Electric Field Induced Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes: Methodology and Outcomes

In the current chapter, achievement of aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) network within the matrix via various kinds of electric fields (AC and DC) was evaluated. In this case, alignment mechanism of CNTs within the matrix and two useful techniques for justification of CNT alignment throughout the matrix were examined and presented, respectively. Afterward, effective factors in matter of CNT alignment and applicable procedures for fabrication of nanocomposites containing aligned CNTs were studied and presented, respectively. At the end, significant effects of CNT alignment on overall properties of nanocomposites that include electrical and mechanical properties were evaluated. Achieved results revealed that alignment of CNTs within the matrix can lead to significant improvement in the electrical and mechanical properties of nanocomposites at the same filler loading compared with randomly distribution of CNTs within the matrix, while production steps and conditions can also highly affect the outcome data

Rhazes’s View on Nasal Tumors

Rhazes, or Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Rāzī (854-925 CE), was an Iranian physician, philosopher and chemist. He learned medicine more through the hospital and so-called clinical observations and, therefore, spent more time on his studies; this can be seen in his works and writings. He used the writings of medical predecessors and cited them in his writings. He followed and completed their works and sometimes wrote critiques on their works. In his written medical works, Rhazes has paid special attention to various diseases, notably tumors and cancer. It is noteworthy that over a thousand years ago, a skilled physician presented his explanation and treatment strategies for nasal cancer and tumor status

Development of Clay Nanoparticles Toward Bio and Medical Applications

Clay nanoparticles are among the most applicable and cost-affordable materials, all of which have a variety of applications in case of medical science. In this chapter, key characteristics of the clay nanoparticles along with their major groups, structure, morphology, and physicochemical properties were evaluated. Thereafter, the applications of clay nanoparticles in the field of nanocomposite, polymeric matrices, and medicine were investigated, while specimen production procedures were also reviewed. The main focus of this chapter is to investigate the applications of clay nanoparticles in bio- and medical science. In fact, organically modified clay nanoparticles (organoclays) are an attractive class of hybrid organic–inorganic nanomaterials with potential applications in case of polymer nanocomposites, rheological properties modification, and drug delivery carrier

Development of Efficient Composites via Renewable, Recyclable, and Degradable Additives

Rapid development of composite industries raised the demand for tough, effective, practical, and sustainable composites with enhanced mechanical, electrical, thermal, and physical properties. However, several major problems such as high production cost and nonrecyclability and nondegradability of fillers and composites limited their selectivity and approaches toward their aims. Herein, our aim is to present and review the recent achievements in matter of reinforced composites with renewable, recyclable, or degradable additives toward development of composites through a mass-scale production strategy with least charges, high efficiency, and fine mechanical, thermal, and physical properties. Additionally, such aim can reduce the overall amount of nondegradable pollutions such as plastics in the nature and decline overall the charges of composite industries by reusing such materials and decreasing their demand for raw material. Last but not least, to clean up the nature from industrial wastes, green strategies should be developed to whether reuse such material or degrade them via practical strategies

Application of Neoformalism for Analysis of two Iranian Distinguished films

Neoformalism is one of the recent film criticism approaches which appeared in the 1980s and 1990s. This approach uses a new strategy in addition to achievements gained using prior methods. In this article, the specifications of this approach are studied on the basis of works of founders of neoformalism including David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson and issues such as definition of form and narration, differentiation of plot and story, principles of form, definition of device, function and motivation are expressed. According to the definition given by neoformalist, form is the overall system of relations between the elements in the whole film and narration is the plot's way of distributing story information in order to achieve specific effects. The set of all the events in a narrative, both those presented explicitly and those inferred by the viewer, constitutes the story and the term plot is used to describe everything visibly and audibly present in the film before us. A large number of Iranian filmmakers and critics believe that too much attention to content and lack of attention to form is one of the most important problems of Iranian cinema that has emerged in recent years. Also, neoformalism emphasizes the importance of analysis of form and aesthetical principles of cinema. Therefore, this approach is appropriate for studying contemporary Iranian films. Then. this approach has been used for analyzing of two important films of Majid Majidi including Children of Heaven and Baran as two distinguished Iranian contemporary films. These two films awarded the best film prize from Fajr festival in 1997 and 2001. Majidi has yet to achieve this prize again. Results of this neo-formalistic analysis show that in these two films, the form is developed to present main themes including family affection, dedication and love. Majidi in Children of Heaven has presented an attractive narration with sufficient rise and fall. He has used some devices such as overhead shot, slow motion and sound design and has applied form principles in order to represent the theme of dedication. In Baran he has taken a step further and has created a form that is consonant to theme of film, by using appropriate devices and form principles. Due to this film he rose up from ordinary form of Iranian cinema. In Baran, theme of love has been expressed with a mystic and spiritual aspect and Majidi has used Iranian mysticism and Sufism and especially has used Rumi’s works for expression of romantic story of film. Therefore, through directing of these two films Majidi gained more knowledge about cinematic form and expression and obtained more strength and ability for creating consonant form to themes of his films

Application of Neoformalism for Analysis of two Iranian Distinguished films

Neoformalism is one of the recent film criticism approaches which appeared in the 1980s and 1990s. This approach uses a new strategy in addition to achievements gained using prior methods. In this article, the specifications of this approach are studied on the basis of works of founders of neoformalism including David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson and issues such as definition of form and narration, differentiation of plot and story, principles of form, definition of device, function and motivation are expressed. According to the definition given by neoformalist, form is the overall system of relations between the elements in the whole film and narration is the plot's way of distributing story information in order to achieve specific effects. The set of all the events in a narrative, both those presented explicitly and those inferred by the viewer, constitutes the story and the term plot is used to describe everything visibly and audibly present in the film before us. A large number of Iranian filmmakers and critics believe that too much attention to content and lack of attention to form is one of the most important problems of Iranian cinema that has emerged in recent years. Also, neoformalism emphasizes the importance of analysis of form and aesthetical principles of cinema. Therefore, this approach is appropriate for studying contemporary Iranian films. Then. this approach has been used for analyzing of two important films of Majid Majidi including Children of Heaven and Baran as two distinguished Iranian contemporary films. These two films awarded the best film prize from Fajr festival in 1997 and 2001. Majidi has yet to achieve this prize again. Results of this neo-formalistic analysis show that in these two films, the form is developed to present main themes including family affection, dedication and love. Majidi in Children of Heaven has presented an attractive narration with sufficient rise and fall. He has used some devices such as overhead shot, slow motion and sound design and has applied form principles in order to represent the theme of dedication. In Baran he has taken a step further and has created a form that is consonant to theme of film, by using appropriate devices and form principles. Due to this film he rose up from ordinary form of Iranian cinema. In Baran, theme of love has been expressed with a mystic and spiritual aspect and Majidi has used Iranian mysticism and Sufism and especially has used Rumi’s works for expression of romantic story of film. Therefore, through directing of these two films Majidi gained more knowledge about cinematic form and expression and obtained more strength and ability for creating consonant form to themes of his films

Genetic determinants of premature menopause in A Mashhad population cohort

Funding Information: This work was supported by a grant from the Vice Chancellor for Research at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences and this was a part of the Ph.D. student dissertation (no. 971084). The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Molecular detection of aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme genes in Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates

Acinetobacter baumannii is a major opportunistic pathogen in healthcare settings worldwide. In Iran, there are only few reports on the prevalence of aminoglycoside resistance genes among A. baumannii isolates. The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme (AME) genes from A. baumannii strains collected at a university teaching hospital in Iran. One hundred A. baumannii strains were collected between 2014 and 2015 from hospitalized patients at Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations. The DNA was extracted using a kit obtained from Bioneer Co. (Korea) and was used as a template for polymerase chain reaction. The most active antimicrobial agent against these strains was colistin. The rate of extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance was 97%. The aadA1, aadB, aac(6′)-Ib, and aac(3)-IIa genes were found in 85%, 77%, 72%, and 68% of A. baumannii isolates, respectively. This study showed a high prevalence rate of AME genes in A. baumannii. This prevalence rate has explained that further aminoglycoside resistance genes may have role in the resistance of clinical isolates of A. baumannii. Therefore, control and treatment of serious infections caused by this opportunistic pathogen should be given more consideration