행하였다. 운동 프로그램은 일회 지구성 운동으로 30분 운동 후 5분 휴식의 사이클을 지속적으로 6번 반복하여 총 3시간의 지구성 수영 운동을 실시하였고, 분석을 위한 조직 샘플링은 운동 전, 운동 후 0시간, 1시간, 4시간, 24시간에 걸쳐서 이루어졌다. 연구의 결과는 서로 다른 식이 섭취와 운동에 따른 AMPK의 신호전달 단백질의 발현은 유의한 치이가 나타나지 않았다. 그러나 서로 다른 식이를 섭취한 쥐의 근육에서 ERK 1/2(p<.01)와 p38 MAPK(p<.001)의 신호전달 단백질의 발현은 유의한 차이를 보였다(p<.05). 흥미로운 결과는 운동에 대한 유의한 차이는 AMPK, ERK1/2와 p38 MAPK 모두 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았다는 것이다. 결론적으로 일회 지구성 운동보다 서로 다른 식이의 섭취가 근육 내(백색 비복근)의 대사적 변화를 일으키는데 주도적인 영향을 미칠 수 있음을 시사할 수 있다.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2020

PURPOSE. The effects of four different self-adhesive resin cement materials on cell viability and apoptosis after direct and indirect exposure were evaluated using different cell culture techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Self-adhesive cements were applied to NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts by the extract test method, cell culture inserts, and dentin barrier test method. After exposure periods of 24 h and 72 h, the cytotoxicity of these self-adhesive materials was evaluated using the MTT assay (viability) and the Annexin-V-FITC/PI staining (apoptosis). RESULTS. The lowest cell viability was found in cells exposed to BeautiCem SA for 24 h in the extract test method. Cell viability was reduced to 70.6% compared to negative controls. After the 72 h exposure period, viability rate of cell cultures exposed to BeautiCem SA decreased more than 2- fold (29.5%) while cells exposed to RelyX U200 showed the highest viability rate of 71.4%. In the dentin barrier test method, BeautiCem SA induced the highest number of cells in apoptosis after a 24 h exposure (4.1%). Panavia SA Cement Plus was the material that caused the lowest number of cells in apoptosis (1.5%). CONCLUSION. The used self-adhesive cements have showed different cytotoxic effects based on the evaluation method. As exposure time increased, the materials showed more cytotoxic and apoptotic effects. BeautiCem SA caused significantly more severe cytotoxic and apoptotic effects than other cements tested. Moreover, cements other than BeautiCem SA have caused necrotic cell death rather than apoptotic cell death.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.413-424
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• 2018

The factors affecting the shear strength of the angle shear connectors in the steel-concrete composite beams can play an important role to estimate the efficacy of a composite beam. Therefore, the current study has aimed to verify the output of shear capacity of angle shear connector according to the input provided by Support Vector Machine (SVM) coupled with Firefly Algorithm (FFA). SVM parameters have been optimized through the use of FFA, while genetic programming (GP) and artificial neural networks (ANN) have been applied to estimate and predict the SVM-FFA models' results. Following these results, GP and ANN have been applied to develop the prediction accuracy and generalization capability of SVM-FFA. Therefore, SVM-FFA could be performed as a novel model with predictive strategy in the shear capacity estimation of angle shear connectors. According to the results, the Firefly algorithm has produced a generalized performance and be learnt faster than the conventional learning algorithms.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.3007-3013
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• 2016

Background: Gastrointestinal cancers are common malignancies associated with high mortality rates. Healthcare systems are always faced with high costs of treatment of gastrointestinal cancers including stomach cancer. Identification and prioritization of these costs can help determine economic burden and then improve of health planning by policy-makers. This study was performed in 2015 in Kerman City aimed at estimating the direct hospital costs for patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the medical records of 160 patients with stomach cancer admitted from 2011 to 2014 to Shafa Hospital were examined, the current stage of the disease and the patients' health status were identified, and the direct costs related to the type of treatment in the public and private sectors were calculated. SPSS-19 was used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: Of the patients studied, 103 (65%) were men and 57 (35%) were women. The mean age of patients was 65 years. Distribution into four stages of the disease was 5%, 20%, 30%, and 45%, respectively. Direct costs in four stages of the disease were calculated as 2191.07, 2642.93, 2877, and 2674.07 USD (63,045,879, 76,047,934, 82,783,019, and 76,943,800 IRR), respectively. The highest percentage of costs was related to surgery in Stage I and to medication in Stages II, III, and IV. According to the results of direct costs of treatment for stomach cancer in Kerman, the mean total cost of treating a patient in the public sector was estimated at 74,705,158 IRR, of which averages of 60,141,384 IRR and 14,563,774 IRR were the shares of insurance and patients, respectively. Conclusions: The high prevalence and diagnosis of disease in old age and at advanced stages of disease impose great costs on the patients and the health system. Early diagnosis through screening and selecting an appropriate treatment method might largely ameliorate the economic burden of the disease.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2021

The alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a highly complex chemical reaction which causes damage to concrete and thus adversely affects the durability and service life. Significant damage can occur in concrete structures due to cracking because of the chemical reactions taking place. Various mineral and chemical additives have been used so far to mitigate ASR and/or to reduce its adverse effects. In this study, ground trachyte and rhyolite provided from Rize-Çağrankaya region, Turkey, were used to investigate their effectiveness in controlling ASR-induced damage by substituting them with cement at certain ratios. In this context, initially the possible use of trachyte and rhyolite as pozzolanas was determined in accordance with BS EN 450-1 and TS 25 standards by considering their pozzolanic activities and then their effectiveness in mitigating the ASR was evaluated as per ASTM C 1567-13. In experimental study, blends of trachyte and rhyolite were prepared by substituting them by cement at 25%, 35%, and 50% percentage. Totally 7 mixes were prepared and three samples of 25×25×285 mm mortar bars were prepared from each batch. The length changes of the mortar bars were determined at the end of 3, 7, 14 and 28 days of exposure. SEM, along with XRD analyses were performed to examine and elementally determine the ASR products that have been formed. The results obtained have shown that ground trachyte and rhyolite used in this study can be used as pozzolanas in concrete and they can also significantly mitigate ASR-induced damage as the substitution ratio increases.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.205-211
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• 2022

Performing the rituals of Hajj and Umrah is an obligation of Allah Almighty to all Muslims from all over the world. Millions of Muslims visit the holy mosques in Makkah every year to perform Hajj and Umrah. One of the most important pillars in Performing Hajj/Umrah is Tawaf and Sa'ay. Tawaf finished by seven rounds around the holy house (Al-Kabaa) and Sa'ay is also seven runs between As-Safa and Al-Marwa. Counting/knowing the number of runs during Tawaf/Sa'ay is one of the difficulties that many pilgrims face. The pilgrim's confusing for counting (Tawaf/Sa'ay) rounds finished at a specific time leads pilgrims to stay more time in Mataff bowl or Masa'a run causing stampedes and more crowded as well as losing the desired time for prayers to get closer to Almighty Allah in this holy place. These issues can be solved using effective crowd management systems for Tawaf/Sa'ay pillars, which is the topic of this research paper. While smart devices and their applications are gaining popularity in helping pilgrims for performing Hajj/Umrah activities efficiently, little has been dedicated for solving these issues. We present an autonomous Mobile-based framework for guiding pilgrims during Tawaf/Sa'ay pillars with the aid of GPS for points tracking and rounds counting. This framework is specially designed to prevent and manage stampedes during Tawaf/Sa'ay pillars, by helping pilgrims automatically counting the rounds during Tawaf/Sa'ay with supported Supplications (in written/audio form with different languages) from the Quran and Sunna'a.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.387-398
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• 2022

This paper presents a system that remotely monitors lone seniors at home and promptly alarms caregivers to recommend appropriate medical care services upon detecting abnormal behavior and critical conditions such as collapsing, excessive coughing, degradation of sleep quality, fever, and unusual indoor moving lines. Our system offers contactless monitoring techniques based on heterogeneous IoT sensors and deep learning to minimize the disruption to lone senior's daily life. In addition to the design and implementation of the sensor data collection and analysis system, we share our experience in installation, deployment, configuration, maintenance of the system through the case study conducted on the actual lone seniors living in Seoul Metropolitan. Based on our research, we recommend further development directions to prepare for the nationwide expansion of our system.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.spc3
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• pp.349-358
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• 2011

In order to ascertain latitudinal variation of lipid contents and compositions in copepods, we collected warm water copepod species (Euchaeta sp. and Pleuromamma spp.) from four different regions from low (sub-tropical) to mid (temperate) latitudes in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Total lipid contents of Pleuromamma spp. were about 11 $ug{\cdot}ind^{-1}$ with little latitudinal variation, whereas Euchaeta sp. showed slightly higher lipid content (20 $ug{\cdot}ind^{-1}$) than Pleuromamma spp. with latitudinal gradient (low at subtropic and high at temperate). Wax esters, known as the major storage lipid classes, were found to be the dominant lipid classes (accounting for more than 35% of total lipids) in Euchaeta sp., whereas in Pleuromamma spp., phospholipids, known as cellular membrane components, were the dominant lipid classes. However, the exception was specimens from warm pool region exhibiting dominance in storage of lipids as a form of triacylglycerols. Among fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA : 22:6(n-3)) (about 35% of total fatty acids), were most abundant in Euchaeta sp., while saturated fatty acids (SAFA), specially hexadecanoic acid (16:0) (about 30% of total fatty acids), were most abundant in Pleuromamma spp.. Among the neutral fraction of lipids, phytol, originated from the side chain of chlorophyll, was found in all samples which generally indicate active copepods feeding on algae. While only trace amounts of short-chain fatty alcohols were found in Pleuromamma spp., significant amounts of fatty alcohols were found in Euchaeta sp.. Particularly, significant amounts of long chain monounsaturated fatty alcohols (20:1 and 22:1), generally found in cold water species, were found in Euchaeta sp. from low latitudes. The latitudinal variation of trophic lipid markers in these copepods could be significantly related with in-situ food availability and species-specific diet preference. The result of this study suggests that the lipid contents and compositions in copepods may not only indicate their nutritional condition and feeding ecology but also provide insight into species-specific living strategies under different environmental conditions (i.e. water temperature, food availability).