Research Branch Research Articles

A Fish Trematode Vitellibaculum Identified in the Gastrointestinal Tract of the Little Gull (Larus minutus): The First Report of Trematode from Iran

Vitellibaculum, which belong to the subfamily Megasoleninae within the family Haploporidae, are typically parasites of marine fish. This trematode has been reported from different regions of the world. The Little Gull (Larus minutus), a migratory bird common in the coastal regions of Iran, was the subject of this study. A dead bird found by the Environmental Protection Agency in Babolsar was referred to the laboratory of the Department of Parasitology of the Science and Research branch of the Islamic Azad University. After necropsy and sampling of the intestinal contents, a single trematode was identified. After staining and slide preparation, it was identified as Vitellibaculum and registered in the National Parasitology Museum of Tehran University.

Development of core sets for deafblindness using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health: the perspectives of individuals with lived experience.

The needs of people with deafblindness remain poorly understood and addressed globally. This study is part of a larger body of work to develop Core Sets for deafblindness using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). To determine the perspectives on functioning of individuals with lived experience of deafblindness as they relate to the ICF. Cross-sectional interview study. Global, representing all six regions of the World Health Organization. A diverse cohort of 72 individuals living with deafblindness or as close family members, ranging across the spectrum of severity. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were used to explore six open-ended questions about perceived barriers and facilitators to functioning of body functions and structures, activities and participation, and environmental and personal factors. Data were synthesized using content analysis, and the resulting topics were linked to the ICF codes using established linking methodology prescribed by the World Health Organization's ICF Research Branch. Descriptive statistics summarized all demographic data. The analyses of the transcripts uncovered 2534 meaning units, leading to the identification of 492 corresponding distinct codes from the ICF framework, and spanning across 93.33% of coding categories available. Sensory (b2) and Mental Functions (b1) emerged as the most frequent Body Functions (b) codes. Most categories referred to Activities & Participation, with Mobility (d4) being the most frequently mentioned topic. Services, Systems and Policies (e5) was the most frequently used Environmental factor. Over 93% of the ICF classification categories were accessed to code the data provided by participants, demonstrating the complexity of functioning with deafblindness. This study provides valuable information to shape policy and research by providing representation of lived experience towards the consensus conference for the comprehensive and abbreviated Core Sets for deafblindness. The inclusion of lived experience provides a holistic understanding of the daily challenges faced by individuals living with deafblindness. By being part of this process, they have a voice in shaping the classification system that will be used to describe their experiences, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment.

Evaluation of a reduced-pressure chemical ion reactor utilizing adduct ionization for the detection of gaseous organic and inorganic species

Abstract. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and volatile inorganic compounds (VICs) provide critical information across many scientific fields including atmospheric chemistry and soil and biological processes. Chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometry has become a powerful tool for tracking these chemically complex and temporally variable compounds in a variety of laboratory and field environments. It is particularly powerful with time-of-flight mass spectrometers, which can measure hundreds of compounds in a fraction of a second and have enabled entirely new branches of VOC and/or VIC research in atmospheric and biological chemistry. To accurately describe each step of these chemical, physical, and biological processes, measurements across the entire range of gaseous products is crucial. Recently, chemically comprehensive gas-phase measurements have been performed using many CI mass spectrometers deployed in parallel, each utilizing a different ionization method to cover a broad range of compounds. Here we introduce the recently developed Vocus AIM (adduct ionization mechanism) ion–molecule reactor (IMR), which samples trace vapors in air and ionizes them via chemical ionization at medium pressures. The Vocus AIM supports the use of many different reagent ions of positive and negative polarity and is largely independent of changes in the sample humidity. Within the present study, we present the performance and explore the capabilities of the Vocus AIM using various chemical ionization schemes, including chloride (Cl−), bromide (Br−), iodide (I−), nitrate (NO3-), benzene cations (C6H6+), acetone dimers ((C3H6O)2H+), and ammonium (NH4+) reagent ions, primarily in laboratory and flow tube experiments. We report the technical characteristics and operational principles, and compare its performance in terms of time response, humidity dependence, and sensitivity to that of previous chemical ionization approaches. This work demonstrates the benefits of the Vocus AIM reactor, which provides a versatile platform to characterize VOCs and VICs in real time at trace concentrations.

BioMOF@cellulose Glycerogel Scaffold with Multifold Bioactivity: Perspective in Bone Tissue Repair.

The development of new biomaterials for musculoskeletal tissue repair is currently an important branch in biomedicine research. The approach presented here is centered around the development of a prototypic synthetic glycerogel scaffold for bone regeneration, which simultaneously features therapeutic activity. The main novelty of this work lies in the combination of an open meso and macroporous nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC)-based glycerogel with a fully biocompatible microporous bioMOF system (CaSyr-1) composed of calcium ions and syringic acid. The bioMOF framework is further impregnated with a third bioactive component, i.e., ibuprofen (ibu), to generate a multifold bioactive system. The integrated CaSyr-1(ibu) serves as a reservoir for bioactive compounds delivery, while the NCC scaffold is the proposed matrix for cell ingrowth, proliferation and differentiation. The measured drug delivery profiles, studied in a phosphate-buffered saline solution at 310 K, indicate that the bioactive components are released concurrently with bioMOF dissolution after ca. 30 min following a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Furthermore, according to the semi-empirical Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model, this release is governed by a case-II mechanism, suggesting that the molecular transport is influenced by the relaxation of the NCC matrix. Preliminary in vitro results denote that the initial high concentration of glycerol in the NCC scaffold can be toxic in direct contact with human osteoblasts (HObs). However, when the excess of glycerol is diluted in the system (after the second day of the experiment), the direct and indirect assays confirm full biocompatibility and suitability for HOb proliferation.

Spatial Semiotics in Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry: The Study Case of Suspended Odes

Spatial structure plays an important role in the seven suspended odes, "Mu'allaqat," being tightly interrelated by sequential compositional manifestations to the narrative format of the circular journey through the spatial nature of the Arabian Peninsula. This is because they denote a compiled configuration with clarity and profundity regarding this systematic representation. Literary rhetoric bestows upon them distinctiveness, illumination, and embellishment. The research branches into two paths, demarcating the spatial signs into two forms: static space and interactive space. To capture the meanings of these two spaces through the interpreter of each sign, it requires a comprehensive excavation of the archaeological and historical foundations of civilization. The initial stages of cultural forms incorporate the spatial structure of the Arabian Peninsula and serve as the foundational cornerstone for the semiotic analysis, since the effectiveness of interpreting the markers of spatial structure highlights the interaction between the signifier and the signified. The formats of the suspended odes embody multifaceted depictions among the poets of the lengthy verses. Semiotic interpretation contributes to improving the discursive nature of the sign, as the spatial model archetype in the suspended odes finds its pre-eminence in literary semiotics.

Pollen Cross-Reactivity: A Primer for Allergy Specialists

There are over 400,000 land-based plant species that comprise our biodiverse habitat. Only a small subset of those plant species satisfies Thommen’s postulates, classifying them as allergens. The number of allergenic species, however, remains so vast that it is prohibitive to both test and treat for all relevant species within a geographical region. Allergy specialists have a valuable tool that can be used to help simplify the management of allergic patients: cross-reactivity. Cross-reactivity is the ability for an allergen to induce an IgE-mediated response, regardless of previous exposure. Allergens are a complex milieu of proteins, some of which have allergic potential while others do not. A number of proteins are conserved across allergen species. When exposure to these conserved proteins occurs, the immune system recognizes them in a similar manner. For homologous or cross-reactive allergenic proteins, this conserved molecular recognition initiates the allergic cascade. Allergen characterization is critical to the understanding of cross-reactivity. Characterization, in this context, refers to the protein make-up of a particular allergen. The process of allergen characterization began in 1962 with the discovery of antigen E, the first identified allergenic protein. Antigen E, commonly known as Amb a 1, is an allergenic protein in ragweed, and is the primary sensitizing protein for ragweed allergy sufferers. These primary sensitizers are referred to as major allergens and can be defined as such when >50% of the allergic patient population is sensitized to them. An entire branch of research arose from this discovery, which has allowed for major advances to be made in the understanding of cross‑reactive relationships among allergen species. Cross‑reactivity is not limited to homologous major allergen expression. Rather, minor allergens and panallergens, though less clinically relevant, play a similar role in cross‑reactive relationships. This primer will explore the science behind cross‑reactivity, as well as provide a general overview of the cross‑reactive relationships that have been defined for plant allergens found across North America.

A Multi-Criteria Decision Making for Employee Selection Using SAW and Profile Matching

Multi-criteria decision making process has been one of the fastest growing areas during the last decades depending on the change in the business sector. Multi-criteria decision making is the most important branch of operation research by which people make complex decision daily life. The major steps in the decision- making approach are selecting the most preferred alternative for the decision-maker, ranking alternatives in order of importance for selection problems, and screening alternatives for the final decision. Employees are an important element of a company that determines its progress. Conventional (manual) recruitment methods are vulnerable to non-technical factors, such as frequent duplication or invalid data. In this study, simple additive weighting and profile matching are proposed to solve the employee selection problem. This study was conducted at the (UPT) Career Development and Entrepreneurship Universitas Brawijaya Malang using data collected from written test selection in 2019. The effectiveness of both methods was analyzed using confusion matrix. The SAW method provides an accuracy rate of 94.7%, a precision rate of 87.5%, Recall rate of 91.3% and F-measure rate of 89.4%. On the other hand, profile matching method obtained the Accuracy rate of 90.4%, Precision rate of 81.4%, Recall rate of 81.4% and F-measure rate of 81.4%. Thus, it can be concluded that both methods have high accuracy values accompanied by high precision values when used for the selection process. This system can also effectively reduce the bias rate of the same data very well, as can be seen from the high recall and F-measure rates.

Progressive hollow engineering induced raspberry-like magnetoelectric microspheres via synergistic etching-assembly strategy toward boosted microwave attenuation

Optimizing the electromagnetic (EM) properties of composites through elaborate tailoring of their microstructures has become an attractive research branch, but determining the correlations between morphology, composition, and performance remains challenging. Herein, a novel progressive hollow engineering strategy is proposed for the construction of hollow CuFe Prussian blue analog (CuFePBA, CF) precursors with asymptotic variations of cavities and PBA units based on a synergistic etching-assembly approach, subsequently combined with a polydopamine (PDA) coating and carbothermal process to acquire raspberry-like hollow Cu/Fe/Fe3C@NC (CFC) composites. The proposed approach addresses the drawbacks caused by organic ligand depletion or corrosive agent usage. We then present a systematic investigation of the mechanism by which the progressive hollow engineering-induced concurrent evolution of hollow cavities, phases, defects, and inhomogeneous interfaces contributes to the improvement of the dielectric properties of the CFC samples. An optimal reflection loss (RLmin) of − 65.17 dB at 3.29 mm was realized for the CFC-2 sample and the CFC-3 sample achieved an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.4 GHz at an ultra-thin thickness of 1.29 mm. This work reveals the synergistic effects of compositional, interfacial, and defect variations on the EM wave attenuation properties of the composites, and will provide new design inspiration for novel absorbers with modulatable hollow architectures.

Exploring The Future Potential Of Balneotherapy At Unapdev Hot Spring In Khandesh Of Maharashtra, India

In geography of health, geopharmacology is an emerging and novel branch of research. The word geopharmacology consists of geography and pharmacology, in which geographical components and elements are studied from pharmaceutical and medicinal point of views. These points of views are useful for the wellness of human being. So hot spring is one of the core components of geopharmacological research. Geopharmacology of hot springs in India, play and significant role in Indian cultural heritage as well as therapeutics benefits and natural beauty provinces of Maharashtra, Unapdev has been hot springs and have their socio-cultural as well geopharmacological importance. [1] The results of this study indicate that there is potential to establish a balneotherapy centre near the Unapdev hot springs. However, it is discovered that both visitors and locals have relatively little information about balneotherapy. The majority of visitors come to Unapdev hot spring for both tourism and traditional and spiritual reasons. According to research findings, Unapdev water springs have all the prerequisites to be turned into a balneotherapy facility and its application in the medical field holds great promise for the future.

Assessment Of Effective Factors In E-Learning at Islamic Azad University

The rapid growth of information and communication technology has brought significant changes to the performance of education globally through the use of learning management systems facilitated by e-learning in higher education institutions. Despite perceived advantages such as flexible and widespread access, e-learning still faces challenges like identifying the needs of students, faculty, and staff, as well as delivering quality courses. Furthermore, there is a lack of assessment of existing e-learning initiatives and the determination of critical success factors for quality. This necessitates further research into e-learning practices to fill the identified gaps. This study presents a model for assessing the quality of e-learning systems by modifying and expanding existing frameworks for quality learning with other models and frameworks. A descriptive and exploratory research approach was employed using a cross-sectional survey of 180 respondents from Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews using stratified sampling methods. The validity of the conceptual model was assessed using structural equation modeling and regression analysis. This study revealed that course design, content support, administrative support, user characteristics, organizational factors, and social support impact quality. This research has contributed to the body of knowledge from theoretical, methodological, and practical perspectives.

Fostering Innovative Work Behavior through Job Autonomy and Employee Work Passion: Moderating Role of Communication Climate

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, employees' innovative work behavior (IWB) stands out as a fundamental factor in organizational success. Despite its critical importance, there remains a gap in understanding and measuring IWB, particularly within the branch of research and development (R&D) organizations. This study seeks to address this gap by exploring the relationships between communication climate, job autonomy, employee work passion, and innovative work behavior among employees in Malaysian R&D organizations through a sample of 325 respondents. By using a quantitative approach, this research utilized surveys to collect data from employees working within Malaysian R&D organizations. The sample was carefully selected to cover various sectors within R&D. The data collection process relied on the Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) scale. The analysis of the survey findings uncovers relationships between communication climate, job autonomy, work passion, and innovative work behavior within Malaysian R&D contexts. The research reveals significant correlations among these variables, offering valuable insights into the factors influencing employees' inclination toward innovation. This study holds substantial implications for both scholars and practitioners in the fields of organizational behavior and management. By explaining the drivers of innovative work behavior within R&D organizations, this research provides actionable insights for nurturing a culture of innovation and enhancing organizational effectiveness.

Effect of the composition of combined solid lipid particles with gefitinib and a photosensitizer on their size, stability and cytotoxic activity

The creation of combined nanomedicines and their controlled release under the influence of photoinduction is an actively developing branch of scientific research. This work is devoted to the development of models of solid lipid nanoparticles for a well-known antitumor drug – gefitinib in combination with a photoindicating agent – a photosensitizer from the phthalocyanine group. Nanoparticles were obtained by several methods: hot homogenization with stearic acid, sesame oil and Tween 80 and by one-step dispersion with copolymers of lactic and glycolic acids and polyvinyl alcohol. In vitro experiments when irradiating particles with a laser in the near-infrared range (about 730 nm) proved the advantage of using combined nanoparticles with gefitinib and a photosensitizer compared to monotherapy, while the activity in terms of IC50 was 5.1-8.7 times higher for gefitinib and 1.5-1.8 times for the photosensitizer.

Employing the International Classifications of Functioning, Disability, and Health to identify relevant categories for disability evaluation in older adults from the research perspective: a systematic review.

The objective of this study was to identify relevant aspects for disability evaluation used in scientific literature for older adults. We employed a systematic review methodology as outlined by the ICF Research Branch. The methodology consists of four steps: 1) identifying studies that focus on disability evaluation among older adults; 2) identifying disability measures used in these studies; 3) linking the concepts contained in these measures to ICF categories; 4) conducting frequency analysis. A total of 1942 concepts contained in disability measures from 137 studies were extracted. About 97.7% of the concepts could be linked, and 1862 concepts were linked to 52 second-level ICF categories. Of these, 44 categories found in at least 5% of the studies (range 5.1-85.4%) were selected to develop an outcome set that represents the relevant categories, including five categories in the Body Functions component and 39 categories from the Activities and Participation component. The relevant categories identified in our study reflect the essential areas that measure disability for older adults, providing a scientific basis for developing an ICF Core Set for disability evaluation, in combination with further empirical study and expert survey. Information from the outcome set is also valuable for providing a standardized minimal set for disability measurement, which can be used for data comparison across different studies and the development of an ICF-based disability measurement tool.

Study of a Narrow Fabric-Based E-Textile System-From Research to Field Tests.

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) are a branch of wearable technology based on integrating smart systems into textile materials creating different possibilities, transforming industries, and improving individuals' quality of life. E-textiles hold vast potential, particularly for use in personal protective equipment (PPE) by embedding sensors and smart technologies into garments, thus significantly enhancing safety and performance. Although this branch of research has been active for several decades now, only a few products have made it to the market. Achieving durability, reliability, user acceptance, sustainability, and integration into current manufacturing processes remains challenging. High levels of reliability and user acceptance are critical for technical textiles, such as those used in PPE. While studies address washing reliability and field tests, they often overlook end user preferences regarding smart textiles. This paper presents a narrow fabric-based e-textile system co-developed by engineers, garment and textiles' manufacturers, and firefighters. It highlights material choices and integration methods, and evaluates the system's reliability, sustainability, and user experience, providing comprehensive insights into developing and analyzing e-textile products, particularly in the PPE field.

Enzyme-Responsive Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Small Amphiphiles.

Enzyme-responsive molecular assemblies have recently made remarkable progress, owing to their widespread applications. As a class of catalysts with high specificity and efficiency, enzymes play a critical role in producing new molecules and maintaining metabolic stability in living organisms. Therefore, the study of enzyme-responsive assembly aids in understanding the origin of life and the physiological processes occurring within living bodies, contributing to further advancements across various disciplines. In this Review, we summarize three kinds of enzyme-responsive assembly systems in amphiphiles: enzyme-triggered assembly, disassembly, and structural transformation. Furthermore, motivated by the fact that biological macromolecules and complex structures all originated with small molecules, our focus lies on the small amphiphiles (e.g., peptides, surfactants, fluorescent molecules, and drug molecules). We also provide an outlook on the potential of enzyme-responsive assembly systems for biomimetic development and hope this Review will attract more attention to this emerging research branch at the intersection of assembly chemistry and biological science.

An Analytical Review of Language Economics with a Discussion on Language Use, Policy and Planning in Sri Lanka

Language dynamics depend not only on factors as explained by sociolinguists but also on economic factors. Economics of language and economic analysis of language provide analytical framework for language choice, use of language, language development, language and economic wellbeing, language assimilation, language death, etc. This paper discusses theoretical aspects of economics of language and how language dynamics and economic factors are interrelated with a discussion on language use in Sri Lanka. The paper surveys literature on economics of language which considers language as a rational choice. Optimal language choice maximizes economic benefits subject to constraints. If a language does not serve the need of the people, the evolutionary forces work to improve its functioning, thus language remains incomplete. In a framework of human development, language skills enhance economic gains. As per the discrimination theory, marginalization of minority language speakers from economic activities was analyzed. It was also discussed that economic factors drive a society with many languages to choose one common language or to retain or preserve endangered minority languages. Another branch of research focused on the analysis of official language policies of countries. These studies were highly useful in understanding the relationship between economic factors and language issues and resulting language policy planning. In the discussion on language use in Sri Lanka, it is found that official and link language policies do not always ensure equal access to economic opportunities for different language users. Lack of official data and extensive research on language aspects and their economic concerns further restrict the implementation of better language policy and finally resolving language issues.

The vaginal immunoproteome for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth: A retrospective longitudinal study.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most cases of preterm birth occur spontaneously and result from preterm labor with intact (spontaneous preterm labor [sPTL]) or ruptured (preterm prelabor rupture of membranes [PPROM]) membranes. The prediction of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) remains underpowered due to its syndromic nature and the dearth of independent analyses of the vaginal host immune response. Thus, we conducted the largest longitudinal investigation targeting vaginal immune mediators, referred to herein as the immunoproteome, in a population at high risk for sPTB. Vaginal swabs were collected across gestation from pregnant women who ultimately underwent term birth, sPTL, or PPROM. Cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and antimicrobial peptides in the samples were quantified via specific and sensitive immunoassays. Predictive models were constructed from immune mediator concentrations. Throughout uncomplicated gestation, the vaginal immunoproteome harbors a cytokine network with a homeostatic profile. Yet, the vaginal immunoproteome is skewed toward a pro-inflammatory state in pregnant women who ultimately experience sPTL and PPROM. Such an inflammatory profile includes increased monocyte chemoattractants, cytokines indicative of macrophage and T-cell activation, and reduced antimicrobial proteins/peptides. The vaginal immunoproteome has improved predictive value over maternal characteristics alone for identifying women at risk for early (<34 weeks) sPTB. The vaginal immunoproteome undergoes homeostatic changes throughout gestation and deviations from this shift are associated with sPTB. Furthermore, the vaginal immunoproteome can be leveraged as a potential biomarker for early sPTB, a subset of sPTB associated with extremely adverse neonatal outcomes. This research was conducted by the Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS) under contract HHSN275201300006C. ALT, KRT, and NGL were supported by the Wayne State University Perinatal Initiative in Maternal, Perinatal and Child Health.

Marrying Fe nanoclusters with 3D carbon nanofiber aerogels: Triggering fast and robust faradic capacitive deionization

Faradic-capacitive deionization (FDI) has emerged promising research branch of capacitive deionization (CDI) to address the crisis in freshwater supply due to its high desalination capacity and unique ion storage mechanism over traditional CDI. However, the ion-storage mechanism of FDI imposes notable limitations on its desalination kinetics, while issues such as volumetric expansion (as well as the damage caused to the composite material’s structure) contribute to poor cycling stability. Herein, we developed a rational material design of Fe nanocluster-impregnated CNFAs (Fe NCs@CNFAs) and further used it as chloride-capturing electrode for FDI. This unique nanostructure not only provides fast surface-driven pseudo capacitance but also establishes a flexible scaffold that effectively protects the Fe NCs from severe morphology changes. As a result, our Fe NCs@CNFAs-based FDI exhibited both ultrahigh desalination capacity (120.38 mg g−1) and fast desalination rate (0.42 mg g−1 s−1), with robust cycling stability (showing only a 15.25 % decrease in desalination capacity after 100 cycles). This study underscores the significance of the problem-driven approach by leveraging soft scaffold-protected ultrasmall nanocluster to induce fast and durable desalination performance.

Microcavity Complex Lasers: from Order to Disorder

AbstractMicrostructures, characterized by gain, nonlinearity, internal scattering, and boundary effects, offer an exceptional platform for exploring complex optical phenomena such as random lasing, chaos, and multidimensional speckles. Specifically, complex lasers generated within microcavities and optical fibers, where strong light confinement and scattering play diverse roles, have become a significant branch of laser research. Recently, the rapid advancement of materials, micro‐nano technologies, and artificial intelligence has introduced new opportunities and challenges for the generation, control, and application of complex lasers. This review systematically examines various types of microcavity complex lasers from the perspective of microcavity structures with different degrees of disorder. It primarily focuses on the historical development, characteristics, regulation, and applications of disordered microcavity lasers and concludes with a discussion on the future trends in the development of microcavity complex lasers.

Is a mathematical model equivalent to its computer implementation?

A recent trend in mathematical modelling is to publish the computer code together with the research findings. Here we explore the formal question, whether and in which sense a computer implementation is distinct from the mathematical model. We argue that, despite the convenience of implemented models, a set of implicit assumptions is perpetuated with the implementation to the extent that even in widely used models the causal link between the (formal) mathematical model and the set of results is no longer certain. Moreover, code publication is often seen as an important contributor to reproducible research, we suggest that in some cases the opposite may be true. A new perspective on this topic stems from the accelerating trend that in some branches of research only implemented models are used, e.g., in artificial intelligence (AI). With the advent of quantum computers, we argue that completely novel challenges arise in the distinction between models and implementations.