The modalities of Iranian soft power: from cultural diplomacy to soft war

Through exploring Iran's public diplomacy at the international level, this article demonstrates how the Islamic Republic's motives should not only be contextualised within the oft-sensationalised, material or ‘hard’ aspects of its foreign policy, but also within the desire to project its cultural reach through ‘softer’ means. Iran's utilisation of culturally defined foreign policy objectives and actions demonstrates its understanding of soft power's potentialities. This article explores the ways in which Iran's public diplomacy is used to promote its soft power and craft its, at times, shifting image on the world stage

Extended vertical trapezius fasciocutaneous flap (back flap) in face and neck burn scar reconstruction

Elevation of the skin along with its deep fascia vascular network is a recent facility for flap design. The longitudinal trapezius fasciocutaneous flap was first introduced in 1996; at that time it did not receive much attention, although it has many significant benefits compared with other available procedures.Sixteen trapezius fasciocutaneous flaps were elevated in 15 patients for reconstruction of severe scarring of the neck and midface. All flaps were based on the deep branch of the transverse cervical artery and included the overlying fascia of the trapezius muscle. Delaying was applied for very long flaps. Two flaps developed minimal distal necrosis (10 cm below the muscle border). The results indicate that an extra-long back fascia flap based on the descending branch of the transverse cervical artery could be formed, which would be long enough to reconstruct the entire neck and safely transfer it to the midface.The vertical trapezius fasciocutaneous flap, with its abundant tissue, excellent blood supply, anatomic proximity, wide arc of rotation, and hidden donor site scar, provides a simple and reliable method for primary reconstruction of various midface and neck defects. Copyright © 2008 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Extended vertical trapezius fasciocutaneous flap (back flap) in face and neck burn scar reconstruction

Elevation of the skin along with its deep fascia vascular network is a recent facility for flap design. The longitudinal trapezius fasciocutaneous flap was first introduced in 1996; at that time it did not receive much attention, although it has many significant benefits compared with other available procedures.Sixteen trapezius fasciocutaneous flaps were elevated in 15 patients for reconstruction of severe scarring of the neck and midface. All flaps were based on the deep branch of the transverse cervical artery and included the overlying fascia of the trapezius muscle. Delaying was applied for very long flaps. Two flaps developed minimal distal necrosis (10 cm below the muscle border). The results indicate that an extra-long back fascia flap based on the descending branch of the transverse cervical artery could be formed, which would be long enough to reconstruct the entire neck and safely transfer it to the midface.The vertical trapezius fasciocutaneous flap, with its abundant tissue, excellent blood supply, anatomic proximity, wide arc of rotation, and hidden donor site scar, provides a simple and reliable method for primary reconstruction of various midface and neck defects. Copyright © 2008 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

The Iranian Study of Opium and Cancer (IROPICAN): Rationale, design, and initial findings

Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently classified opium use as a Group 1 carcinogen. However, much remains to be studied on the relation between opium and cancer. We designed the Iranian Opium and Cancer (IROPICAN) study to further investigate the association of opium use and cancers of the head and neck, bladder, lung, and colon and rectum. In this paper, we describe the rationale, design, and some initial results of the IROPICAN Study. Methods: The IROPICAN is a multi-center case-control study conducted in 10 provinces of Iran. The cases were all histologically confirmed and the controls were selected from hospital visitors who were free of cancer, were not family members or friends of the cancer patients, and were visiting the hospital for reasons other than their own ailment. The questionnaires included detailed questions on opium use (including age at initiation, duration, frequency, typical amount, and route), and potential confounders, such as tobacco use (e.g., cigarettes, nass and water-pipe), and dietary factors. Biological samples, including blood and saliva, were also collected. Results: The validation and pilot phases showed reasonably good validity, with sensitivities of 70% and 69% for the cases and controls, respectively, in reporting opium use. The results also showed excellent reliability, with intra-class correlation coefficients of 0.96 for ever opium use and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.92) for regular opium use. In the main phase, we recruited 3299 cancer cases (99% response rate) and 3477 hospital visitor controls (89% response rate). The proportion of ever-use of opium was 40% among cases and 18% among controls. Conclusion: The IROPICAN study will serve as a major resource in studies addressing the effect of opium on risk of cancers of the head and neck, bladder, lung, and colon and rectum

Grain boundary migration in polycrystalline α\alpha-Fe

High energy x-ray diffraction microscopy was used to image the microstructure of $\alpha$-Fe before and after a 600 $^\circ$C anneal. These data were used to determine the areas, curvatures, energies, and velocities of approximately 40,000 grain boundaries. The measured grain boundary properties depend on the five macroscopic grain boundary parameters. The velocities are not correlated with the product of the mean boundary curvature and grain boundary energy, usually assumed to be the driving force. Boundary migration is made up of area changes (lateral motion) and translation (normal motion) and both contribute to the total migration. Through the lateral motion component of the migration, low energy boundaries tend to expand in area while high energy boundaries shrink, reducing the average energy through grain boundary replacement. The driving force for this process is not related to curvature and might disrupt the expected curvature-velocity relationship.Comment: 33 pages, double spaced, accepted for publication in Acta Materiali

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, Enalapril, inhibits tumor growth and potentiates the antitumor efficacy of 5-FU in colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the leading causes of cancer-related death, indicating the need for the identification of novel therapeutic approaches to increase the activity of current therapy or have better efficacy. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is being reported to be associated with aggressive behaviors of CRC cells and poor prognosis. Here we explored the therapeutic potency of targeting ACE by Enalapril in CRC in vivo model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A xenograft model of CRC was used to investigate the effects of Enalapril alone, or in combination with 5-FU, on tumor growth following histological staining (Hematoxylin and Eosin and Masson trichrome staining) and biochemical studies of Malondialdehyde (MDA), total thiols, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. RESULTS: Enalapril reduced tumor growth and increased tumor necrosis; this effect was more pronounced in Enalapril plus 5-FU combination. Enalapril/5-FU was able to decrease tumor fibrosis and collagen content. ACE inhibitors also increased MDA level, as an oxidative stress marker, while reducing total thiol group levels, SOD and CAT enzyme activity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a novel insight on the therapeutic potential targeting of the renin–angiotensin system as a new therapeutic option in combination with current therapeutic agents 5-FU in the treatment of CRC

Data for: BetaDL: a Protein Beta-sheet Predictor Utilizing a Deep Learning Model and Independent Set Solution

=======================================BetaDL: a Protein Beta-sheet Predictor Utilizing a Deep Learning Model and Independent Set Solution Prediction of beta-sheet structures (beta-residue contacts, beta-strand pairs, beta-strand pairing directions)=======================================Knowledge Engineering Research Group (KERG), Department of Computer Engineering,Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Home page: https://kerg.um.ac.ir/ Contact: [email protected]; [email protected] ======================================= Input:In order to run BetaDL the following information must be provided:1. Protein sequence and secondary structure assignment2. A residue contact Probabilities matrix3. Probability model for beta-sheet size respect to the number of beta-strands in proteinsOutput:BetaDL will predict the following information about beta sheet structure:1. Beta-residue contact maps2. Beta-strand pairs3. Beta-strand pairing directions=======================================Installation (Windows Version) and usage:1. Unzip "BetaDL_package.rar" into the "BetaDL_package" folder2. Compile and build the source codes in "BetaDL" folder and move "BetaDL.exe" to the BetaDL_package 3. Provide input files: Residue contact Probabilities in the "residue contact probabilities" folder, e.g. "\residue contact probabilities\1e5ka.GCNN" Sequence and secondary structure in the "secondary structures" folder, e.g. "\secondary structures\1e5ka.out"4. Run "BetaDL.exe" 5. Output file: Beta-residue contact probabilities, e.g. "\test\1e5ka_DeepBBContact.out" Beta-residue pairwise alignments, e.g. "\test\1e5ka_alignmnet.out" Beta-residue contact maps, "e.g. \test\1e5ka_contactmap.out" Beta-sheet structure, e.g. "\test\1e5ka_conformation.out"****The correct answer for the sample protein (1e5ka) can be found in following address: "\correct_beta_sheet_structure\1e5ka_correct.out"Enjoy it!=======================================For more information please contact:[email protected]; [email protected]

Data for: BetaDL: a Protein Beta-sheet Predictor Utilizing a Deep Learning Model and Independent Set Solution

=======================================BetaDL: a Protein Beta-sheet Predictor Utilizing a Deep Learning Model and Independent Set Solution Prediction of beta-sheet structures (beta-residue contacts, beta-strand pairs, beta-strand pairing directions)=======================================Knowledge Engineering Research Group (KERG), Department of Computer Engineering,Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Home page: https://kerg.um.ac.ir/ Contact: [email protected]; [email protected] ======================================= Input:In order to run BetaDL the following information must be provided:1. Protein sequence and secondary structure assignment2. A residue contact Probabilities matrix3. Probability model for beta-sheet size respect to the number of beta-strands in proteinsOutput:BetaDL will predict the following information about beta sheet structure:1. Beta-residue contact maps2. Beta-strand pairs3. Beta-strand pairing directions=======================================Installation (Windows Version) and usage:1. Unzip "BetaDL_package.rar" into the "BetaDL_package" folder2. Compile and build the source codes in "BetaDL" folder and move "BetaDL.exe" to the BetaDL_package 3. Provide input files: Residue contact Probabilities in the "residue contact probabilities" folder, e.g. "\residue contact probabilities\1e5ka.GCNN" Sequence and secondary structure in the "secondary structures" folder, e.g. "\secondary structures\1e5ka.out"4. Run "BetaDL.exe" 5. Output file: Beta-residue contact probabilities, e.g. "\test\1e5ka_DeepBBContact.out" Beta-residue pairwise alignments, e.g. "\test\1e5ka_alignmnet.out" Beta-residue contact maps, "e.g. \test\1e5ka_contactmap.out" Beta-sheet structure, e.g. "\test\1e5ka_conformation.out"****The correct answer for the sample protein (1e5ka) can be found in following address: "\correct_beta_sheet_structure\1e5ka_correct.out"Enjoy it!=======================================For more information please contact:[email protected]; [email protected] DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

Deadline-constrained workflow scheduling algorithms for Infrastructure as a Service Clouds

The advent of Cloud computing as a new model of service provisioning in distributed systems encourages researchers to investigate its benefits and drawbacks on executing scientific applications such as workflows. One of the most challenging problems in Clouds is workflow scheduling, i.e., the problem of satisfying the QoS requirements of the user as well as minimizing the cost of workflow execution. We have previously designed and analyzed a two-phase scheduling algorithm for utility Grids, called Partial Critical Paths (PCP), which aims to minimize the cost of workflow execution while meeting a user-defined deadline. However, we believe Clouds are different from utility Grids in three ways: on-demand resource provisioning, homogeneous networks, and the pay-as-you-go pricing model. In this paper, we adapt the PCP algorithm for the Cloud environment and propose two workflow scheduling algorithms: a one-phase algorithm which is called IaaS Cloud Partial Critical Paths (IC-PCP), and a two-phase algorithm which is called IaaS Cloud Partial Critical Paths with Deadline Distribution (IC-PCPD2). Both algorithms have a polynomial time complexity which make them suitable options for scheduling large workflows. The simulation results show that both algorithms have a promising performance, with IC-PCP performing better than IC-PCPD2 in most cases. Keywords: Cloud computing; IaaS Clouds; Grid computing; Workflow scheduling; QoS-based schedulin

Cost-driven scheduling of grid workflows using partial critical paths

Recently, utility grids have emerged as a new model of service provisioning in heterogeneous distributed systems. In this model, users negotiate with providers on their required Quality of Service and on the corresponding price to reach a Service Level Agreement. One of the most challenging problems in utility grids is workflow scheduling, i.e., the problem of satisfying users' QoS as well as minimizing the cost of workflow execution. In this paper, we propose a new QoS-based workflow scheduling algorithm based on a novel concept called Partial Critical Path. This algorithm recursively schedules the critical path ending at a recently scheduled node. The proposed algorithm tries to minimize the cost of workflow execution while meeting a user-defined deadline. The simulation results show that the performance of our algorithm is very promising