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 Scientists Make Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation Device for Brain Studies
Iranian researchers succeeded in production of a Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) device which stimulates the cranium and brain with a current that cannot usually be sensed by the consumer.
“Electrical and cranial brain stimulation is one of the newest and least dangerous methods of intervention in the nervous system, which in recent years has been significantly used in the treatment of disorders like depression, drug use and Parkinson's disease,” said Mohammad Mehdi Ahmadi, a faculty member of the Amirkabir University of Technology and the head of the research team.
“Recording brain electrical signal (EEG) simultaneously with brain electrical stimulation creates many possibilities in the process of treating patients or further research in this field,” he added.
Noting that the purpose of the research project is to obtain a method for extracting the electrical signal of the brain during intracranial brain stimulation to adjust the parameters of the stimulation signal, Ahmadi said, “To record the brain signal during intracranial brain stimulation, it is necessary to remove the disturbing signal caused by the stimulation from the signal recorded from the head to extract the electrical signal of the brain in a healthy way. By using this system, research can start on the closed loop systems of electrical stimulation of alternating current.”
Iranian Firm Provides Lab Services to Monitor Quality of Street Food, Beverages
An Iranian technological company provides laboratory services for the evaluation of microbial and chemical load to monitor the quality of street food and beverages and prevent the transmission of pollution and occurrence of food poisoning.
“Our company provides laboratory services in the field of evaluation of food health monitoring, environment and health and public health,” said Erfan Aqajani, a researcher at the company.
“Due to the hot season, where the growth of bacteria and fungi is high, we monitor the food health and have prepared various tests in the two fields of microbiological and chemical to monitor the health of food, environment and the personnel,” he added.
“These tests are for the quality assessment of all types of food like meat, rice, grains, legumes, additives and beverages, specially the drinking water, because the transfer of contamination through drinking water is more than other foods that are cooked,” Aqajani said.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Domestically Produces Point Level Measurement Sensors
A knowledge-based Iranian company has produced different level measuring instruments to help the country’s oil and gas industries.
According to a report by the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, a knowledge-based company has tried to take an important step towards self-sufficiency in the country's industrial equipment field by designing and manufacturing displacer level gauges.
“A level gauge is a sensor that is used to detect the amount of material in tanks and silos. Point level measurement sensors are a very important category of accurate instruments that have broad applications in industry. These types of level gauges work based on the displacement or relocation of a mechanical component,” said Siavash Sadeghi, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
He said that displacer level gauges are used in the oil and gas industries in the field of measuring and controlling the level of liquids in large tanks, adding, “Also, this equipment is used in chemical industries in reagent storage tanks, in food and pharmaceutical industries for accurate measurement of liquid levels in production processes, and in water and sewage facilities to monitor water and sewage levels in storage tanks and tankers.”
According to Sadeghi, the level measurement method is capable of providing accurate and stable measurements, and is resistance to harsh conditions, and is suitable for use in high pressure and temperature conditions, and also with its simple design and no moving parts, it leads to a longer life for facilities.
Iranian Researchers Discover New Method to Keep Barberry Fresh in Storage for Long Time
A knowledge-based company in Iran has discovered a method for barberry storage, which enables Iranian farmers to export fresh barberries to world markets.
Morteza Chaboki, the managing director of the knowledge-based company which is located in South Khorasan Science and Technology Park in Birjand, said in an interview with local Iranian media that exports of barberries in Iran has always faced difficulties because the fruit goes rotten soon and its is difficult to keep it fresh.
He said that "microbial load", "chemical fertilizer", "residual toxins" and "heavy metals accumulation" as four important factors that contaminate barberries and make them difficult for export, saying that "The barberry tree is very compatible with the climate of South Khorasan and due to its resistance, 90% of these trees do not need any chemical fertilizers or pesticides; This means that the production of the product is completely organic, but on the other hand, after harvesting, barberry is infected with microbes if it harvested using traditional and unprincipled methods."
The managing director of the knowledge-based company pointed to the 'barberry defense shield' as their solution for preventing the spoilage of the fruit, explaining, "When the barberry starts to turn from green to red, a special type of substance in a very small amount oozes on the barberry seed, which prevents the barberry from rotting and moldy, and prevents the barberry from being watered, like a defensive shield."
"After several years of studies, inspired by this defense shield, we have offered a barberry to the market that does not need to be refrigerated or frozen. This barberry can be exported fresh to all parts of the country and other countries."
He noted that Iran produces more than 95% of the seedless barberries in the world, adding that the exported barberries were usually in dried form.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Makes Different Types of Mobile Robots
Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company have succeeded in designing various types of mobile robots and the related software.
“For about 14 years, we have been working in the field of DC motor drive control, specifically in electric wheelchairs. In our company, we can design robots in any fields needed,” Hamid Shakeri Sari, a master of electronics and the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
“Any system that needs mobility and some lifter work alongside it, we can make that driver 100% domestically,” he added.
“We have also been able to design a software that is used for rear, middle and front powered wheelchairs and solves their problems. We could settle this issue; for instance, we have made a robot that can work in the warehouse,” Shakeri Sari said.
Iranian Firm Able to Manufacture 6 Million Single-Phase, Three-Phase Digital Meters Annually
A knowledge-based company in Iran was able to produce a variety of single-phase and three-phase digital meters to meet a significant part of the country's needs and has exported them to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Experts at the knowledge-based Afzar Azma company have been able to design, conduct research and indigenize the technology of making educational devices, electrical and electronic measurement devices, advanced digital meters and smart meters.
Jamshid Bordbar, the managing director and chairman of the board of directors of the company explained that his company has for the first time in Iran succeeded in designing and producing over a dozen types of electronic measuring devices with a quality based on the international standards.
“All stages of research, design, production of circuits, hardware and software and manufacturing of metal, plastic parts and body of devices are carried out by our company and with the help of advanced equipment and automatic systems,” he added.
“Our company has succeeded in producing all types of single-phase meters and three-phase digital meters and we enjoy the capacity to produce 6 million devices of different types of meters per year,” Bordbar underlined.
Smart Meters Produced by Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Installed in Iraq, Syria
An Iranian knowledge-based company has produced and supplied more than 16 million smart meters to domestic market and exported the extra to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
A knowledge-based company in Iran, operating in the field of electronic equipment, now meets the ocuntry's need for smart meters by 80%. The company’s achievement is the result of establishing a comprehensive laboratory that has been set up at the company’s compound.
According to Jamshid Bordbar, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, the laboratory of the company has no parallel in the Middle East. Iran's Energy Ministry has used this laboratory on some occasions to conduct tests on its equipment. Even recently, the ministry’s Niroo Research Institute (NRI) has asked the knowledge-based firm to build a similar lab for the institute which is already operating.
"The meters produced in the company meets the highest technical standards in the country," the managing director went on to say.
Bordbar said that his company has offered dozens of products in technical and engineering fields for universities as well as the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI).
He said that different equipment and devices have been made in their company, including power quality measurement and troubleshooting systems as well as smart meters, adding, “16 million smart meters of this company have been installed in the country so far. These meters are effective for controlling power outages and are a solution to reduce them.”
Iranian Researcher Offers New Method for Optimal Switch Placement in Power Distribution Systems
Researchers at Shiraz University in Iran have offered a method for optimal placement of switching equipment in electric power distribution systems using machine learning.
“Optimal Placement of Switching Devices in Electric Power Distribution Systems Using Machine Learning Methods" is the title of Ph.D. dissertation of Mehrdad Ebrahimi at Iran’s Shiraz University.
“Supplying high-quality and uninterrupted electrical power is one of the most important goals of power system planners. Also, the wideness of the electric power distribution system and the variety of equipment have made the distribution systems to be exposed to various damages, such as the collision of trees and birds with electrical equipment.
Therefore, it is important to create suitable infrastructure and equip the electrical power distribution system with switching equipment such as circuit breakers, separators to facilitate and accelerate the power outage management process,” the Shiraz University researcher said.
Machine learning (ML) is a field of study in artificial intelligence concerned with the development and study of statistical algorithms that can learn from data and generalize to unseen data and thus perform tasks without explicit instructions.
“Today, the high accuracy and efficiency of machine learning methods have made them very useful in solving many problems such as foreign currency prices prediction, image processing, and translation from one language to another,” he said, adding that the ML is a growing trend that has been used for controlling, planning and developing power systems in recent years.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces Advanced Protective Relays for Power Industry
Experts at an Iranian knowledge-based company have domestically designed and produced advanced protective relays for power industry.
Sohail Sadat Safavi, one of the managers of the knowledge-based company told ANA that their companies produces ‘Pishtaz’ advanced industrial protective. “Advanced digital protection relays have advanced telecommunication protocols (such as DNP3 and IEC61850) that are used in the ultra-high distribution substations. These relays are used in industries such as oil, gas, petrochemical, steel, cement and iron smelting.”
“The purpose of producing this product is to locally produce advanced protective relays for ultra-high substations and industries in order to reduce dependence on similar foreign-made products,” he said.
“In electric power distribution, various errors may occur, such as lightning striking the lines, ruptures in transmission lines, and the occurrence of a shortcoming inside the equipment, and if these errors are not detected and resolved in the due time, it will cause the spread of errors and fire breakout and serious financial losses,” he continued to explain.
“The purpose of protective relay operation is to prevent the spread of errors in the shortest possible time... Protective relays must operate very quickly and accurately and have very high reliability, which requires reliable, accurate hardware and the use of complicated protective algorithms,” Safavi also said.
“By using ARM series processors and very accurate measurement circuits in the hardware part of this relay and implementing complicated protection algorithms in the software part, Pishtaz relays currently enjoy having the same technology as the most advanced relays in the world,” the company’s representative said.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Design, Produce 1st ‘Saffron Analyzer’
Experts at a knowledge-based firm in Iran have designed and produced a device to analyze the quality of saffron which is called “Saffron Analyzer”.
The Saffron analyzer is designed by a knowledge-based company which was established in 2016. The company specializes in designing and producing advanced optical, spectroscopic, and electro-optical devices, as well as offering consulting, design, and services in those areas.
Mohammad Javad Kargar Shurki, the managing director of the knowledge-based company said that the saffron business in need of saffron analyzer methods and instruments to accurately determine the quality and study cases of saffron fraud and impurities in a fast and cost-effective way.
The quality of saffron can be determined by using a wide range of analytical techniques and saffron analyzer devices.
“Nowadays, food industries have increasingly turned to spectrophotometry to determine the quality of saffron and detect fraud,” added Kargar Shukri.
He said that the analyzer evaluates saffron based on three key components: crocin (colour compounds), picrocrocin (bitter taste), and safranal (aroma). "By leveraging high-speed CMOS detectors and a sophisticated optical system, the analyzer significantly reduces data collection time and improves spectral resolution, setting a new standard in saffron analysis," he added.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces Spray to Treat, Prevent Influenza
Researchers at a knowledge-based company have produced a type of spray to prevent and treat influenza by using red algae, which according to them, can be used for both children and adults.
“This product is a spray to help reduce the symptoms of cold, coronavirus and also allergic rhinitis,” said Amirhossein Esmaili one of the technologists at the knowledge-based company said, after saying that the name of their product is “Coldanese Plus”.
He named one of the data-x-items used in the producing the spray as ‘Carrageenan’, a natural compound derived from red algae, continuing, “Xylitol is one of the other ingredients of this spray. Utah-carrageenan has antiviral activity and is resistant to all types of respiratory viruses, including colds, influenza, rhinoviruses, herpes simplex and coronavirus (Corona virus NL63, SARS-CoV-2).”
“Using Xylitol in this medicine compound is to prevent middle-ear infection,” he said.
"This drug, with its unique formulation, physically forms a protective membrane on the surface of the nasal mucosa, which prevents the sitting of and effect of pathogenic viruses such as influenza and cold viruses to the nasal mucosa. This formulation can also inactivate and destroy viruses attached to nasal mucus,"Esmaili said.
The researcher said that the drug will work for children and adults, adding that it can be prescribed even for pregnant women.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produce Organic Fertilizer from Textile Waste
Experts at a technology company in Iran have used textile waste to produce an innovative organic fertilizer.
Reyhane Sadat Rafiei Alavi Alawijeh, the managing director of technology company “Tochal Kesht Sabz” based in Science and Technology Park of the Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch (IAUN) said that her company was founded in 2023 and it specializes in agricultural field based on organic products.
She who has a PhD in analytical chemistry added that they got the idea from a problem that the textile industry faced in terms of waste, saying that their organic fertilizer which is produced from textile waste also helps the environment and society’s health.
The Tochal Kesht Sabz managing director further said that organic fertilizer has no unpleasant smell and is free from insect eggs and weed seeds. Its use in the production of crops not only produces an organic product by absorbing moisture, but also reduces the amount of water consumption by about 30% and helps the farmer not to use toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, she added.
She also said that their team of researchers are working on producing more innovative technological products.
“This biological product has been produced for the first time in the world using this type of raw material and method,” she noted.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces Different Kinds of Drugs for Livestock, Poultry
Experts at a knowledge-based company in Iran have successfully produced different types of livestock and poultry medicines for the first time in the country.
“Our knowledge-based company with the aim of producing medicines used in the country's livestock and poultry industry and also exporting the medicines to the regional countries of was established in 1998. The company’s first phase of the factory was established on a land of 12,000 square meters and an infrastructure of 14,000 square meters located in the industrial city of Hashtgerd near the capital Tehran," said Farzad Zainali, the CEO of the knowledge-based company.
He furthur said that their company has seven completely separate production lines for various forms of animal medicine, adding, “Injectable solutions, types of injectable suspensions, sterile injectable powders of the beta-lactam group (penicillins and cephalosporins), different types of oral solutions and suspensions, powders soluble in water and mixed in different drug groups, including different antibiotics, insecticides, painkillers and anti-inflammatories, anti-allergy drugs and antihistamines, water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins and different kinds of minerals in the form of powder, oral solution and injection solutions, all kinds of electrolytes and injectable and oral serums are being produced in the factory.”
According to him, the company's quality control and research and development laboratories are equipped with all accurate measuring devices to detect and analyze all types of raw materials and pharmaceutical products.
Iranian Researchers have conducted research on the impact of miRNA-149-5p on an improvement of neurological deficits during stroke (brain attack).
“Studying the potential pretreatment impact of miRNA-149-5p on an improvement in neurological deficits in stroke in rats" is the title of a PhِِD dissertation done by Mohammad Reza Bigdeli with the support of the INSF at the Tehran-based Tarbiat Modares University," Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) said in a report.
"85% of all strokes are ischemic strokes, while hemorrhagic strokes account for 15% of strokes. Recently, significant progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke, especially in ischemic stroke," Bigdeli said.
"Despite the broad knowledge that has been developed in the field of stroke pathophysiology in the last 30 years; Still, the only way of treatment is the use of tissue plasminogen activator drugs. However, only 5% to 10% patients with ischemic stroke can benefit from it due to the limited time of using the drug and its side effects," the researcher said.
"Meanwhile, effective neuroprotection for ischemic stroke is an excellent method ...Several treatments, medical as well as surgical, are being studied. The use of miRNAs is classified in this field," he said.
"One of the important and new methods for transferring miRNAs to cells is using lentiviruses. These viruses are known as efficient vectors for the transfer of genes and miRNAs and can stably and efficiently transfer genetic materials to target cells," he further said.
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