Economic growth, CO2 emissions, and fossil fuels consumption in Iran

Environmental issues have attracted renewed interest and more attention during recent years due to climatic problems associated with the increased levels of pollution and the deterioration of the environmental quality as a result of increased human activity. This paper investigates the causal relationships between economic growth, carbon emission, and fossil fuels consumption, using the relatively new time series technique known as the Toda-Yamamoto method for Iran during the period 1967–2007. Total fossil fuels, petroleum products, and natural gas consumption are used as three proxies for energy consumption. Empirical results suggest a unidirectional Granger causality running from GDP and two proxies of energy consumption (petroleum products and natural gas consumption) to carbon emissions, and no Granger causality running from total fossil fuels consumption to carbon emissions in the long run. The results also show that carbon emissions, petroleum products, and total fossil fuels consumption do not lead to economic growth, though gas consumption does.     

Improvement of thermal properties of pigmented acrylic resin using silica aerogel

In this study, two different types of acrylic resins were synthesized through emulsion polymerization. The first category of acrylic resins contained methyl methacrylate, 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate, and acrylic acid monomers. The second composition had an additional monomer named acrylamide (AAm). The kinetic behavior of polymerization reaction was investigated. The results showed that the presence of the AAm monomer increased the monomer conversion (>90% in the first 10 min) and the rate of polymerization. Furthermore, the latexes were characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) Fourier Transform Infrared, and differential scanning calorimeter analysis. To study the effect of silica aerogel as a thermal barrier additive for acrylic resins, samples were mixed with silica aerogel using sodium dodecyl sulfate as a surfactant. In the next step, the above‐mentioned resins were used to make white acrylic‐based paints. The heat transfer measurements revealed that the thermal insulation properties were not affected by the composition of the resin. On the other hand, the use of AAm monomer increased the paint adhesion properties and helped the resin to receive more aerogel (up to 5 wt %) which in turn decreased the heat loss of the painted wall. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45640.     

Organic geochemistry of the Upper Triassic–Middle Jurassic Shemshak Group (Alborz Mountains,NE Iran)

Abstract

The organic geochemistry of shale samples of Shemshak Group at Dehmolla section in Eastern Alborz Mountains in the present study are discussed throughout the Rock-Eval pyrolysis. The results used to describe the quantity, type, maturity, and petroleum potentials of the Shemshak Group sediments. The pyrolysis data show that the total organic carbon values of the shale samples are between 0.08 and 20.98?wt% and the generation potential (S1+ S2) of the studied samples ranges from 0.02 to 9.47?mg HC/g rock revealing the organic richness of these samples varies from poor to good. The type of hydrocarbon products (S2/S3) ranging from 0.06 to 2.33 and the type of hydrocarbon determined from Tmax versus HI indicate mainly well for gas generation. Based on the HI versus OI plot diagram, the type III of kerogen is the main type of organic matter in studied samples. These data also show that most of the samples were deposited in oxic environments with low sedimentation rate and high amount of organic matter from the terrestrial source. “Tmax” values ranging from 416?°C to 602?°C in studied samples indicate that most of the samples are over mature and located in gas zone.     

A Kinetic Approach to the Oxidation of Linseed Oil as Influenced by Fruit Peel and Seeds of Pomegranate

The objective of this research is to analyze the kinetic parameters of linseed oil by treating it with pomegranate peel and seeds at 353, 368, and 383 K using Rancimat. There are no significant differences (p < 0.05) between the oxidative stability indices of samples containing pomegranate peel and pomegranate seeds. In addition, the indices pertaining to the oxidative stability of linseed oil increase in value as the concentrations of pomegranate peel and seeds increase. Apart from the pomegranate peel at 0.1% and the quercetin, all other antioxidants are able to reduce the severity of temperature‐related parameters (i.e., temperature coefficient and Q₁₀ values). In addition, these antioxidants are able to form an activated complex with lower levels of thermal energy (by reducing activation energy and enthalpy) but of more structured configuration (by reducing the frequency factor and entropy). A high correlation is found between the Gibbs free‐energy of activation and the oxidative stability index of samples. The most substantial increase in the Gibbs free‐energy of activation occurs by TBHQ, followed by gallic acid, quercetin, and pomegranate peel at 1%. Practical Applications: Linseed oil is characterized by its high amounts of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The high PUFA content of linseed oil contributes to its rapid oxidation. Pomegranate peel and seeds are valuable sources of natural antioxidants. Investigating the effect of pomegranate peel and seeds in reducing the dependence of linseed oil oxidation on temperature provides a range of valuable kinetic parameters. Nevertheless, this subject has received little attention so far. There are few published data regarding the effect of natural antioxidants on lipid oxidation by this approach. Accordingly, this study is designed to investigate the oxidation kinetics and mechanisms of linseed oil as manipulated by fruit peel and seeds of pomegranate. The results show that the fruit peel and seeds of pomegranate can improve the oxidative stability of linseed oil and reduce the severity of effects caused by undesirable temperatures that may increase the oxidation rate of linseed oil.     

Application of response surface methodology for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen (SND) removal from dairy wastewater in batch systems

The application of batch systems to the direct treatment of dairy wastewater was investigated. Batch experiments were conducted to study the organics removal and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) process. The experiment was conducted by varying four independent parameters (mixed liquor suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand [COD]/N ratio, aeration time and cycling time), using a central composite design under response surface methodology. The process responses of five dependent parameters (COD, Total kjehldahl nitrogen (TKN), NO₃ ^?, effluent NO₃ ^? and effluent total nitrogen) were studied, and in each case, the percentage removal in batch runs was determined with each process displayed in contour plots. Finally, after optimizing the process conditions, the best treatment of dairy wastewater under optimized conditions was established and the responses were shown. This study shows that microbial granules cultivated under the alternating aerobic/anaerobic conditions in batch systems could efficiently remove organic carbon and convert all the ammonium to nitrogen gas.     

Continuous dyeing and false-twist texturing of polyamide 6 yarns

The present study was conducted to investigate the possibility of continuous dyeing and texturing of polyamide 6 yarns. To achieve this goal, a false-twist texturing machine was modified with impregnation and drying zones. Dye fixation and texturing were carried out using a heater temperature of 170 °C and contact time of 1.2–1.8 s at a texturing speed in the range of 34–51 m/min. The appropriate temperature of the drying zone was found to be 400 ± 2 °C. Furthermore, a suitable dyeing formulation with selective disperse dyes was determined to achieve high colour strength and fastness. The results showed that the crimp properties of the continuously dyed and textured yarns were similar to normally textured yarns. However, the tensile properties of the continuously dyed and textured yarns were worse than those of the normally textured ones. It seems that, according to the results obtained from this laboratory-modified texturing machine, it is possible to design a pilot plant and then an industrial machine.     

Exponentially weighted control charts to monitor multivariate process variability for high dimensions

Multivariate monitoring of industrial or clinical procedures often involves more than three correlated quality characteristics and the status of the process is judged using a sample of size one. Majority of existing control charts for monitoring process variability for individual observations are capable of monitoring up to three characteristics. One of the hurdles in designing optimal control charts for large dimension data is the enormous computing resources and time that is required by simulation algorithm to estimate the charts parameters. This paper proposes a novel algorithm based on Parallelised Monte Carlo simulation to improve the ability of the Multivariate Exponentially Weighted Mean Squared Deviation and Multivariate Exponentially Weighted Moving Variance charts to monitor process variability for high dimensions in a computationally efficient way. Different techniques have been deployed to reduce computing space and execution time. The optimal control limits (L) to detect small, medium and large shifts in the covariance matrix of up to 15 characteristics are provided. Furthermore, utilising the large number of optimal L values generated by the algorithm enabled authors to develop exponential decay functions to predict L values. This eliminates the need for further execution of the parallelised Monte Carlo simulation.     

The Molecular Basis of COVID-19 Pathogenesis,Conventional and Nanomedicine Therapy

In late 2019, a new member of the Coronaviridae family, officially designated as “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2), emerged and spread rapidly. The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) outbreak was accompanied by a high rate of morbidity and mortality worldwide and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Within the Coronaviridae family, SARS-CoV-2 is considered to be the third most highly pathogenic virus that infects humans, following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Four major mechanisms are thought to be involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis, including the activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) signaling pathway, oxidative stress and cell death, cytokine storm, and endothelial dysfunction. Following virus entry and RAS activation, acute respiratory distress syndrome develops with an oxidative/nitrosative burst. The DNA damage induced by oxidative stress activates poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1), viral macrodomain of non-structural protein 3, poly (ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), and transient receptor potential melastatin type 2 (TRPM2) channel in a sequential manner which results in cell apoptosis or necrosis. In this review, blockers of angiotensin II receptor and/or PARP, PARG, and TRPM2, including vitamin D3, trehalose, tannins, flufenamic and mefenamic acid, and losartan, have been investigated for inhibiting RAS activation and quenching oxidative burst. Moreover, the application of organic and inorganic nanoparticles, including liposomes, dendrimers, quantum dots, and iron oxides, as therapeutic agents for SARS-CoV-2 were fully reviewed. In the present review, the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are explained by focusing on molecular mechanisms. Potential therapeutic targets, including the RAS signaling pathway, PARP, PARG, and TRPM2, are also discussed in depth.