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 to Launch Technology Trading Hall
Launching the Iranian technology trading hall was discussed at a technology trade and exchange meeting hosted by Pardis Science and Technology Park near Tehran, attended by regional technology market managers and technology brokers.
“Based on an approval on the establishment of the International Innovation Zone of Iran, the launch of the Iranian technology trading hall has been assigned to Pardis Technology Park, and we are trying to launch this hall in the second half of the next Persian calendar year (to start on March 21),” said Mehdi Saffarinia, the head of Pardis Science and Technology Park and Head of the Iranian National Technology Market Council.
He underlined that initial negotiations have been held with various sectors, including stock exchanges, to establish this hall.
“The basis of this hall is trading and injects economic investment capacities into technology. In the past 15 years, the Iranian National Technology Market network has been developed throughout the country, and at present, the technology market structure has been formed in all provinces,” Saffarinia said.
Iran Unveils Monitoring System to Increase Production at 5 Oilfields
Iran unveiled a new monitoring system aimed at boosting production and developing five oilfields across the country.
The advanced system, equipped with unique capabilities, is expected to play a significant role in optimizing and enhancing oil production efficiency at Aban, Paydar Gharb, Cheshmeh Khosh, Dalpari, and Paydar Sharq oilfields.
During the ceremony, Hamid Bovard, the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), underlined the importance of adopting new technologies and applying them to other oilfields across the country.
He also underlined the need to ensure data security during internet-based transfers and expressed readiness to expand oil cooperation with Russian companies.
Bovard also remotely activated the downhole pump of Well No. 21 in the Aban oilfield using the new system.
Amirkabir University Ready to Conduct Research on Making High-Quality Lightweight Concrete
The president of Amirkabir University of Technology, a well-known academic center in the Iranian capital city of Tehran, announced readiness to carry out research on producing high-quality lightweight concrete.
“Lightweight aggregate materials play an important role in mechanical and ductility characteristics that should be given special attention. Accordingly, if there is a demand, we are willing to conduct research in this field,” said Alireza Rahayee.
“Our colleagues have studied a set of numerical studies under the effect of various loads on lightweight concrete panels for use in lightweight protective systems as walls that can withstand explosive loads. This is currently in the initial research phase and will be completed based on the needs of the development industry,” he added.
Rahayee, meantime, noted that when the issue of load-bearing capacity for lightweight concrete produced in the country is raised, more attention should be paid to the issue of lightweight aggregates which are available in two types of natural and artificial in Iran.
Iranian scientist Saman Maleki and his colleagues at Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) of St. Joseph’s Health Care London and London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) are the first in the world to study capsules containing microbes from the gut of healthy volunteers to improve the response of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer to chemotherapy.
“We will study how the gut bacteria of pancreatic cancer patients change after treatment with fecal transplants and how this affects their immune system. Our goal is to determine whether a successful shift in the gut microbiome is connected to a better response to chemotherapy,” says Saman Maleki, PhD, Scientist at LHSCRI.
“Pancreatic cancer has a poor survival rate of approximately 10 per cent over five years and is expected to be the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada in the next few years,” says Dr. John Lenehan, Scientist at LHSCRI and Medical Oncologist at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). “Through this study, we aim to offer a new, innovative treatment to patients.”
Research has shown that cancerous tumours have their own microbial community of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that helps the cancer defend itself from conventional treatments like chemotherapy. Early preclinical evidence studies suggests that fecal transplants delivered via the innovative capsules - known as LND101 - could alter the microbial composition of the tumour and make it more receptive to conventional therapy.
The Phase I safety trial will test the procedure over two years in a small group of cancer patients recruited from the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at LHSC. The process, called fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), involves taking stool from carefully screened healthy donors, processing it in the lab, and creating tasteless, odourless capsules, which are provided to patients participating in the study. The goal is to enhance the patient's microbiome (the collection of healthy microorganisms in the human body) which will boost the body's immune response and potentially make chemotherapy more effective.
Iranian Firm Makes Device to Optimize Production Process, Reduce Waste in Textile Industry
Researchers at a technological company succeeded in optimizing production processes and reduce waste in the textile industry by manufacturing a special device.
“The development and production of advanced quality control equipment is one of the activities of our company, and its main product is a hardware thickness gauge with high accuracy and fast response that can measure thicknesses of 200 microns and above at high speed,” Mohsen Mojahedpour, the managing director of the technological company stationed at the incubator center of the Islamic Azad University’s Qazvin branch, told ANA.
“This device is used in the textile industry for quality control and plays an important role in optimizing production processes, reducing waste, and increasing productivity. By digitizing thickness measurement and providing accurate and real-time data, this product can help improve product quality and reduce production costs, which is directly in line with the goals of the digital economy and industry,” he added.
“We have plans to enter regional and international markets, specially in countries where textile industries and advanced materials production are active, including neighboring countries, Central Asia, and Europe, which require strict quality control,” Mojahedpour said.
Iran-Made Remote Surgeon Robot Installed in Several Medical Centers in Indonesia
The third and fourth models of the Iran-made remote robotic surgery system, named Sina, were installed at several medical centers in the cities of Medan and Makassar in Indonesia for training courses.
Indonesian surgeons evaluated the performance of these systems and the level of quality and accuracy of these products surprised them.
In addition to the 112 previous surgeons who were trained in the cities of Bandung and Jogjakarta for surgery with Sina surgeon robot, 100 new surgeons have also joined the training courses to operate surgery with Sina in the cities of Medan and Makassar.
Scientists in Iran have made great progress in designing and making different robots.
Official: Iran’s Siri Island Enjoys Oil Storage Capacity of 5 Million Barrels
Mohammad Reza Akbar Mousavi, the deputy director of the Siri operational zone, said that the Siri Island has the capacity of storing 5 million barrels of oil.
Mousavi said that the oil produced in Siri is exported via an export dock capable of accommodating tankers with a capacity of up to 1.5 million barrels. The produced oil is stored in tanks and exported once it reaches a certain volume.
Currently, the active oil storage capacity on Siri Island is 5 million barrels, he added.
Iran-Made Nanostructured Coating Increases Life of Turbines
Fanavaran Sakht-Ara company in Iran has succeeded in production of a new type of nanostructured coating which prevents early damage to turbines.
Hassan Elmkhah, the managing director of the company, pointed to the problems caused by dust particles entering gas turbines, and said, "In these parts, particles below 10 microns can pass through filters and cause erosion of turbine blades which leads to a decrease in turbine efficiency over time. However, the nanoscale coatings that we have developed have been able to significantly increase the life of turbine blades."
He compared the performance of nano-coated blades with conventional ones, and said, "Conventional blades began to corrode after 133 hours, while our coatings were able to protect these blades for up to 2,000 hours."
Noting that significant improvement in the life of components indicates the vital role of nanotechnology in optimizing the performance of industrial equipment, Elmkhah said, “Another application of this technology is in the aluminum profile production industry.”
According to him, profile molds that are subjected to high pressures are severely worn and damaged.
Iranian Company Manufactures Special Filters for Various Industries
An Iranian technological company has managed to produce different types of special filters for application in various industries, including auto-making.
“Our company enjoys production line for metal filters and industrial filters that require a clean room. Nano filters are also produced in these controlled environments,” said Elnaz Barati, a technical and engineering expert at Setareh Palayeh company.
“The company operates in two sectors of product manufacturing and research and development (R&D), and in addition to automotive filters, it also produces a variety of industrial filters, including air, oil, and hydraulic filters. Semi-automatic production lines for automotive filters are another activity of our company,” she added.
“Our company also produces car cabin filters, some of which are nanotechnology-based and based on the electrospinning process. We are also able to make a variety of hydraulic systems, gas elements, iron, steel, and aluminum industry filters, and HEPA filters,”
Official: Foreign Students Keen to Study Medical Sciences in Iranian Universities
The head of the Office for Recruitment and Guidance of Non-Iranian Students at Islamic Azad University’s Hormozgan branch said that the foreign students are more eager to study medical sciences and engineering in Iran’s universities.
“Non-Iranian students are more interested in medical sciences and fortunately our university has a high capacity in this field, and engineering fields are of interest due to the high scientific capacity of the Iranian universities in these fields,” Leila Haji Abdolrasouli told ANA.
“Persian language and literature are also of interest to students interested in the Iranian culture and literature, which mainly attracts students from the Muslim countries, and Islamic sciences and theology also have applicants from foreign countries,” she noted.
“We believe that given the geographical location of Hormozgan Province, its proximity to the countries bordering the Persian Gulf, and access to free waters, this university branch enjoys a high capacity to become a regional educational hub,” Haji Abdolrasouli said.
Iran-Made Hyperspectral Camera Records Wide Range of Wavelengths
A knowledge-based company in Iran has succeeded in producing a visible hyperspectral camera that records optical information in a wide range of wavelengths, with high spectral resolution, allowing the detection of details that are not visible to the naked eye or conventional cameras.
“A hyperspectral camera is a type of imaging sensor that records optical information in a wide range of wavelengths (beyond the visible range). Unlike conventional cameras, which are limited to recording only three color bands (red, green, and blue), these cameras receive hundreds of spectral bands in visible, near-infrared, and even beyond wavelengths,” said Peyman Soltani, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
He explained that hyperspectral cameras are used in precision agriculture to identify plant health, pests and nutrient deficiencies, in geology and mining to identify mineral compounds and geological mapping, and in medicine and biology for medical imaging to diagnose diseases and examine biological tissues.
“This product is also used in the military and security field to identify camouflaged targets, border surveillance and security, in the industrial quality control sector to examine the quality of food, drugs and industrial products, and finally in environmental sciences to examine environmental pollution and ecosystem changes,” Soltani said.
Iran, Uzbekistan Sign Agreement to Strengthen Agricultural Cooperation
Iran and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of agricultural machinery to develop mutual agricultural and technological cooperation.
The agreement, signed between Uzbekistan and the Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers of Iran (ATMAK), aims to promote agricultural mechanization and improve technologies in this area.
The MoU was finalized during a visit by a delegation from Uzbekistan to Iran, headed by the Director of Administrative and Economic Services of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, and was part of a series of agreements reached between the two countries.
Also, Uzbekistan signed a contract with Sirang UAV Company to supply advanced agricultural drones and create infrastructure for their maintenance.
In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, Bazargan Kala Company and the National Center (AKIS) signed an agreement for testing and gradual indigenization of 40 types of fertilizers and pesticides under the Nutritech brand in Uzbekistan.
Iranian Company Makes Nano Products to Protect Vehicles, Buildings
The Iranian knowledge-based Sharif Nano Pars company manufactures and markets various nano products with different applications in the construction and auto-making industries.
The company has taken an important step towards improving the quality and increasing the lifespan of structures and vehicles with five nanoscale construction and automotive products.
The first product is a car wash containing nanoparticles and it prevents dust particles and environmental dirt from penetrating the car body with its nanostructure and antistatic properties.
The second one is a car wheel and dashboard polish and cleaner which uses nanoparticles to prevent dust particles and dirt from penetrating the surfaces of tires and dashboards.
Also, the company's nano engine wash, with its antistatic properties and ability to dissolve fats, prevents rusting of metal engine components and improves its performance without the need for water.
Iran Resolved to Produce over 1.3 Billion Cubic Meters of Gas per Day
The Iranian oil minister said that the country’s natural gas production is expected to reach to 1.34 billion cubic meters per day at the end of the Seventh Development Plan.
“According to the quantitative goals set in the Seventh Development Plan, the country’s crude gas production is expected to reach 1.34 billion cubic meters per day by the end of the plan,” Mohsen Paknejad said.
Achieving this target requires the development of gas fields and the implementation of production maintenance projects to prevent output decline.
The minister explained that expert estimates indicate that development and production maintenance projects will require approximately $75 billion in investment.
He went on to say that $53 billion of the abovementioned fund will be allocated to developing new gas fields, while $22 billion will be dedicated to production maintenance projects, including the South Pars pressure enhancement plan.
Paknejad stressed that reaching the daily production target of 1.34 billion cubic meters of gas over the next four years will require an average annual investment of $19 billion.
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