Top News of Last Week with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows:
Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Offers IoT Based Security System to Domestic Market
A knowledge-based company in Iran has introduced a security system based on the Internet of Things (IoT) to the domestic market in order to improve the security of various places against any break-ins and other risks.
Seyyed Mohammad Elias Mousavi, the managing director of the Iranian knowledge-based company said that their factory produces security hardware systems based on IoT technology as its main area of activity.
The Internet of things describes devices with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communications networks.
Mousavi said that their company's experts conducted a research on the security systems available in the market and discovered that those systems have old designs and work fully offline. “Therefore, according to the company's experience in the field of designing and building hardware systems based on the Internet of Things (IoT), the experts decided to design and produce the first IoT security system,” he added.
He said that their IoT based security system is of many uses for houses, companies and other buildings.
Iranian Technologists Find New Method to Remove Unpleasant Smell of Sewage Treatment Plants
Iranian scientists have found a new method by using nanotechnology to remove the unpleasant smell of sewage treatment plants and urban manholes.
“Kimiagaran Sanat Amirkabir company uses nanofiltration technology as a new method to remove smell of wastewater in sewage treatment plants and urban manholes,” said Seyed Mohsen Hosseini, the managing director of Kimiagaran Sanat Amirkabir company.
He also referred to the features of the nanoabsorbents used in the technology, saying that they enjoy porous structure, high absorption capacity, surface reactivation capability, selectivity and low price, adding, "The nanoabsorbents used in the technology can even be used in agricultural industry after the end of their lifespan."
Iranian Researchers Design, Produce Ultra-lightweight Wheelchairs
Iranian researchers have produced an ultra light-weight and very firm wheelchair made of carbon fibers that is highly compatible with human posture.
Masoud Nemati, the managing director of the Iranian knowledge-based company said that he and his fellow researchers in the company have focused their activity on designing and manufacturing medical tools to help the elderly to recover.
“Ultra light-weight wheelchairs are an excellent choice for patients because they can be used very easily. These wheelchairs are made of very light and resistant materials, which is one of prominent features or the Iran-made wheelchairs,” the researcher said.
He said that using ordinary wheelchairs can come with difficulties for people with limited mobility.
According to the researcher, lots of people in Iran are not familiar with comfortable and really helpful wheelchairs, stressing the need for a shift in the people’s knowledge of different wheelchairs.
“For the first time, this knowledge-based company has succeeded in designing such an ultra light-weight and resistant wheelchair, which needs to be introduced to the [domestic] market,” he underscored.
Specialists in Iran Make Herbal Antibacterial Leather Tonic
Researchers at an Iranian nanotechnology company succeeded in production of a new type of herbal antibacterial tonic for cleaning and protection of leather.
Zohreh Mesgari, the head of research and development department of Kimia Pajouhesh Mahan company, explained about the advantages of the company's herbal tonic, saying that its ingredients are natural and synthetic, and no refined oil compounds or petroleum substances were used in its production.
“The presence of special softeners in the tonic formulation, penetration of coefficient amount of the tonic in the leather, and the special ingredients used in its formulation provide the required moisture for the leather surface,” she added.
Mesgari noted that the ingredients used in the tonic do not cause any sensitivity in the skin and the tonic has been formulated in a way that it enjoys an extraordinary capability in cleaning, softening and glossing the leather surfaces, adding that the tonic can be used for natural and artificial leather.
Iranian Researchers Locally Produce Cardiac Equipment
Researchers at an Iranian knowledge-based company have successfully produced advanced equipment in the field of cardiology such as electrocardiograph.
Mehdi Eskandari, managing director of the knowledge-based company, pointed to the production of advanced equipment in the field of cardiology in their company, saying, “Considering the need for timely diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular complications, this field is of great importance.”
He further said that the advanced equipment in the field of cardiology used to be only imported with high price.
“The basic application of these knowledge-based products is in the initial diagnosis as well as the treatment stages of heart-related problems,” Eskandari said, adding, “These products enjoy high technology and are very vital fir cardiovascular patients.”
He said that single-use electrocardiography electrode is one of the products produced in their company, adding, “This product is used in exercise testing, Holter monitoring, operating room, ECG recording and long-term taking care of hospitalized patients, etc.”
Official: Iranian Geologists Succeeded in Analyzing 57 types of Minerals
Head of the Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration of Iran (GSI) Alireza Shahidi said that the country’s geologists have analyzed 57 types of minerals so far.
“It was thought that there are 68 minerals in Iran up to now but our data indicates the existence of 81 minerals in the country,” Shahidi said.
“We had analyzed 40 minerals in the past but in the transformation plan, this number has increased to 57 minerals, and these analyzes are based on advanced methods,” he added.
Shahidi also noted that geoscience database is a web-based system where geological information is uploaded, adding that 1,500 layers of information have been uploaded so far.
“Mineral exploration has a share of 7% to 8% in the country's GDP, and if natural hazards are controlled, this amount will be maintained,” he underlined.
Artificial Intelligence Could Be Promising Alternative to Animal Models
With the enormous progress made within the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application in many fields such as medicine and chemistry, scientists at the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja have proposed the AI as an alternative to animal.
The use of animals in science experimentation is a double-edged sword: this research has saved countless human lives and has advanced our scientific understanding, but at the same time, has come at a high cost paid by the animals involved, the Advanced Science News reported.
Animal testing has been carried out for centuries, with the first references made as early the 3rd and 4th centuries BC in the writings of Greek physician-philosophers such as Aristotle (384-322 BC), who used animals to reveal important internal features in mammals. Without animal tests, it would be hard to imagine the advent of life changing medical innovations, such as vaccines, antibiotics, drugs like insulin to treat diabetes, and a host of others.
With the advent of genetic engineering, scientists have been able to better model human diseases and disorders such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, various cancers, and Parkinson’s disease, to name just a few.
While immensely important from the standpoint of modern medicine and research, the fact is that in recent years in the European Union alone, 9 million animals are used every year in the lab.
This data is disturbing and is the subject of continuous controversy due to the ethical implications related to the suffering of these animals, giving rise to many initiatives against animal testing and in favor of alternative methods.
Aside from the complex ethical questions being raised, there is also the concern regarding the accuracy of animal models in mimicking what a specific drug would do in a human body, especially when it comes to mimicking toxicology.
Iranian, Foreign Researchers Jointly Work on Quantum Music Project
Iranian researchers in cooperation with researchers and engineers from other countries are implementing the quantum music project hoping that they will link music and quantum physics to make the genre of quantum music available to the public by 2025.
Bijan Norouz, an Iranian quantum physicist, acoustic and electroacoustic music engineer, musician, and director of one of the start-up companies operating in the field of scientific and astronomical music in Iran told Iranian media that quantum physics are theories about substances as small as atoms or smaller than atoms while music, from a scientific perspective, is simply vibrations in the air made up of different frequencies.
“In fact, the concept of quantum music is largely fictional, because quantum physics is still under study itself,” Norouz said.
“Scientists in this field rely on the laws of quantum mechanics to apply in their own favor. In this sense, since when atoms collide, quantum particles show acoustic properties; it is believed that these features could in theory be translated into sound, which might be possible for humans to hear under the right conditions,” the researcher further explained.
He considered the quantum music project as an examination of relationship between complicated issues in quantum physics or more precisely quantum acoustics and music.
Iranian Nanotechnology Company Makes Nanofibers on Industrial Scale
An Iranian technological firm used nanotechnology to produce nanofibers on an industrial scale for different applications.
Nader Naderi, the managing director of Fanavaran Nanomeqyas company, elaborated on the company's production of nanofibers, saying, “The industrial production line of nanofiber (INFL6100B) and polymer/ceramic nanofiber on an industrial scale for various applications has 1 to 8 electrospinning units based on customer’s needs.”
“The electrospinning parameters and conditions like spinner and collector settings, electrospinning distance, linear speed of the used substrate, temperature and operating time of the device in the nanofiber industrial production line, can be controlled and adjusted by using an integrated advanced control system,” Naderi added.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Designs Smart Alert System for Drowsy Driver Detection
Researchers at an Iranian knowledge-based company have designed an internet-based system to detect and alert drowsy drivers to prevent accidents.
“We succeeded in designing a monitoring system to control drowsy drivers to prevent traffic accidents resulting from driver drowsiness and fatigue and their inattention to the road,” said Mohsen Abdul Hadi, the managing director of a knowledge-based company who has designed the internet-based monitoring system said.
“This system in a smart way tries to keep the person awake. It alerts the driver with vibration or making sound through an alarm system. The lavel of warnings varies according to the level of alertness and drowsiness of the driver,” he added.
“The researcher said that the alert system analyzes the person's behavior pattern and wakes the person up in case of drowsiness. It is used in operating room, airplane control room, train control room, etc,” he further noted.
“Through the system, one can see online in a traffic control center whether the drivers are okay or not. It is also possible to observe the geographical location and the overall behavior of the person on the way. We are planning to add a new feature to the system, which is to identify high-risk drivers while driving including drivers who have taken drugs or are drunk,” Abdul Hadi added.
Official: Iranian Gov’t to Provide Nomads with 220k Solar Panels in 2 Years
The Iranian government has vowed to supply the country’s nomads with 220,000 solar panels in two years to generate electricity.
“30,000 out of 251,000 nomadic households have solar panels,” Siavash Ahmadi Mirqa’ed, the head of Nomadic Affairs Organization of Iran, told ANA.
“The President recently issued a decree that the Ministry of Energy should provide 220,000 solar panels to the nomads in two years so that they can benefit from electricity,” he added.
Ahmadi Mirqa’ed also pointed out that increasing the productivity of livestock is a field in which technical know-how is effective, adding, “We started with scientific research centers so that these centers can boost the productivity of livestock by presenting and transferring scientific materials to the nomads.”
Iranian Company Designs Drone to Rescue Drowning Victims
A group of researchers at an Iranian company have utilized artificial intelligence to design and produce a UAV that can save people drowning after an accident on water.
Mohammad Reza Zakariapour, a member of the research team at the Iranian knowledge-based firm said that they managed to design a search and rescue drone called "Fakhran Lifeguard UAV”.
He said that the drone drops a life vest into the sea to save the drowning person.
He added that the lifeguard UAV can fly up to three kilometers over the sea to drop lifebuoys and save the victim.
Saying that the drone can be used by naval forces and shipping companies as a very useful machine to save drowning people, Zakariapour said, “Reducing the time to discover the location of drowning, dispatching equipment and lifeguard team to the scene of the accident in a fully automatic and accurate manner, dropping life vests or lifebuoys on time and quickly, and installing GPS on the lifebuoys are among the advantages of this knowledge-based product.”
Nanotechnology Boosts Medicinal Properties of Iranian Herbs
An Iranian nanotechnology company uses new methods to increase the medicinal properties of different herbal plants, including cumin and green cardamom.
“The properties of medicinal plants with nano-dimension extracts increase significantly in a way that in some cases, the properties have seen a 10-fold improvement compared to ordinary extracts,” said Mehdi Ahmadi, the managing director of Jostojougaran Nano Sanat company.
He added that by using the herbal plants’ extracts in nano dimensions, they show some of their potential useful properties.
“Reducing the size of particles to the nanoscale increases their depth of penetration,” Ahmadi said, adding that the company has achieved the formulation of 30 types of extracts of herbal plants.
Iran-Made Remote-Reading Water Meters Utilized in 4 Iranian Cities
Smart platforms and remote-reading water meters, which were developed by the Iranian researchers with the aim of collecting the customers’ information in one platform, are now being used in four cities.
“One of the products of our company is a remote-reading water meter whose pilot model was first used in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province,” Seyed Rasoul Alborzi, the managing director of a knowledge-based company which produces the water meters, told ANA.
Stressing the importance of water shortage and controlling consumption in Iran, he said that by using the platform, the customers can also see the numbers related to their consumption.
Alborzi said that the remote-reading water meters are now being used in four cities in Markazi, Yazd, East Azerbaijan and Khuzestan provinces, adding, “Several industrial towns and greenhouses are also using the product.”
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