Sharif Digital Repository

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is a disorder associated with body reaction to gluten. After the gluten intake, an immune reaction against the protein occurs and damages villi of small intestine in celiac patients gradually. Objectives: The OSC, a filtering method for minimization of inter- and intra-spectrom-eter variations that influence on data acquisition, was applied to biofluid NMR data of CD patients. Patients and Methods: In this study, metabolites of total 56 serum samples from 12 CD patients, 15 CD patients taking gluten-free diet (GFD), and 29 healthy cases were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and associated theoretical analysis. Employ-ing ProMetab (version... 

Schizophrenia is often considered as a dysconnection syndrome in which, abnormal interactions between large-scale functional brain networks result in cognitive and perceptual deficits. In this article we apply the graph theoretic measures to brain functional networks based on the resting EEGs of fourteen schizophrenic patients in comparison with those of fourteen matched control subjects. The networks were extracted from common-average-referenced EEG time-series through partial and unpartial cross-correlation methods. Unpartial correlation detects functional connectivity based on direct and/or indirect links, while partial correlation allows one to ignore indirect links. We quantified the... 

A new technique for preparation of an unbreakable solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber, using sol-gel technology is developed. Primarily, an ultrathin two-dimensional intermediate film was prepared by hydrolysis of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-1-propanthiol self-assembled monolayer grafted onto gold, then a stationary phase by electrodeposition of 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propylmethacrylate as a precursor, tetramethyl orthosilicate and polyethylene glycol as a coating polymer was produced. The scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the new fiber exhibits a rather porous and homogenous surface. The thermal stability of the fabricated fiber was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The... 

A new micro-solid phase extraction method was developed by combining solid-phase extraction and stir bar sorptive extraction to benefit from the advantages of both techniques. A polypyrrole coating was electrochemically synthesized on the surface of an already used graphite furnace, employed in electro-thermal atomic absorption spectroscopy. The cylindrical geometry of the graphite tube provided a rather huge surface area, suitable for sorptive extraction. The novel sorbent coating was examined as an extracting medium to isolate malathion. Effects of different parameters such as extraction time, salt concentration, sample volume, desorption solvent and time were investigated and optimized.... 

Polysulfone (PSU) and polyethersulfone (PES) porous membranes; and mixed polymer with nanoparticles TiO2, were prepared for air humidification. The mechanical properties and morphology of these membranes were studied by Tensile tester and SEM/EDX. The effects of membrane composition and operating factors on humidifier performance were investigated. The results revealed that the membrane composition and its structure have significant effect on humidification. The porous membranes with finger type cavities had higher humidification performance but lower mechanical properties. Water flux of the membranes was about 0.16-0.2L/hm2 at 25°C. Furthermore, adding 0.1wt% TiO2 nanoparticles to casting... 

Copper-succinate-layered hydroxide (CSLH), a new nanohybrid material, was synthesized as an inorganic-organic nanohybrid, in which organic moiety was intercalated between the layers of a single cation layered material, copper hydroxide nitrate. Microporous scaffold carbon material was obtained by thermal decomposition of the nanohybrid at 500°C under argon atmosphere followed by acid washing process. Furthermore, the heat-treated product of the nanohybrid at 600°C was ultrafine mesoporous metallic copper particles. The results of this study confirmed the great potential of CSLH to produce the carbon material with large surface area (580m2/g) and high pore volume copper powder (2.04cm3/g)  

A new facile, rapid, inexpensive, and sensitive method based on magnetic micro-solid phase extraction (M-μ-SPE) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for determination of the herbicide oxadiargyl in environmental water samples. The feasibility of employing non-modified magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as sorbent was examined and applied to perform the extraction process. Influential parameters affecting the extraction efficiency along with desorption conditions were investigated and optimized. The limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) and limit of quantification (LOQ, S/N = 10) of the method under optimized conditions were 0.005 and 0.030 ng mL-1, respectively. The... 

Neuronal synchronization plays an important role in the various functionality of nervous system such as binding, cognition, information processing, and computation. In this paper, we investigated how random and intentional failures in the nodes of a network influence its phase synchronization properties. We considered both artificially constructed networks using models such as preferential attachment, Watts-Strogatz, and Erdo{combining double acute accent} s-Rényi as well as a number of real neuronal networks. The failure strategy was either random or intentional based on properties of the nodes such as degree, clustering coefficient, betweenness centrality, and vulnerability. Hindmarsh-Rose... 

In this work, two important opioid antagonists, naltrexone and oxycodone, were prepared from thebaine and were characterized by IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Moreover, computational NMR and IR parameters were obtained using density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6-311++G* * level of theory. Complete NMR and vibrational assignment were carried out using the observed and calculated spectra. The IR frequencies and NMR chemical shifts, determined experimentally, were compared with those obtained theoretically from DFT calculations, showed good agreements. The RMS errors observed between experimental and calculated data for the IR absorptions are 85 and 105 cm-1, for the 1H NMR peaks are... 

A novel microcapsule adsorbent for separation of uranium from phosphoric acid solutions was developed by immobilizing the di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid-trioctyl phosphine oxide extractants in the polymeric matrix of calcium alginate. Physical characterization of the microcapsules was accomplished by scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric techniques. Equilibrium experiments revealed that both ion exchange and solvent extraction mechanisms were involved in the adsorption of ions, but the latter prevailed in a wider range of acid concentration. According to the results of kinetics study, at low acidity level, the rate controlling step was slow chemical reaction of ions with the... 

In this study, α -Fe2O3 (hematite) nanoparticles were synthesised by a sonochemical method. The influence of different factors such as chemical composition of the precursors, atmosphere of the reactions and type of the sonicator on the chemical formula, crystallinity, morphology and size of the obtained products were investigated. Powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and IR spectroscopy, were used to characterise the nanostructures. The catalytic tests were performed in the reaction of methyl phenyl sulphide oxidation. The results exhibit the good catalytic performance of the as-prepared α -Fe2O3 nanoparticles  

We consider electroencephalograms (EEGs) of healthy individuals and compare the properties of the brain functional networks found through two methods: unpartialized and partialized cross-correlations. The networks obtained by partial correlations are fundamentally different from those constructed through unpartial correlations in terms of graph metrics. In particular, they have completely different connection efficiency, clustering coefficient, assortativity, degree variability, and synchronization properties. Unpartial correlations are simple to compute and they can be easily applied to large-scale systems, yet they cannot prevent the prediction of non-direct edges. In contrast, partial... 

Purpose: Mass-spring-damper (MSD) models are often used for real-time surgery simulation due to their fast response and fairly realistic deformation replication. An improved real time simulation model of soft tissue deformation due to a laparoscopic surgical indenter was developed and tested. Method: The mechanical realization of conventional MSD models was improved using nonlinear springs and nodal dampers, while their high computational efficiency was maintained using an adapted implicit integration algorithm. New practical algorithms for model parameter tuning, collision detection, and simulation were incorporated. Results: The model was able to replicate complex biological soft tissue... 

Background: Body weight is regulated by both food intake and energy expenditure. Ghrelin, a hormone produced by the stomach and pancreas, enhances appetite. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of intermittent treadmill running on acylated ghrelin and appetite in individuals with obesity. Methods: Nine inactive male students, with a mean age of 20.56±0.48 yrs, a body mass index of 32.68±0.84 kg/m2 and a maximum oxygen uptake of 34.21±1.48 ml/kg/min, participated in the study in two trials (control and exercise) in a counterbalanced, randomized design. The protocol included intermittent running with a constant intensity at 65% of VO2 max on a treadmill. Blood samples were... 

Industrial air pollution from point and nonpoint sources of steel complexes has drawn increasingly more public attention in the past decades. Previous research efforts have been more concentrated on point sources of particulate emissions from these complexes. However, wind-induced particulate emissions from iron ore storage piles not only result in ambient air pollution but also increase economic adverse effects to the industry by loss of process raw materials. Experiments were conducted to assess the impact of wind speed and humidity on particulate emission rates from iron ore storage piles. A wind-generating system and specific iron ore, experimental piles (L:W:H of 30:11.5:5 cm) were... 

Objective Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are paroxysmal events that, in contrast to epileptic seizures, are related to psychological causes without the presence of epileptiform EEG changes. Recent models suggest a multifactorial basis for PNES. A potentially paramount, but currently poorly understood factor is the interplay between psychiatric features and a specific vulnerability of the brain leading to a clinical picture that resembles epilepsy. Hypothesising that functional cerebral network abnormalities may predispose to the clinical phenotype, the authors undertook a characterisation of the functional connectivity in PNES patients. Methods The authors analysed the whole-head... 

Self-propagating exothermic reactions during mechanical milling of FeCl 3/CoCl 2 mixture together with sodium seeds resulted in formation of Fe 50Co 50 nanoparticles. Highly exothermic reactions resulted in temperature raise and formation of Fe 50Co 50 phase within the first 5min; however Fe 50Co 50 single-phase was obtained after 30min of milling. The products were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM and VSM. Obtained results showed that both milling time and NaCl salt matrix affected the size, morphology, microstructure and magnetic properties of the produced particles  

Some new 1,4-distyrylbenzene derivatives were synthesized by using immobilized palladium nanoparticles on silica-bonded N-propyl morpholine (PNP-SBNPM) as a heterogeneous catalyst. These one-pot reactions afforded a range of stereoselective, symmetrical (E)-1,4-distyrylbenzene derivatives with high yields (78-90%). The green catalyst system is recyclable and allows facile product isolation. The recycled catalyst could be reused six times without appreciable loss of catalytic activity  

Background: Air pollutants have not been associated with ambulatory electrocardiographic evidence of ST-segment depression ≥ 1 mm (probable cardiac ischemia). We previously found that markers of primary (combustion-related) organic aerosols and gases were positively associated with circulating biomarkers of inflammation and ambulatory blood pressure in the present cohort panel study of elderly subjects with coronary artery disease. Objectives: We specifically aimed to evaluate whether exposure markers of primary organic aerosols and ultrafine particles were more strongly associated with ST-segment depression of ≥ 1 mm than were secondary organic aerosols or PM 2.5 (particulate matter with... 

The potential of an indigenous bacterial strain isolated from an Iranian oil field for the production of biosurfactant was investigated in this study. After isolation, the bacterium was characterized to be Paenibacillus alvei by biochemical tests and 16S ribotyping. The biosurfactant, which was produced by this bacterium, was able to lower the surface tension of media to 35. mN/m. Accordingly, thin layer chromatography (TLC) and FT-IR has been carried out to determine compositional analysis of the produced biosurfactant. After all the tests related to characterization of the biosurfactant produced by the isolated bacterium, it was characterized as lipopeptide derivative. The combination of...