Survey on hydrogen sulfide and ammonia emissions in the air around of the stabilization ponds Mineral gases producing odors in wastewater treatment

Abstract: (344 Views) Background and aims: Odors are one of the problems of water and wastewater treatment, especially in the vicinity of residential areas. Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, mineral compounds in waste water treatment plants are odorous. These gases have unfavoraitable effects on humans and the environment. Methods: This Cross-sectional study was conducted in the Faculty of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. After field visits around the plant, the number of 12 sampling stations was determined. Sampling stations are selected in four geographical directions with regard to permanent trade winds that are zero, two and four kilo meters from the plant to Residential settlements. Sampling was performed in the morning and evening during the four seasons and 192 samples were provided. Results: Results showed that the concentration of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gas was more in warm seasons significantly and more odor caused (P=0.011, P=0.004) and the maximum emission is in the summertime. According to the results, the highest concentration of these gases was in the evening during the day. Conclusion: According to the results, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia gases in all the seasons except winter is within the threshold. Concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the summer and ammonia concentrations in all the seasons were higher than US. EPA standards and World Health Organization guidelines

Evaluation and Ranking of Book Social Network Websites

Book social media are reading communities primarily developed as online social networks. This study aims to find precise criteria and indicators for evaluation of book social network and examine and rank the most popular book social networks. The sample population included 10 English and two Persian book/reading social networks publicly available on the Web. A checklist containing 9 main criteria and 35 indicators was built up through a Delphi study and it was used to gather the characteristics of the sample networks. The results indicate that Shelfari has the highest number of features (87%) and therefore it ranks first. In contrast, Bisheh, a Persian social network, contains only 60% of the features and ranks last. The results reveal that there is no meaningful statistical difference among the scores. In other words, all of the twelve book/reading social networks contain almost similar features and have more than 50% of indicators. Several technical indicators were ignored as it was impossible to access and examine inner layers of the studied websites.  In general, Persian book social network scored less than English ones and this can be related to smaller number of audience, little interest in such online communities or language barriers in developing book social networks. These findings can lead to new patterns and recommendations for different societies to improve their book social networks as these websites can encourage reading. Unlike general social networks, little work has been done on book/reading social network in order to reflect their structural functional characteristics. Besides, this paper has resulted in specific criteria and indicators for evaluation of book social networks which can be used as a tool for future studies

The association between dietary inflammatory index and C-reactive protein in plasma and semen with semen quality: A cross-sectional study

Background: Infertility affects couples worldwide, with male factors being responsible for half of all cases. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in plasma and semen with the quality of semen in infertile males. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 88 infertile men referring to Besat hospital, Tehran, Iran from December 2021-November 2022 were enrolled. A detailed questionnaire requesting information, and a 168-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, were completed by participants. A food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the DII. Additionally, semen and blood samples were collected from each participant for semen analysis and CRP-level assessment. Statistical analyses were performed to explore the association between DII and CRP levels with sperm quality. The correlation between DII and serum/semen CRP, besides assessing nutrients in each DII quartile group, was also explored. Results: A significant difference was observed between different DII quartiles considering sperm motility (p = 0.006) and morphology (p = 0.014). Post hoc study revealed a significant difference between the 1st and 2nd quartiles and the 1st and 4th quartiles of DII regarding sperm motility (p = 0.011, and 0.017 respectively) and a significant difference between the 1st and 2nd quartiles of DII considering sperm morphology (p = 0.009). A statistically significant inverse correlation was also observed between DII and sperm motility (p = 0.017). Carbohydrates and β-carotenes were significantly different between the 4 DII quartiles (p = 0.043 and p = 0.026, respectively). Finally, no significant correlation was observed between DII and CRP levels in blood and semen (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggested a notable correlation between DII and semen quality; however, no significant association were observed between DII and CRP levels in blood and semen. Key words: Infertility, C-reactive protein, CRP, Inflammation, Sperm

Estimation of Critical Dimensions for the Crack and Pitting Corrosion Defects in the Oil Storage Tank Using Finite Element Method and Taguchi Approach

Tanks play an important role in storing crude oil. Therefore, the maintenance and service life of tanks are very important for oil companies. In this regard, knowledge on the state of the critical conditions of various existing defects, such as cracks and pitting corrosion defects, can play an essential role in providing a better service to these huge metal structures. In the present research, the basic theories relating to crack defects were discussed. Then, an oil reserve in one of the island states of the country was modeled and analyzed by considering different types of defects using Finite Element (FE) simulation. Next, the critical dimensions of cracks and corrosion holes were identified in a number of cases. Eventually, the Taguchi Approach (TA) was used to investigate the effect of different parameters related to the various defects, such as length, depth and diameter, on the maximum stress. The results indicated that the effect of the crack and pitting corrosion depth is superior to the effect of the length and diameter for defects of crack and pitting corrosion, respectively

The effect of group religious intervention on spiritual health and symptom reduction in patients with depression

Background and aims: Depression is considered a disease which is associated with various complications including suicide and imposes high costs on the health systems. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group religious intervention on spiritual wellbeing and symptom reduction in patients with depression. Methods: In this clinical trial, 72 patients with anxiety were included using convenience sampling technique and then were randomly divided into patients with depression who underwent pharmacotherapy alone (group I) and those who underwent pharmacotherapy and religious intervention (group II). In addition, the religious group II participated in 5 90-minute sessions within three weeks and received the routine drug treatment. Then, a demographic questionnaire, Paloutzian and Ellison’s Spiritual Well-Being scale, and Hamilton Depression scale were completed. Finally, the data were analyzed by the SPSS software, version 18. Results: There was no significant difference between the demographic characteristics of the patients (P>0.05). However, the mean scores of religious and existential aspects of spiritual health, as well as the mean total score of spiritual health after the intervention were significantly higher in group II who received religious intervention compared to group I (P<0.05). Conversely, the mean score of depression significantly decreased in groups I and II after the study (P<0.001). In other words, after intervention, the mean score of depression was significantly lower in group II who received religious intervention compared to the group I (P=0.038). Conclusion: In general, religious intervention, reduced the symptoms of depression in patients in addition to increasing the level of the spiritual health of the patients Keywords: Religious intervention, Depression, Spiritual healt

Methodology of Isfahan Tobacco Use Prevention Program: First Phase

Background. Tobacco use continues to be the leading global cause of preventable death. The majority of smokers begin using tobacco products at teen ages. The aims of this study were providing a methodology of Isfahan Tobacco Use Prevention Program and investigating the prevalence of tobacco use and its related factors. Method. It was a cross-sectional study among guidance and high school students in Isfahan province. Initiation, social, psychological (depression and self-efficacy), family, and attitudinal and belief factors and school policy toward smoking (cigarettes and water-pipe) were investigated. Saliva qutinin was given from 5% of participants for determination of accuracy of responses. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was used for gathering all data. Results. Of all 5500 questionnaires distributed, about 5408 completed questionnaires were returned (with response rate of 98.3%). Of all participants, 2702 (50.0%) were girls and 2706 (50.0%) were boys. Respectively, 4811 (89.0%) and 597 (11.0%) were from urban and rural. Of all participants, 2445 (45.2%) were guidance school and 2962 (54.8%) were high school students. Conclusion. This study will provide a unique opportunity to study prevalence of smoking cigarettes and water-pipe (ghelyan) among guidance and high school students in Isfahan province and determine the role of initiation, social, psychological, family, and attitudinal and belief factors and school policy toward smoking

The hydroalcoholic extract of Nasturtium officinale protectively inhibits apoptotic and inflammatory pathways in hepato- and nephrotoxicity: An in vivo study

Objective: Nasturtium officinale (N. officinale (NO)) has been widely used in traditional medicine. This study investigates the protective effects of NO against hepatic and renal damage induced by CCl4 and gentamicin, respectively, in rats.Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into two arms: A (CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity) and B (gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity). Seventeen groups were formed by dividing arms A and B, with nine groups in arm A and eight groups in arm B (n=5). Rats were daily treated with various doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg BW) of N. officinale extract (NOE) (Total extract; Oral gavage) for 14 and 28 days in arm A and B, respectively. Biochemical and histopathological evaluations and gene expression analyses were conducted on blood, liver, and kidney tissues.Results: NOE treatment significantly modulated B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2) expression in kidney tissue, reducing Bax (p<0.01) and increasing Bcl-2 (p<0.05). In liver tissue, NOE inhibited tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (p<0.01) and Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) (p<0.001), while reducing AST and ALT activity (p<0.001). Additionally, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels significantly decreased (p<0.05) in nephrotoxic rats.Conclusion: Our findings highlight the capability of NOE as a promising therapeutic against liver and kidney damage induced by CCl4 and gentamicin, respectively, in animal models

The association between fat mass and obesity‐associated ( FTO ) genotype and serum vitamin D level in breast cancer patients

Abstract: The preventive effect of vitamin D against breast cancer can be influenced by gene polymorphisms. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D and FTO genotype in breast cancer patients. A cross‐sectional study was carried out on 180 newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer in Tehran, Iran. The blood samples were collected from the participants in order to assess the FTO gene rs9939609 polymorphism by the tetra‐primer amplification refractory mutation system (Tetra‐ARMS) PCR method. The serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D was measured using the direct competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The association between vitamin D and the FTO genotype in patients with breast cancer was assessed after adjustment for cofounders. The frequency of TT, AT and AA genotypes in the breast cancer patients were 43% (n = 77), 49% (n = 89) and 8% (n = 14), respectively. All patients with higher than 40 ng/dl of serum 25(OH) vitamin D had one or two copies of FTO rs9939609 risk allele (p = 0.019). No linear association was found between the number of FTO risk allele and the level of serum vitamin D. All patients with high serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D had one or two copies of FTO rs9939609 risk allele. FTO gene polymorphisms may counteract the beneficial effects of vitamin D in breast cancer prevention. Further studies can help to better understand the genetic factors predisposing to breast cancer and their effect on the association between vitamin D and breast cancer

A Constructivist Analysis of Iranophobia in the U.S. Foreign Policy in Post-JCPOA Era

A set of events such as occurrence of Islamic Revolution, Iran's anti-American thesis as well as the incident of U.S. embassy occupation have led to a phenomenon called Iranophobia in the U.S. Although it was thought that the moderate approach of Rouhani to the West, as well as JCPOA, undermine Iranophobia propaganda in the U.S. but in practice there was no significant change in this area and various landmarks such as the extension of sanctions against Iran and an aggressive approach against Tehran by President Trump, suggesting that the Iranophobia as main political agenda in the U.S. politics will continue. The main question is that what are the reasons, purposes, and implications of Iranophobia in the U.S. during Post-JCPOA era. To answer this question, the framework of "Constructivism" is applied. The main hypothesis is that the "New McCarthyism", the “State identity" and "Speech acts" are the main mechanisms for the perpetuation of Iranophobia in the Post-JCPOA era. To prevent Iran's economic recovery and making a kind of behavior change of Iran to some domestic and regional issues are its main objectives. Continuation of Iranophobia will result to consequences such as "breaching the JCPOA" and "reproduction pattern of hostility between Iran-US”