Top News of March 2024 with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during March 2024 whose top ones are as follows:
Iran Holds 1st Int’l Exhibition of Gemstones, Machinery, Related Industries
The first International Exhibition of Gemstones, Machinery, Equipment and Related Industries was held in Tehran on February 22-25.
Dozens of companies and production units, government agencies and organizations participated in the exhibition which was held at Tehran Permanent International Fairground.
The International Exhibition of Gemstones, Machinery, Equipment and Related Industries covered the entire supply and value chain in this area, from exploration to processing.
“This exhibition is based on the approach of presenting the chain (exploration to processing) of gemstone production and trade with the aim of materializing the idea of development in the fields of industry, mining, technology, processing and production, infrastructure and business development and creating competition in domestic and foreign specialized markets,” said Mahmoud Bandarchi, the head of the headquarters for holding the first international exhibition of gemstones.
“This event is a great opportunity for the activists of this field to learn more about the latest achievements and diversity of gems,” he added.
Iranian Company Makes Preservative Fertilizers for Agricultural Products
The biotechnology specialists of an Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in making preservative fertilizers for agricultural products by using helpful bacteria.
“Helpful bacteria have been used to produce these fertilizers,” Massoud Abbasi, the managing director of the knowledge-based firm told ANA.
He explained that the produced fertilizers are so safe and healthy that they can also be used as an edible ingredient, adding, “These fertilizers keep the agricultural products healthy for up to six months.”
“Preservative fertilizers can be used before planting the product in the soil and also after the fruiting of the agricultural products as a poison spray,” Abbasi said.
He noted that the technological level of this product is six and the specialists of the company are trying to heighten its technological level.
Iranian Specialists Use AI to Ease Treatment of Diabetic Wounds
Iranian IT specialists at a startup team succeeded in designing a smart diabetic wound treatment system based on artificial intelligence (AI).
“Since the wounds caused by diabetes cannot be examined and identified with the human eye, we decided to design a system by using machine vision,” Tohid Amadeh, the caretaker of the start-up team, told ANA.
He reminded that treatment methods for wounds caused by diabetes often have long processes, saying, “This system speeds up the treatment and diagnosis process of these wounds through artificial intelligence processors.”
“After scanning the image of the wound, artificial intelligence determines its type, intensity and depth by using the spectrum of colors defined for the physician,” Amadeh said.
“The remarkable thing about this system, which is considered as its advantage, is the provision of long-term treatment solutions after asking specific questions from the physician,” Abbasi noted.
Iran Replacing Foreign Surgical Drills, Saws with Domestically-Made Ones
Specialists of an Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in producing a variety of orthopedic and surgical drills and saws used in orthopedics, neurosurgery, chest surgery, open heart surgery, etc.
“These surgical instruments and devices were supplied through imports so far, specially from the US, Germany and Switzerland. We had encountered many problems in this area, and our knowledge-based company resolved the problem forever by making these products,” said Khosro Afshar, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
He explained that his company’s products and their sterilizable attachments are resistant to moisture and temperature and can be sterilized by steam and pressure (autoclave) in the shortest time, adding that handpieces produced by the company are rechargeable for ease of use.
“The special physical feature of saws and blades produced by our company is the number and angle of the ribs. The back and forth movement of the saw at a certain frequency causes the least pain, stress and injury in the patient's body,” Afshar underlined.
Iranian Science Minister Stresses Cooperation with Islamic Azad University to Materialize Knowledge-Based Development
Iranian Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mohammad Ali Zolfi Gol underlined cooperation with the Islamic Azad University to attain the goal of knowledge-based development.
“In the 7th Development Plan, special attention has been paid to the development of knowledge,” Zolfi Gol said, addressing the closing ceremony of the National NEXT Technology Award, which was held in Isfahan on February 21.
“The goal of NEXT Award is to raise the flag of technology. Holding this festival is a symbol of new thinking and planning,” he added.
Noting that the birth and growth of knowledge-based companies is highly important, Zolfi Gold said, “The Ministry of Science, the Islamic Azad University, the Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, and other institutions are members of a team that strive for the same goal.”
“In the ministry of science, we have collected people with (good) ideas and provided them with land and possibilities (for research and production),” he added.
Iran Approves 2 New National Standards on Nanobubbles
The Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council (INIC) announced that two new standards were approved in the field of nanobubbles, increasing the number of national standards to 167.
According to the INIC, the first standard is related to the ‘microbubble technology - characterization of microbubbles – assessment of size and concentration indicators by laser diffraction method’.
Microbubble technology is used in various industries like cleaning, transportation, maintenance, agriculture, aquaculture, food and beverage, cosmetics and health care, and biomedicine. This list is expected to expand and become even more common as microbubble technology develops. Now, methods for assessing microbubble characteristics like size and concentration indices are becoming necessary to clarify the performance of microbubble generating systems used for various applications. The purpose of developing this standard is to determine the evaluation method of the size and concentration indices of small bubbles, which is applied to the combined use of number-based size analysis and volume-based size analysis with laser diffraction method, the INIC explained.
The second standard is related to ‘fine bubble technology - cleaning applications - cleaning hard flooring surfaces - test method’, and the purpose of developing this standard is to determine a test method for cleaning hard flooring surfaces. This test method can be used to show a comparison of the cleaning performance of a fine bubble solution with an alternative cleaning solution for removing contaminants from a contaminated surface. This solution can be a substitute cleaner for another fine bubble solution, municipal tap water, or a commercially available cleaning solution with composition features specified by the manufacturer, the INIC added.
Deputy Minister: Iran Ready to Provide Regional States with Transit Access to Free Waters
Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Daryoush Amani announced that his country is prepared to provide the regional states with access to the international waters through its transit routes.
Amani made the remarks, addressing the 86th meeting of the United Nations (UN)’s Inland Transport Committee (ITC), held in Geneva on February 20-23 with a theme of ‘Taking ambitious climate action – Moving towards decarbonized inland transport by 2050’.
Amani underlined Iran’s diplomacy of international transportation development and its readiness to provide maximum transit access of the regional states to the free waters in an interactive framework via all kinds of passageways through the Iranian territory.
He pointed to the growth of road transport, which should lead to initiatives to reduce the negative impacts of transportation on the environment, and said, “Road transport services should maintain competitiveness for society with low-cost and quick-yielding solutions.”
Iranian Research Organization for Science, Technology to Make Portable Dialysis Machine
Specialists at the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology are working on an engineering prototype of ‘portable dialysis machine’.
After making the first generation dialysis machine, the Iranian experts put the construction of an engineering prototype of the portable hemodialysis machine on their agenda, said Majid Moqaddam, a faculty member of the Research Institute of Electricity and Information Technology of the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology.
“We have presented the design of the remote monitoring and management device for the dialysis machine for patients with kidney diseases,” he added.
“By using this technology, it is possible to monitor and control the dialysis machine remotely, and the patient does not need to go to the hospital to perform the dialysis process,” Moqaddam said.
Iran-Made Nano-Based Brake Pad Adhesive Exported to Turkiye
An Iranian knowledge-based company has managed to use nanotechnology to produce brake pad adhesive, which was previously imported from Turkiye, and is now exporting the product to Turkiye.
The Iran-made nano-based brake pad adhesive increases the durability of the pad and is produced at a lower cost than the foreign samples.
“This pad adhesive was imported from Turkiye to Iran in the past but it is now exported from Iran to Turkiye after development and mass-production,” said Mohammad Amir Negini, the commercial manager of the knowledge-based company.
Also, Seyed Abbas Hosseini Majd, the director of research and development of the company, said that the production stages of the adhesive include the combination of raw materials and synthesis inside the reactor, and then the separation of water and other materials.
“Next, the obtained solution is concentrated and nanomaterials are added to it. Then, depending on the type of adhesive grade, be it disc or roller, additives are added to it,” he added.
Hosseini Majd explained that the adhesive can tolerate a temperature of 400 degrees while the properties of the brake pad are still maintained.
Iranian Company Produces, Exports 3 Livestock Vaccines
An Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in production and export of 3 animal vaccines for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and lumpy skin disease (LSD).
“Our company started working 6 years ago with the aim of producing livestock vaccines. Our first product, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), was sent to the market 4 years ago, and 3 years ago, we presented the second product of our company, called the contagious ecthyma vaccine. The third product of our company was the lumpy skin disease (LSD) vaccine which was produced two years ago,” said Sajjad Pezeshki, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
He explained that the speed of immunogenicity of oil-based FMD vaccine is two weeks longer than that of water-based vaccine, but the length of its immunogenicity period is 2-3 months longer than that of water-based vaccine.
Pezeshki noted that the company has managed to export the PPR and LSD vaccines to Uganda, Eritrea, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and a number of other African countries.
“Our new product, foot and mouth vaccine, is being registered in several regional countries, including Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and its export will start soon,” he added.
Iran's Domestically-Made 'Pars 1' Satellite Launched into Orbit
Iran, on Thursday morning, successfully launched its new home-made observation satellite named 'Pars 1' into space on a Russian carrier.
The Iranian research satellite will scan Iran's topography from an orbit of 500 km.
The remote Pars 1 research-sensing satellite, launched by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, weighs 134 kg (295 pounds). The satellite is equipped with three cameras.
The Pars 1 will advance the utilization of measurement data among various institutions and devices while fostering the growth of the measurement data market within the country.
Its mission revolves around transmitting images to the ground, facilitated by a transmitter operating in the X-band telecommunication spectrum at a rate of Mbps.
This satellite marks the inaugural use of the X-band link, a significant achievement poised to enhance data transmission speeds from satellite to Earth for subsequent satellites. Ground stations are equipped to receive satellite images efficiently, further bolstering the functionality of the Pars 1 mission.
Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Production Method Developed in Iran with Minimal Energy Consumption
Iranian researchers managed to produce hydrogen for nanocone-shaped electrocatalysts through deposition method which reduces the amount of energy consumption in hydrogen production.
“We used the electrochemical deposition method to synthesize cone-shaped nanostructures. In other words, for the first time, we used conical nanostructures for hydrogen production electrocatalyst by electrochemical deposition method,” Qassem Barati Darband, a faculty member of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in the field of materials engineering and metallurgy, told ANA.
He explained that in the electrochemical deposition method, the in-situ formation of electrocatalysts without glue happens which leads to a decrease in resistance and, as a result, an increase in electrocatalytic activity.
“The development created by this method is that it reduces the amount of hydrogen consumption in the electrochemical splitting of water, and the best electrode used in water electrolysis is the platinum electrode,” Barati Darband said.
Iranian University Researchers Produce Phosphatic Fertilizer from Sludge
Researchers at Urmia University in the Northwestern part of Iran have successfully produced biochar/struvite composite as a fertilizer after treating wastewater.
“Struvite in the presence of biochar as a slow- release phosphate fertilizer from wastewater” is the title of a post-doctoral research conducted by researcher Marziyeh Piri under supervision of Ebrahim Sepehr at Urmia University and was sponsored by Iran National Science Foundation (INSF).
Biochar is a carbon-enriched biomaterial generated by combustion of the biomass through a process called pyrolysis. Phosphorus such as struvite is used as a fertilizer in soils because it contains some of the major nutrients.
“Studies have showen that urban wastewater contains a large amount of phosphorus which is removed in treatment plants before releasing the wastewater into the environment given the irreparable effects of phosphorus on the surface waters through the enrichment process,” said Piri, who has a PhD from Urmia University in soil science.
“Due to the limited resources of phosphate rock in the world, recycling phosphorus from wastewater to produce phosphate fertilizer is a promising path. Struvite crystal mineral is one of the poorly soluble phosphorus minerals, which contains three essential plant nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium,” she added.
Iranian Scientists Make Dust Fall Measurement Device
Iranian researchers at a technological company managed to produce a dust particle mass analyzing device which measures the risk of cancerous hazards in air by polluting particles.
“The device includes an inverse Frisbee trap. The Frisbee dust meter is a non-directional passive device that includes two dry and wet handles, and the Frisbee-shaped fall sediment collection container is made of anodized aluminum which is put 8.1 meters above the ground level and has a drain pipe which leads down from the pole to the rainwater collection bottle on the ground,” Mohammad Bayati Poudeh, a faculty member of the Islamic Azad University’s Nayeen branch in the field of electricity and the chairman of Rashta System Ramand Company’s board of directors, told ANA.
“This device also has a protector made of fine fishing wire in the form of a ring (with a thickness of 1 mm), which is placed 5 cm above the dust collector container on the bases (made of stainless steel or aluminum),” he added.
Bayati Poudeh explained that after a month, the Frisbee is removed from the bottom disk, which is still in place, and sent to the laboratory for measurement, and the insoluble matter is weighed, dried and assessed.
Iranian Researchers Offer New Method for Post-Fire Recovery of Plant Biodiversity
Researchers at University in the Northeastern part of Iran have offered a new method to restore plant biodiversity after fire with nurse plants.
"Studying the process of vegetation recovery with nurse plants in the post-fire era and in fire-damaged ecosystems in different climates" was the title of Maral Bashirzadeh's postdoctoral research project, which was sponsored by the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF).
“Every year there are many fires in the pastures across the country. Wildfires are a destructive phenomenon that can severely damage the vegetation and disrupt the functions of the ecosystem such as plant biodiversity, water conservation and accumulation of nutrients in soil,” Bashirzadeh, a Ph.D in plant ecology biology from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad said.
“Various studies and researches show that it is a necessity to recover ecosystems destroyed by fire in order to provide food and create a sustainable environment for living creatures. More importantly, plant biodiversity gets seriously damaged in the fire in terms of its structure and species composition. The fire causes a decrease in shrubs, but an increase in long-standing wheat,” she continued.
“There are various methods to restore vegetation in ecosystems destroyed by fire. Seeding of indigenous plants and direct recovery have been offered as appropriate methods for biodiversity recovery in burned pastures,” the ecosystem researcher added.
“Nurse plants are any plant species in arid and semi-arid ecosystems that help facilitate the establishment and recovery of other plants and play a key role in vegetation recovery. These types of plants have special functional traits that increase their ability to tolerate harsh environmental conditions and settle on barren grounds,” Bashirzadeh further said, adding, “Also, these plants help to improve soil fertility by maintaining soil moisture and increasing nutrients. They can also provide a substrate for the presence of different plant species.”
Iranian Experts Develop Web-Based System for Managing Patients, Nursing Agencies
Specialists of an Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in designing a mobile version of a web-based system to manage patients and nursing agencies by using artificial intelligence (AI).
The management system of patients and nursing agencies has been designed and produced to make smart and facilitate the services provided by the private and semi-governmental medical and nursing service providers in three nursing groups of children, the elderly and patients.
Patients as users of this system can register a request to receive specialized nursing services on site through the web application, the system automatically manages the requests in the waiting queue and based on the patient's profile information using artificial intelligence.
The companies providing nursing and care services are identified from the database based on the type and record of the patient's illness and send his/her request to those companies based on the nurse's skill score, free capacity, expertise and nursing service tariff.
Iran Unveils 18 Innovative Agricultural Industry Products
A total number of 18 innovative plans and products of 9 Iranian knowledge-based companies stationed at the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department of the National Park of Science and Technology in Mahdasht, Alborz province, were unveiled.
The products were unveiled in the presence of Mohammad Sadeq Khayyatian, the head of the Innovation and Prosperity Fund of Iran and Mojtaba Khayyam Nekouyee, the head of the Agricultural Research, Education and Promotion Organization of Iran.
The innovative plans and products included water pressure sensor, multipurpose farm, grape rootstock resistant to crown cancer, Capparis Spinosa L seedling production, gricultural management assistant, wood vinegar, eggplant hybrid seed production, microbial test device and production of two varieties of corn.
ACECR Researchers Produce 4 New Medicines from Medicinal plants
Researchers at Iran's Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR) have unveiled four new health medicines produced by the country's medicinal plants.
The unveiling ceremony of the fourth products took place at “the 13th gathering of ACECR, centers for the development of innovation and accelerators”.
Head of Iran National Innovation Fund (INIF) Mohammad Sadeq Khayatian and the head of Academic Jihad were present in the unveiling ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, the INIF chairman praised the Academic Jihad for its achievements in the scientific and educational fields, saying, “For example, the ACECR has gained great achievements in the field of oil, building a subway train, in construciton of medicinal plants, etc.”
“The Center should continue to follow a problem-solving approach in its activities, and we in the INIF will be with you in terms of financing knowledge-based companies (affiliated to Academic Jihad). We are ready to support knowledge-based and technological companies located in Alborz and Kermanshah Science and Technology Parks,” Khayatian added.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Develops Web-Based System for Nursing Agencies, Patient Care
An Iranian knowledge-based company, commissioned by a British company, designed an online system and its mobile phone edition for patients care and nursing agencies based on artificial intelligence (AI).
“This product was produced in line with a production order from a company in Britain which was the executive manager of the project, and it was implemented in the MVP stage of the project in Buckinghamshire in 2022 and was fully developed and offered to the market in 2023,” Nasser Mahmoudi, the managing director of the Iranian knowledge-based company said, according to a report by the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.
Mahmoudi said that the care service system could bring in revenues into the county, adding, “The revenue generation of the product takes place for the service applicants with the B2C model and for the care service providers with the B2B model. It costs about $15,000 to purchase it for your institution.”
The Iranian company’s managing director further said that his company's care service has superiorities over foreign-made imported equivalents such as benefiting from an intelligent management system and matching with the help of artificial intelligence.
“The web-based system and mobile edition of managing patients and nursing agencies system by benefiting from an intelligent management system and matching with the help of artificial intelligence, allows competition both in terms of technics and the finished product price with its rivals,” Mahmoudi went on to say.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Produces Nanobubble Generators for Framing Fish, Agriculture
A nanobubble generating machine produced by one of the knowledge-based companies in Iran not only improves productivity in fish farming ponds, but also improves quality of agricultural products by improving calcium absorption in plants.
“Our knowledge based has produced nanobubble generators. These generators can dissolve oxygen and various other gases such as ozone in a nano form for disinfection and purifying wastewater,” said Saeed Mokhberi, one of the researchers of the Iranian knowledge-based company.
“This product is used in both aquaculture and agriculture. In aquaculture, the machine will increase the population of cool-water fish species by 2-3 times, while it will reduce electricity consumption by 70%,” he added.
Mokhberi mentioned removing the unpleasant smell of fish and improving the quality of farmed fish by making ponds healthier as another advantage of the machine, adding, “This generator will improve the conversion rate of food to protein, control the growth of bacteria and prevent diseases.”
“In the aquaculture industry, the two problems of supplying oxygen to the water and the amount of nitrogen caused by the remaining food and fish waste emerge, which cause water pollution….this system is up to 85% efficient compared to the previous systems, whose efficiency was up to 18%.”
Iran-Made System Improves Safety of Buildings, Public Places
Specialists of a knowledge-based company in Iran succeeded in producing and commercializing electronic eyes used in safety systems and a variety of electronic control boards based on the needs of customers.
“Among the products of our knowledge-based company are the smart alarm systems, electronic boards and eyes, and control boards required by industries,” said Alireza Karimi, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“The smart safety system of different places, which has no similar counterpart abroad, was designed and built in our company which has unique features and can be controlled via a mobile phone and from far distances. It also provides the possibility of monitoring and controlling all electrical instruments in the house,” he added.
“The coding system of the product has a unique structure and pattern and despite the existence of many competitors, is still unbreakable and enjoys a high level of security,” Karimi said.
Noting that the alarm device has many other features, including control via telephone and mobile phone and control of electrical instruments at home from anywhere in the world, he said, “Our company plans to add various upgraded models of this system to its production portfolio in the near future.”
Knowledge-Based Firm to Build Largest Solar Power Plant in Iran
Researchers of a knowledge-based company in Iran are working on construction of the largest solar power plant for application in steel industry with a capacity of producing 600 megawatts of electricity.
“The first solar power plant of the private sector with the capacity to produce 100 megawatts of electricity was built in the city of Mahalat (in Central Iran) and put into operation by our company,” Mahnaz Toutounchian, the sales manager of the Iranian knowledge-based company, told ANA.
“Since the production capacity of the company's solar panels was 300 to 400 watts and was suitable for the needs of small-scale power plants, i.e. home, office and other sectors, we started selling these products,” she added.
Toutounchian noted that recently, a solar panel with a production capacity of 1,800 megawatts has been designed and built by the company’s experts which are suitable for large-scale power plants in terms of production power and output.
“The largest solar power plant of a steel industry with a production capacity of 600 megawatts is one of the new measures being adopted by our company,” she added.
Iran Creates Network to Protect Genetic, Biological Resources
Caretaker of the National Center for Genetic and Biological Resources of Iran Jafar Razeqi said that the country has made a special network to protect its genetic and biological reserves and resources.
“Due to different ecosystems and climatic conditions, Iran has different genetic and biological resources and in many cases unique, and it can be said that no country in the world has this climate and distribution in the field of genetic and biological resources,” said Razeqi.
“In 15 years of its activity, the National Center for Genetic and Biological Resources of Iran has been able to set up biobanks in four areas of plants, human and animal cells, microorganisms and DNA and genomic data while collecting, identifying, producing and storing them according to its missions,” he added.
“We have created a network to protect the genetic and biological resources of Iran,” Razeqi said.
Iranian Scientists Make Neurostimulation Device
Researchers at a knowledge-based company in Iran succeeded in designing and manufacturing a device for stimulating nerve cells in animals for research in the laboratory environments.
Iranian researchers, specially in the field of cognitive neuroscience, can use this neurostimulation device to electrically stimulate parts of the brain with the settings provided by the device's software and observe the effect of this stimulation on the animal's behavior to fix and treat the failures and problems.
Rouhollah Shir Afkan, the director of the research and development (R&D) department of the knowledge-based company, explained that the device can be used to artificially produce body movements and observe the effect of stimulation on vision, hearing and different parts deep in the brain.
“Electrical stimulation is one of the common methods used in recent years, which has found many applications in the medical and research sector. These stimulators are usually used to stimulate the cells of the auditory and visual nerves, and specially the neurons in the brain,” he added.
“The device enjoys the capability to generate stimulation of two independent pulse current channels in single-phase, two-phase, and pulse train with the pulse width, frequency and desired amplitude settings,” Shir Afkan said.
Iran-Made Collagen-Based Dressing Helps Faster Healing of Damaged Tissues
Specialists of a knowledge-based company in Iran succeeded in producing a collagen-based dressing which speeds up healing of patients' wounds.
“The advanced Tabaderm collagen matrix dressing with a structure similar to human skin, by means of biopolymers used in the structure of the dressing like collagen and moisture management, accelerates the wound healing process,” Mahmoud Qafqazi, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“The use of biodegradable and biocompatible natural polymers similar to the extracellular matrix by stimulating and inducing the wound healing process is considered a big step to repair the damaged tissue,” he added.
Qafqazi said that Tabaderm's special formulation provides benefits beyond a hydrogel dressing, the most important of which are stimulating protein production in the extracellular matrix and accelerating epithelialization, facilitating autolytic debridement, managing wound exudate, increasing angiogenesis in damaged tissue, and moisturizing the wound surface.
Iranian Student’s Invention Prevents Unwanted, Blue-on-Blue Firing during Military Operations
Ali Ahmad Hosseini, an Iranian PhD student at Islamic Azad University’s Khorasgan branch, is the inventor of several inventions in the chemistry, mechanics, and defense fields, including an invention that can narrow down possibility of accidental and blue-on-blue firing at guard posts and military-training centers.
“My invention is anti-suicide weapon for the soldiers who are at their guard post. This weapon is able to prevent unwanted firing and accidental blue on blue firing. It eliminates the act of suicide with the defined process via utilizing safety devices and mechanical parts mounted on it,” Ahmad Hosseini, who is a top researcher of Isfahan province for four consecutive years, told ANA.
Blue-on-blue relates to an attack in which soldiers, etc. are injured or killed by their own army or by soldiers on the same side.
“The next invention is a quick erasable ink spray which can be used for tinting the car window black, and you can tint the part of the glass black that the sunlight shines through, and due to the UV properties of the spray the vision will not be disturbed, and after use you can wipe it off with a tissue,” he added.
“The next invention is an electrical heater with molten solder tank and etude pencil mechanism. I invented this tool so that no longer a third person is required to hold the workpiece for soldering, and by pressing the end of the tool with your thumb, you can pour the required amount of molten solder on the workpiece,” Ahmad Hosseini said.
Recycling, Reuse of Mine Tailings by Iranian Researcher’s Method
An Iranian researcher, active in the field of mineral industries, has successfully designed an innovative plan called “Alkan” for the “recovery of fluorine tailings in mines” and to recycle and reuse materials that are thrown in the mineral process.
Alkan is a knowledge-based solution recycling of mineral tailings offered by Parnian Javadi Sharif, who is a technologist and a university graduate in chemical engineering and a member of the board of directors of a knowledge-based Iranian company operating in the field of mineral industries in Khorasan province in the Northeastern part of Iran.
“This project is called ‘Alkan’. In fact, the basic function of this project is ‘recycling of fluorine mineral tailings’ for reusing the mineral tailings that are created while doing extraction and production in mines,” she said in an interview with ANA.
"When fluorine mineral is extracted from mines for use in industries, stone sorting and the process of separating commercially valuable minerals from their ores must be done to measure the grade of the minerals," Javadi Sharif went on to say while presenting more explanations about the operation process.
“Something between 30-50% of the minerals are thrown away in the process of stone sorting. In fact, the point here is that probably a significant amount of fluorine remains in these tailings that is thrown away,” the female researcher continued.
"The method is added to mines and fluorine mineral production factories as a part of the production line to prevent the wastage of energy, depreciation of manpower and to reduce costs by controlling the minerals in the tailings of extracted materials," she added.
Iranian Researchers Produce Fuel Cell Using Clean Energy
Researchers of a knowledge-based company have managed to produce a fuel cell device to produce electricity using clean energy.
Fuel cells work like batteries, but they do not run down or need recharging. They produce electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied. A fuel cell consists of two electrodes—a negative electrode (or anode) and a positive electrode (or cathode)—sandwiched around an electrolyte.
“In this hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell, hydrogen enters the device from one side and oxygen enters the device from the other side, and the result of the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen produces DC electrical power,” Amirali Amirkhalili, the managing director of a knowledge-based company in Iran that is operating in the field of clean and renewable energy told ANA correspondent in an interview.
He touched upon the issue of environmental pollution caused by using fossil-fuel based batteries and attached a great importance to producing power and fuel through clean energy in nowadays world.
“From 2030 to 2050, according to the current global plan, the volume of pollutants should be brought down to zero,” the technologist said.
Italy's Q4 2023 GDP Records Growth
Italy's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023 over the previous quarter, and by 0.6 percent year-on-year, the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) said.
The quarter-on-quarter figure matched ISTAT's preliminary estimate at the end of January, while the year-on-year result was revised up from 0.5 percent.
The primary drivers of economic growth are found in the industrial and construction sectors, while the agricultural sector saw a slight contraction, partly due to the impacts of extreme weather that affected Italy for much of last year. The services sector also experienced a slight decline, according to ISTAT.
Iran’s Islamic Azad University, China’s Nanjing University to Expand Cooperation
Officials of the Islamic Azad University’s Kermanshah branch in the Western part of Iran and Nanjing University in China in a virtual meeting discussed ways to develop cooperation in the scientific field.
“The meeting was held in line with implementation of the document on development of the university to expand the scientific, educational and research cooperation with prestigious universities of the world,” Morteza Kahrarian, the vice-president of Research and Technology Department of Islamic Azad University’s Kermanshah branch, told ANA.
“It was the first joint meeting of the two universities in which the interests of both parties in different research areas were studied and it was decided that both parties present their proposals to sign a cooperation agreement,” he added.
Kahrarian noted that Nanjing University of China was establishment in 1902, and it is one of the comprehensive universities of China that operates directly under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and Research of the country, adding that it has ranked 141 in the world in 2024 in the QS ranking.
Iran Exports 5 Billion US Dollars of Food Products in 1 Year
An official with the Iranian Vice Presidency of Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy said that Iran exported over $5 billion worth of food products last year of 1401 in the Iranian calendar (March 21, 2022- March 20, 2023).
Shaqayeq Haqjuy-e Jovanmard, the head of the Strategic Technologies Development Center at the Iranian Vice Presidency of Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy made the remarks while addressing a conference about the ways how the vice presidency helps to boost research and development in the field of agrifood products in the country.
She said that one of the ways that the vice presidency has adopted to boost the knowledge-based economy in Iran is to help set up specialized laboratories for industries (fabrication lab) to assist them in their production, testing and standardization.
The official added that the food industry in the country ranks second only after the petrochemical industry in terms of the largest capital turnover and generating opportunities for creating jobs with 17% portion of the total GDP. “Also, food security is an issue of global importance. Therefore, one of our priorities is to set up a fab lab specialized in the food industry. We identify potential and capabilities and invest on them as the focus of the activities.”
Iranian Researchers Make Body Composition Analyzer for Smart Diet
Iranian researchers at an Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in designing a body composition analyzer device that facilitates giving a smart diet based on the organs of each person to the nutritionist.
“With this device, a smart diet based on body organs is offered to each person. The device gives the diet based on the amount of protein and body mass index and other features of the person’s body,” Tohid Amadeh, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
Noting that the body composition analyzer examines the information of each person and then presents the diet based on the past data and the data provided by the nutritionist, he said, “The output of this device is the same dietary guidelines that lead most people to vegetarianism.”
“The software part of the body composition analyzer is a mobile application that provides diet instructions to the user after analyzing the body,” Amadeh said, adding that the device has obtained the necessary permissions from the Universities of Medical Sciences of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti University and the Iranian Nutrition Association.
Iran to Transfer Technological Know-How to Senegal
The Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research of Iran is due to transfer its know-how and achievements to Senegal.
The Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research of Iran hosted a delegation of seven trade persons from Senegal thanks to the interactions with the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Senegal and with the aim of generating wealth from technology, selling technical knowledge and exporting products.
During this visit, Mohammad Hossein Fa’ezi, the head of the research center of the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research of Iran, presented a report on the capabilities of the ACECR, saying, “The complex is ready to cooperate for the training of technicians and academics, the sale of technical knowledge and other mutual collaborations.”
The business delegation then visited the Research Institute of Medicinal Plants, the National Center for Genetic and Biological Resources, the Biofarm Center of Ibn Sina Research Institute, and the Incubator and Technology Center of Royan Research Institute.
Iran among Best Manufacturers of Humanoid Robots
Head of the robotics and soft technologies research center of Islamic Azad University’s Tabriz branch said that the Iranian students and researchers are among the best in the world in designing and building humanoid robots.
“Fortunately, recently, our country has been able to make significant progress in the field of robotics software thanks to the efforts of Iranian researchers,” Morteza Abbaszadeh told ANA.
“This significant progress in the software industry is highly important since the main part of the robot is software and artificial intelligence, and our students and elites have gained enough confidence that they can develop good software and they have had an excellent performance in the domestic and foreign competitions and are among the top three teams in the world; specially in the category of humanoid robots, which are among the most complex robots, the Iranian teams have always been successful,” he added.
Abbaszadeh referred to commercialization of robots made by the Iranian researchers, and said 30 ‘EGV’ robots have been used in the assembly line of Tabriz Tractor Manufacturing Company.
Knowledge-Based Firm in Iran Produces Underwater Robots Capable of Picking Objects in 200-M Depth
Technologists at one of the knowledge-based companies in Iran have designed and developed two generations of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or underwater robots capable of exploring the depth of up to 200 meters and picking objects in the sea bed.
“One of the achievements of this company is an underwater robot for checking and discovering equipment and conditions in marine environments,” said Shahin Faqihi, one of the researchers of the Iranian knowledge-based company.
“The first generation of this robot named ‘Kashef-1 ( Explorer-1) was designed and built for a depth of 100 meters, and in the second generation of this robot, we were able to offer a robot to perform missions up to a depth of 200 meters,” he added.
“The first models were only designed for watching and detecting, but in its more advanced generation, it is possible to add sonar, USPL, etc. for more accurate monitoring of the sea level and depth,” he continued.
“The latest generation of this robot can sit on the bottom of the sea and move over the seabed. It is also equipped with an arm to lift objects on the seabed,” he added.
“This robot can rival with its foreign-made equivalents. There are foreign robots offered to the market and we started manufacturing them in the country, and now these robots have been commercialized,” the researcher continued.
Rice Husk Derivatives Used by Iranian Scientists to Produce Natural Catalysts
Iranian researchers reduced the synthesis time, cost of compounds and environmental problems by using rice husk derivatives to produce natural catalysts.
“For the first time, we were able to obtain catalysts from rice husk and of course rice husk derivatives like rice husk ash or rice ash modified with samples of iron and titanium,” Farhad Shirini, a faculty member of the chemistry department of Gilan University, told ANA.
He explained that these catalysts, in addition to having good performance capabilities in various reactions like the synthesis of various compounds can be easily isolated and reduce environmental problems.
“We were able to use taurine as an amino acid that is present in the blood and human body by creating suitable conditions as a catalyst and use it to increase the speed of reactions, specially in the synthesis of medicinal compounds,” Shirini said.
He noted that in the research, pregabalin was used as a cheap compound in a process that in chemistry is referred to as the process of preparing optically active compounds.
First Catalyst Innovation, Technology Center in Iran Inaugurated at AUT
A knowledge-based company operating in the field of production and exports of different types of catalysts in Iran has opened the country's first Catalyst Innovation and Technology Center at the Tehran-based Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT).
“The advanced catalyst industry of the country, as a strategic industry, has made great achievements in the country over the past decade. It’s become self-sufficient and has met domestic needs. We have seen the exports of advanced and highly specialized catalyst products by our knowledge-based company to foreign countries,” Ehsan Ebrahimi, the executive director of the knowledge-based company based at the AUT said about the opening of the first innovation and technology center in the country.
“As a knowledge-based company, our firm produces and exports various types of catalysts used in the petrochemical, oil refining and steel industries. With the aim of attracting talented workforces, formation of knowledge cores and strengthening the ecosystem of innovation, and in line with goal of fulfilling social responsibilities and entering innovative fields of action, we have formed an innovation and technology center in cooperation with the country's top universities,” he added.
“This innovation and technology center is built over an area of about 200 square meters in one of the buildings of the AUT Faculty of Chemistry and it is being renovated and equipped by our company. We are ready to accept university teams and startups in engineering and management fields.”
“We have a space for work for startups in this center. Business evaluation, providing consulting and mentoring services and supporting ideas and technologies in the field of chemical engineering and catalysts are other services that will be offered by catalyst innovation hub (Center).”
Iranian Specialists Make Laser Hair Removal Device
Researchers of a knowledge-based company in Iran succeeded in producing a diode laser hair removal device with four wavelengths and high clinical quality through conducting reverse engineering on foreign samples.
“Our company produces medical equipment, skin lasers, and laser hair removal machine and has been able to indigenize different equipment by conducting reverse engineering on foreign samples with the same quality,” Mehdi Koneshlou, the technical supervisor of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
“The device produced by our company is a type of diode lasers suitable for the skin of Iranians. These diodes include diode, alexandrite and ND-YAG; ND-YAG has a wavelength of 1064 nm and our company is the first Iranian firm which has been able to market laser diode devices with four wavelengths and high clinical quality at one tenth of the price of similar foreign models,” he added.
Koneshlou explained that the diode laser hair removal device works in direct contact with the skin and a special gel should be used while the non-contact laser works in the form of shots, adding, “We have also put production of non-contact laser removal machine on our agenda. We have imported a type of laser gel for the first time to Iran that no longer has the sticking problem of ultrasound gels.”
Iran-Made Smart Hybrid System Settles Problem of Heating in Chicken Farms
An Iranian technology company has succeeded in solving the problem of heating poultry farms by manufacturing a smart hybrid pre-heating system by using solar energy.
“This system consists of 10 main parts; first the air coming out of the poultry house enters the first heat exchanger. On the other hand, water enters the first heat exchanger from the water tank and heats it up a bit. The outgoing water from the first heat exchanger enters the ground, passes through the spiral pipes and its temperature increases again, and then it leaves the ground and enters the first heat exchanger which contains PCM,” Saman Aminian, a PhD student in the field of mechanical engineering (energy conversion) at Islamic Azad University’s Science and Research Branch and the managing director of Daneshafarinan Negin Mandegar company, told ANA.
He added that the oil tank containing hybrid nanoparticles is heated by passing through the inadvertent collectors and enters the second heat exchanger, noting that inside this converter, the heat of the oil is given to the PCM and through the PCM it is transferred to the water output from the geothermal system.
“Then the heated water enters the geothermal heat pump cycle, where the air passes over the hot water and reaches a proper temperature inside the poultry house. We also use flat solar panels to supply electricity to the system,” Aminian said.
He explained that the advantages of the system are decreasing energy consumption, maintenance costs, poultry mortality and pollution, and increasing product quality.
Iran-Made Device Produces Toner Required in Printers
Iranian specialists at a knowledge-based company succeeded in making a toner-producing machine with the capability of mass-production.
“I started laboratory work on this product after being aware of Iran’s serious need for the toner as an expensive and high-consumption material. After research, we found out that in order to produce toner, we should first build machines to produce it, and with personal investment and after spending 15 years of research and development, I was able to produce toner with a unique formula,” said Mohammad Hossein Hassani, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
Noting that the toner production equipment has been made in Iran for the first time by using the internal capacity, he said, “The machine does not have a similar domestic counterpart, and one of its differences compared to the foreign example is the use of local raw materials, meaning petrochemicals.”
“We have produced this toner in cooperation with an Iranian company, and all this know-how and technology has grown internally, and we are able to develop, grow and export it. Also, its price is cheaper than similar foreign samples,” Hassani said.
He noted that the knowledge-based company is able to produce 100 tons of toner per year.
Iranian Researchers Produce Milk Containing Antibody from Colostrum to Boost Immune System
Researchers at a knowledge-based firm in Iran’s Isfahan Province have successfully obtained the permission from Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) after three years of research to produce a kind of milk containing antibodies from bovine colostrum which strengthens immune system in the body.
“Extraordinary milk containing colostrum and high immunogenic is a knowledge-based and health-focused product for those who care about their health,” said Hassan Nili Ahmadabadi, the managing director of the knowledge-based company after highlighting that the knowledge-based milk containing colostrum was produced for the first time in Iran.
Pointing to the superiorities of the milk containing colostrum over other milks, he added, "For example, the milk now available in stores is sterilized, and the protein of sterilized milk has been deactivated due to exposure to heat. Moreover, the function of insulin is to regulate blood sugar. And if the protein is heated, it no longer has its natural advantages. There are many proteins in milk that lose their biological value when heated."
“For that, we use the LT method, in which we will lower the temperature and increase the time; Aaso, before giving birth, we put the cow in the hyperimmunization protocol and strengthen and stimulate its immune system. Then we introduce some compounds into the colostrum and manage the feeding of the cow. That way, a super-specific antibody is produced in milk, like of which could be found nowhere.”
“Not only it improves food security and tackles malnutrition, it will also increase the level of immunity in the body considerably,” he said.
Iranian Researchers Produce Natural Catalysts from Rice Husk Derivatives
Researchers have produced natural catalysts for the first time in Iran from rice husk and rice husk derivatives such as rice husk ash modified with iron and titanium.
“For the first time, we obtained catalysts from rice husk and rice husk derivatives and of course rice husk derivatives such as rice husk ash modified with types of iron and titanium,” said Farhad Shirini, who is a chemistry professor at the Gilan University and a distinguished researcher an award winner at the Khwarizmi International Award.
“Because rice husk and its derivatives accelerate chemical reactions and reduce the synthesis time in the laboratory, we chose it,” Shirini said.
He noted that natural catalysts have been widely used in recent years because they are not expensive as their components are abundant in the nature and also because they pose much less challenges to the environment.
“We were able to use taurine, an amino acid that is present in the blood and human body by creating suitable conditions as a catalyst and use it to increase the speed of reactions, especially in the configurations that are of medical uses,” the researcher further said.
“In this research, we were able to use pregabalin as an inexpensive compound in a process that we refer to in chemistry as the process of preparing optically active compounds,” Shirini further pointed out.
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