Sharif Digital Repository

The effects of bioaugmentation on maintaining the conventional activated sludge (CAS) system stability under shock loading conditions, standardizing the effluent, and improving the sludge settlement, were studied. Phenol was chosen as a model of mono-aromatic compounds, which are commonly found in the wastewaters of petroleum refineries and petrochemical industry in Iran. Bioaugmentation is a practical means to increase the resistance of a CAS system against shock loadings of recalcitrant compounds. It is also effective in removing hazardous compounds according to recommended standards. By using this method, there is no need to change CAS system construction, thus, it can be used simply and... 

Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to investigate the manipulation of metallic clusters on stepped surfaces. Five surface forms are considered in the simulations. The system parts are made of pure transition metals and Sutton-Chen many-body potential is used as interatomic potential. The conditions which are subjected to change in the tests include: materials used for particles and substrate, and surface step conditions. In addition to qualitative observations, two criteria which represent the particle deformation and substrate abrasion are utilized as evaluation tools and are computed for each case. Simulation results show the effect of the aforementioned working conditions on... 

One of the key factors in the assembly of nanoparticles and controlled construction of such systems is their positioning by a manipulation system. The response of clusters that are subjected to this process is of great importance. In this study, the behaviour of metallic nanoparticles during the manipulation process on an Au substrate is investigated using molecular dynamics. Two criteria are proposed for the evaluation of success in a pushing process regarding the intactness of a nanoparticle/substrate pair. The effects of cluster material, temperature and manipulation speed on the success of the process are investigated based on the simulation results  

Based on the fact that the manipulation of fine nanoclusters calls for more precise modelling, the aim of this paper is to conduct an atomistic investigation for interaction analysis of particle-substrate system for pushing and positioning purposes. In the present research, 2D molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate such behaviours. Performing the planar simulations can provide a fairly acceptable qualitative tool for our purpose while the computation time is reduced extremely in comparison to 3D simulations. To perform this study, Nose-Hoover dynamics and Sutton-Chen interatomic potential will be used to investigate the behaviour of the aforementioned system. Pushing of... 

Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to investigate the manipulation of metallic clusters on double-layer surfaces. The system parts are made of transition metals. The conditions which are subjected to change in the tests are material combinations for cluster, main substrate and lubricant layer (adlayer). In addition to qualitative observations, two criteria which represent the particle deformation and substrate abrasion are utilized as evaluation tools and are computed for each case. Obtaining this sort of knowledge is highly beneficial for further experiments in order to be able to plan the conditions and routines, which guarantee better success in the manipulation process  

Precise positioning of nanoclusters through manipulation in the presence of other clusters is one of the main challenging tasks in nanoclusters assembly. Currently, the size of clusters which are used as building blocks is decreasing to a few nanometers. As a result, the particle nature of the matter has a crucial role in manipulator/cluster/substrate interactions. In order to understand and predict the behavior of nanoclusters during the positioning process, it is, therefore, essential to have a deep insight into the aforementioned nanoscale interactions, in this research, 2-D molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate such behaviors. Performing the planar simulations can... 

One of the key factors in the assembly of nanoclusters is the precise positioning of them by a manipulation system. Currently the size of clusters used as building blocks is shrinking down to a few nanometers. In such cases, the particle nature of matter plays an important role in the manipulator/cluster/substrate interactions. Having a deeper insight to the aforementioned nanoscale interactions is crucial for prediction and understanding of the behavior of nanoclusters during the positioning process. In the present research, 2D molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate such behaviors. Performing planar simulations can provide a fairly acceptable qualitative tool for our... 

Nanomanipulation as a new emerging area enables precise manipulation, interaction and control at the nanoscale. Currently, the modeling schemes are based on continuum mechanics approaches. A main consideration in the nanomanipulation process is the fact that surface attraction forces are greater than gravitational forces at the nanoscale. In other words, surface area properties dominate volume properties. Especially at the nanoscale (i.e. the manipulation of fine nanoparticles with size of about 5 nm) the physical phenomena have not been completely understood. Along this line of reasoning, the aim of this paper is to conduct an atomistic investigation of physical interaction analysis of... 

The aim of this research is to conduct atomistic investigations of physical interaction analysis of nanoscale objects manipulation. The system consists of tip, particle and substrate. The manipulation tool moves with a constant speed while pushing the particle in a desired direction. The focus of the research is on ultra-fine metallic nanoparticles. To perform this research, Nose-Hoover dynamics and Sutton-Chen interatomic potential will be used to investigate the behavior of the aforementioned system which is made from different transition metals. The effects of size, material type and temperature on the success of the process have been investigated by planar molecular dynamics. © 2008 IEEE... 

Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to investigate the manipulation of metallic clusters on stepped surfaces. Five surface forms are considered in the simulations. The system parts are made of pure transition metals and Sutton-Chen many-body potential is used as interatomic potential. The conditions which are subjected to change in the tests include: materials used for particles and substrate, and surface step conditions. In addition to qualitative observations, two criteria which represent the particle deformation and substrate abrasion are utilized as evaluation tools and are computed for each case. Simulation results show the effect of the aforementioned working conditions on... 

Based on the fact that the manipulation of fine nanoclusters calls for more precise modelling, the aim of this paper is to conduct an atomistic investigation for interaction analysis of particle-substrate system for pushing and positioning purposes. In the present research, 2D molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate such behaviours. Performing the planar simulations can provide a fairly acceptable qualitative tool for our purpose while the computation time is reduced extremely in comparison to 3D simulations. To perform this study, Nose-Hoover dynamics and Sutton-Chen interatomic potential will be used to investigate the behaviour of the aforementioned system. Pushing of... 

This research aimed at finding the factors with more impact on the bioleaching of a spent hydrocracking catalyst by thermophilic acidophilic archaea called Acidianus brierleyi and determining the optimal condition in order to reach the maximum metals recovery. Initially, four more significant factors affecting the bioleaching efficiency including pH, pulp density, inoculation and elemental sulfur concentration, were screened and identified among ten key factors using Plackett-Burman factorial design. Next, a central composite design was applied to obtain the optimum conditions for achieving the maximum efficiency of the bioleaching process. pH 1.6, pulp density 0.6% (w/v), inoculation 4%... 

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the assembly of metallic nanoclusters using manipulation process. These particles are assumed as potential building blocks for bottom-up manufacturing of nanoscale structures. One of the key factors in the assembly of nanoclusters is their precise positioning by a manipulation system. Prediction of the corresponding behavior under the influence of working conditions is of crucial importance for planning of controlled positioning and assembly of nanoclusters. The focus of the present research is on ultra-fine metallic nanoclusters. The effects of material type and manipulation strategy on the success of the process are investigated by molecular... 

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. © 2020, The Author(s)  

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5)... 

The safe, highly effective measles vaccine has been recommended globally since 1974, yet in 2017 there were more than 17 million cases of measles and 83,400 deaths in children under 5 years old, and more than 99% of both occurred in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)1–4. Globally comparable, annual, local estimates of routine first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) coverage are critical for understanding geographically precise immunity patterns, progress towards the targets of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), and high-risk areas amid disruptions to vaccination programmes caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)5–8. Here we generated annual estimates of routine childhood... 

Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000–2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) across 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), stratify anemia by severity and aggregate results to policy-relevant administrative and national levels. Additionally, we provide subnational disparity analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of anemia prevalence inequalities within these countries and predict progress toward the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) to reduce anemia by half by 2030. Our results... 

The safe, highly effective measles vaccine has been recommended globally since 1974, yet in 2017 there were more than 17 million cases of measles and 83,400 deaths in children under 5 years old, and more than 99% of both occurred in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)1–4. Globally comparable, annual, local estimates of routine first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) coverage are critical for understanding geographically precise immunity patterns, progress towards the targets of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), and high-risk areas amid disruptions to vaccination programmes caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)5–8. Here we generated annual estimates of routine childhood...