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:

Iran Ranks 2nd in Chem-E-Car 2024

Iranian students from Amirkabir University of Technology won the second place in the Chem-E-Car 2024 competition in Rourkela, India.

The annual competition which was held on August 9-11 engages college students in designing and constructing a car powered by a chemical energy source.

The Chem-E-Car Competition, organized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), involves multiple regional competitions and a final competition at the Annual Student Conference, and is aimed at increasing awareness of the chemical engineering discipline among the public, industry leaders, educators, and other students. This year 15 teams attended the event.

All participants in an AIChE Chem-E-Car Competition must take and pass the AIChE Chem-E-Car Safety Training Course with a minimum score of 80 percent.

Students are also required to design small-scale automobiles (the dimensions of the car are to be within 20x30x40 cm), along with a poster describing their research.

Cars must operate using "green" methods, which do not release any pollution or waste in the form of a visible liquid or gas, such as exhaust.

The car designed by the Iranian team started using an electrochemical reaction, stopped using another chemical reaction, and successfully placed second.

Iran Exports over 4.9 Million Tons of Steel Products in 5 Months

Iran exported over 4.9 million tons of steel products in the past 5 months of the current Persian calendar year (started on March 20), the country’s customs office announced.

Figures of Iran’s customs office showed that Iran had exported some 4.979 million tons of steel products in the five months and the exports of steel products from the country reached a total of $2.566 billion.

Steel ingots accounted for $651 million worth of exports while rebar and steel sheet were respectively responsible for $455 million and $210 million worth of the shipments in the April-August period, showed the figures.

Iran’s customs office said the country had exported $140 million worth of steel pipes or profiles and $135 million worth of semi-finished steel products over the same period.

Iran has increasingly relied on exports of metals and mining products in recent years amid US sanctions that have caused restriction to its oil exports.

Iranian steel exports have also increased amid an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine which has affected supplies from the two major steel producing nations.

Iran Standing among Developing States in Manufacturing Smart Hearing Aid

An Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in producing smart and digital in-ear hearing aids.

“At present, only two countries in North America and four countries in Europe, enjoy this technology,” said Aria Khamseh, the sales and distribution manager of the knowledge-based company.

Noting that his company's smart and digital hearing aid, which has been developed based the most up-to-date technologies, brings good sound quality and easy user experience to hearing impaired people, he said, “This product is specially suitable for people who live in noisy work environments or are constantly exposed to loud noises.”

Khamseh also described the repair of hearing equipment and hearing evaluation devices as one of the other fields of activity of his company, and said, “This company is known as one of the leading companies in this field by providing high-quality services and reasonable prices.”

Iran’s Export of Fishery Products Increases 24 Percent in 5 Months

The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced that the country’s export of fishery products in the first five months of the current Persian calendar year (started on March 20) showed a 24% growth compared to the same period last year.

According to the IRICA, Iran exported 68,000 tons of fishery worth $138 million in the five-month period of this year, also indicating 32 percent rise in terms of year on year.

Also as previously announced by the director general of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture’s Office of Quality Improvement, Processing, and Aquatic Market, the value of Iran’s fishery export increased by over 30 percent during the first quarter of this Iranian calendar year (March 20-June 20), as compared to the same period of time in the past year.

Abbas Mokhtari said that the country exported 73,369 tons of fishery valued at $121.4 million in the first quarter of this year, while the figure was 52,282 tons worth $93.1 million in the same time span of the past year.

He added that the country exported 73,369 tons of fishery valued at $121.4 million in the first quarter of this year, while the figure was 52,282 tons worth $93.1 million in the same time span of the past year.

The official also announced that the quarterly fishery export indicates over 40 percent rise in terms of weight year on year.

Iranian Scientist Finds Link between Popular Weight-Loss Drugs, Stomach Paralysis

A new research by a British Columbia University team, headed by the Iranian scientist Mahyar Etminan, showed that medications known as GLP-1 agonists—which includes brands like Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus and Saxenda—are associated with an increased risk of serious medical conditions, including stomach paralysis, pancreatitis and bowel obstruction.

While previous studies highlighted some of these risks in patients with diabetes, this is the first large, population-level study to examine adverse gastrointestinal events in non-diabetic patients using the drugs specifically for weight loss. The findings were published in JAMA.

“There have been anecdotal reports of some patients using these drugs for weight loss and then presenting with repeated episodes of nausea and vomiting secondary to a condition referred to as gastroparesis,” said senior author Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an epidemiologist and associate professor in the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the UBC faculty of medicine. “But until now, there hasn’t been any data from large epidemiologic studies.”

“Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients thinking about using them for weight loss,” said first author Mohit Sodhi, a graduate of UBC’s experimental medicine program and fourth year UBC medical student studying the adverse events of commonly prescribed medications. “The risk calculus will differ depending on whether a patient is using these drugs for diabetes, obesity or just general weight loss. People who are otherwise healthy may be less willing to accept these potentially serious adverse events.”

GLP-1 agonists were originally developed for managing Type 2 diabetes, but exploded in popularity over the past decade as an off-label weight-loss tool, reaching approximately 40 million prescriptions in the U.S. in 2022.

It was only in 2021 that some forms of the medications were approved as a treatment for obesity. However, randomized clinical trials examining the efficacy of the medications for weight loss were not designed to capture rare gastrointestinal events due to their small sample sizes and short follow-up periods.

Iran-Made Fogger Machine Prevents Frost in Fruit Trees

The head of the Agricultural and Livestock Products Innovation House of Islamic Azad University’s Maraqeh Branch announced the production of a fogging machine to prevent freezing in fruit trees.

“Maraqeh is one of the garden cities of East Azerbaijan province (in Northwestern Iran) where many agricultural products are produced,” Mino Tayefeh Nouri told ANA.

She underlined that production of fruitful and non-fruitful tree seedlings resistant to environmental stresses like late spring colds and early autumn colds and resistance to dehydration, production of houseplants resistant to dehydration and compatible with regional conditions, production of fogger devices to prevent fruit trees from freezing in gardens, cultivation of spirulina algae for food and medical purposes, cultivation of medicinal plants like rosemary and lavender, breeding of multiple sheep, quail breeding, production of pumps with special function for use in tractors and production of barley and dry wheat are among the activities of the innovation house.

Iranian Scientists Use Two-Stage Filtration System to Produce High-Quality Water

Iranian researchers at a company stationed at the incubator center of Sahand University of Technology in Tabriz succeeded in designing and making a two-stage water purification system to produce high-quality water.

“In cities and areas where there is fresh water, we only need to remove microbial pollution and change the taste and smell of water. Two-stage systems remove microbial load and bad taste and odor from water,” Ali Akbar Babalou, a faculty member of Sahand University of Technology, the chairman of the board of directors and a technologist of the company, told ANA.

Noting that in the first step, the carbon filter easily removes the taste and smell of water, he added, “In the second stage, the ceramic membrane removes microbial contamination.”

Babalou underlined that the certificates that his company has obtained from Iran’s water authority and microbiological laboratories like the University of Tehran show that all these contaminants are removed by ceramic membranes.

“Membranes also have no water loss and can purify all water. After some time, they can be washed and reused. This device preserves all useful water salts like calcium, magnesium and iron, as a result, people drink high-quality water,” he said.

Iranian Experts Construct Prefab Concrete Sheds Resistant to Earthquake, Fire

Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company succeeded in designing and building prefabricated concrete sheds which are resistant to earthquake and fire.

“A prefabricated concrete shed is a structure that consists of prefabricated concrete parts. Prefabricated parts are made in the form of modules with standard dimensions for manufacturing plants and are used after transportation and installation on site,” Mohammad Imani, a researcher working at the research and development (R&D) unit of the company, told ANA.

He added that fast and easy installation with the ability to educate the general public on technical issues, the ability to compete with metal sheds in terms of price, and resistance to the most severe earthquakes in Iran, weather factors (snow, rain, storm, etc.), fire and the destructive effects of chemicals are among other features of this prefabricated structure.

Noting that these structures can also be repaired after an earthquake without collapsing, Imani said, “Prefab structures are cost-effective compared to conventional structures as the construction time is reduced.”

“It usually takes 5-6 months to build a structure, but the parts of these structures are bolted and installed on a flat surface in just two days. The carpentry process of these structures takes about 2 to 3 months. In total, a structure of 200 meters is built within 2 to 3 months,” he added.

Iranian Scientists Produce Anti-Alzheimer's Chewing Gum, Candies with Nano Materials

A joint project of researchers of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences and Ferdowsi University led to the production of a nano supplement for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

“In this joint project, we produced a pharmaceutical supplement for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's, which has also been patented and is in the production phase after completing the clinical phases,” said Maria Beyhaqqi, one of the researchers of Ferdowsi University.

Noting that this complementary medicine is produced in the form of candy and chewing gum, she said, "Production of this medicine in the form of syrup is also on our agenda."

“This medicine which has been produced based on nanoparticles contains natural products of fencol and quercetin nanoparticles, and in addition to treating and preventing Alzheimer's, prevents mouth, esophagus and stomach cancers, destroys cancer cells, improves allergy symptoms, reduces inflammation, releases histamine compounds in allergic reactions, controls blood sugar, prevents infection and neurological diseases, helps prevent heart diseases and reduce high blood pressure, increase the body's immune system and reduce skin irritation,” Beyhaqqi said.

Iranian Scientists Study Different Applications of Carbon Nanomaterials in Biomedicine

 Iranian researchers of the Human and Animal Cell Bank of the National Center for Genetic and Biological Resources in a joint study with their colleagues at Royan Research Institute of the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research investigated the biological applications of carbon-based nanomaterials in regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and cancer treatment.

In this review study, the new developments in the application of carbon nanotube products in the regenerative treatments of various organs, including the liver, nervous system, heart, vascular system, and bone tissue engineering, have been compared and analyzed in the last 10 years.

Also, the use of carbon nanomaterials for the precise transfer of drugs to the place of their effect, which is another area of ​​interest for researchers, has created great hope for the widespread use of these materials in medical sciences. These compounds, in addition to the innovative and non-invasive aspects of their uses in biomedicine, enjoy high efficiency, which can settle the problem of using dangerous and toxic chemicals on a nano scale.

This article will help the scientists interested in this field to understand the weaknesses and strengths of this branch of science.

Iranian Company Exports Pharmaceutical Products to 9 Countries

A knowledge-based pharmaceutical company in Iran has succeeded to mass-produce and export its pharmaceutical products to nine countries.

Amir Esmayeel Saqafinia, the managing-director of the knowledge-based company, said that the synthesis of nitroglycerin pharmaceutical raw material, the mass-production of nitroglycerin continuous release tablets and knowledge-based iodofolic products are among the achievements of the company.

“We are one of the few pharmaceutical companies that succeeded in obtaining a GMP certificate for pharmaceutical products (general solids - dry powder suspension) by following the principles and standards of pharmaceutical product production,” he noted.

“Also, the production of nitroglycerin granules ready to be pressed and nitroglycerin soluble in ethanol and propylene glycol for injectable use and soluble in Miglyol for the production of sublingual pearls based on the latest PIC/S international standard from the Food and Drug Organization of the Ministry of Health are other activities of our company,” Saqafinia said.

“Our products have been exported to 9 countries, including Ukraine, Georgia, Lebanon, Armenia, Russia, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Philippines,” he added.

Iranian Knowledge-Based Firms to Participate in MIPCOM Expo in France

The pavilion of knowledge-based and creative companies in animation is due to be held at the MIPCOM exhibition in Cannes, France.

The trade show for the television industry, MIPCOM (The Mother of all Entertainment Content Markets), is held in France, every year.

The Organization for the Development of International Scientific and Technological Cooperation is setting up a pavilion for creative and knowledge-based companies in animation at the French MIPCOM exhibition, the largest and most prestigious specialized event in the entertainment content field in Cannes, France.

In MIPCOM 2023 , a creative Iranian company operating in the domain of film-making has managed to draw the attention of European and Indian investors and sign investment contracts after presenting two animation movies called ‘Mewtoon’ and ‘The Owly Family’ to the MIPCOM CANNES exhibition held in France.

The deadline for registration of companies to participate in this event has been set until September 2.

Researchers Produce Chemical Fertilizers Proper to Iran's Regional Weather Conditions

Iranian researchers at a technological company succeeded in producing chemical fertilizers with a different composition based on the weather conditions, plants and soil of each region.

“We produce all types of NPK fertilizers, specialized fertilizers for citrus fruits, pomegranates, palm trees, tomatoes, cold and tropical fruit trees, alfalfa, corn, wheat, barley and summer crops,” Nouroddin Goudarzian, a PhD of polymer chemistry and managing-director and founder of ‘Rouyesh’ company, told ANA.

“These types of compounds have recently become common in Europe and most developing countries, and in addition to controlling agricultural pests and reducing the use of agricultural pesticides, they play an important role in soil preparation and preventing groundwater pollution. Mass produced samples were supplied to the farmers and the results were completely satisfactory,” he added.

Noting that the field of activity of his company is the production of chemical chelate fertilizers, NPK and organic fertilizers with the combination of micronutrients required by plants and toxic fertilizers, Goudarzian said, “Thanks to having home-made technology and devices, it is possible to make any type of chemical fertilizer with any type of combination suitable for the climatic conditions, plants and soil of all regions.”

Iranian Experts Make Spraying, Pollinating Drones for Agricultural Industry

A knowledge-based company in Iran succeeded in producing a solution-spraying and solid-spraying drone for use in the agricultural industry.

“Our achievements include the production of specialized agricultural drones and related training and services,” said Mehran Shahrouz, a member of the board of directors of the knowledge-based company.

“The product for which we obtained the knowledge-based certificate is the brushless engine testing machine. This device is patented and used for QC of UAV propulsion subsystems,” he added.

“In the field of agricultural drones, there were many dissatisfied users in the country, because the after-sales service and the quality of the products of the companies in this field were not enough despite the efforts made. Using our experiences, we have produced a device where farmers can benefit from sustainable after-sales service in addition to the training they receive,” Shahrouz said. 

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