Gauging the levels of capacities in power plant industries

Tarasht Power Plant Operations Company, which was commenced in full capacity in 1959, is the first Steam Power plant in the country. This power plant has become known as the symbol for endurance of power plant industries. The main operations of this complex include generation of electric power, serving as a simulation based training center, issuing technical certificates for small scale generators and offering of services related to sports. A prominent factor in lack of utilization of technology to acquire the advantage of competition in this company is a lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge of the levels of technological capacity and their use towards attainment of relative advantages. In this paper, authors have tried to gauge the levels of technological capacity of Tarasht Power Plant Operations Company using the technological requirements assessment model. The model utilizes nine criteria to gauge the company’s capabilities, specifies the company’s current status and finally clarifies the existing gaps with regard to each of those criteria

Gauging the levels of capacities in power plant industries

Tarasht Power Plant Operations Company, which was commenced in full capacity in 1959, is the first Steam Power plant in the country. This power plant has become known as the symbol for endurance of power plant industries. The main operations of this complex include generation of electric power, serving as a simulation based training center, issuing technical certificates for small scale generators and offering of services related to sports. A prominent factor in lack of utilization of technology to acquire the advantage of competition in this company is a lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge of the levels of technological capacity and their use towards attainment of relative advantages. In this paper, authors have tried to gauge the levels of technological capacity of Tarasht Power Plant Operations Company using the technological requirements assessment model. The model utilizes nine criteria to gauge the company’s capabilities, specifies the company’s current status and finally clarifies the existing gaps with regard to each of those criteria

Prevalence of Vancomycin Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

Abstract: Background & Aims: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens in nosocomial infections. Vancomycin is the most important therapeutic drug of choice for treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Therefore, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) or vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) strains are warnings for the medical community. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of vancomycin resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the nose of patients hospitalized in Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran. Methods: In the present study, 85 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from patients in Imam Reza Hospital and evaluated for vancomycin resistance with microdilution test, Epsilometer test (E-test), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: None of the strains were completely resistant to vancomycin; however, 39 strains (45.9%) were diagnosed as hetero-VRSA (hVISA) strains. Conclusion: VISA and VRSA strains were not observed in this study which is a promising finding in the treatment of clinical infections due to Staphylococcus aureus in our society. However, in our study, the prevalence of hVISA strain was 45.9%, which is perhaps a sign of the appearance of more resistant strains (VISA and VRSA) in our country in the future. Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycin, Nose, Methicillin, Hetero-vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA

Fear of cancer recurrence and coping strategies among prostate cancer survivors : A qualitative study

publishedVersio

The effect of macroeconomic variables on the stock market index of the Tehran stock exchange

This paper examines the relationship between stock market index and macroeconomic policies (Fiscal and Monetary) on Iran's economy using quarterly data in the period 1999-2013. This study employed cointegration test and vector autoregressive models (VAR) to examine relationships between the stock market index and the macroeconomic variables. The empirical results reveal that a positive money shock can increase stocks return. According to impulse responses, the government expenditure had a slight impact on stocks return in the short term. But the government expenditure has a positive effect on exchange index in long run. Also the effect of taxes on the stock's price index is negative, so that it reaches its maximum level after the third lag and then alleviates. The GDP shock has positive effect on the stock's price index. Increase in production level leads to increase in earnings and profitability, leading to a positive response from stocks index. Therefore the results showed that the macroeconomic variables such as inflation, exchange rate and GDP have significant effects on Tehran exchange price index. So the hypothesis that the improving economic factors can have a useful role in the booming capital market is confirmed. Also the effect of fiscal policy factors such as tax revenues and government expenditures is more than monetary policy factors on stock returns

Genotyping of ESBL Producing Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Background and Objective. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections in the world. Molecular fingerprinting of UTI isolates such as pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis using for Clonal distribution and determine of predominant type. The aim of the study was to determine genotyping of ESBL producing UPECs. Material and Methods. 200 UPEC isolates from outpatients with UTI were obtained. Antimicrobial susceptibility and interpretation were performed by disk diffusion. Virulence factors for UPECs were screened by using PCR. UPECs were analyzed by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis and images analyzed by Phoretix1DPro software. Results. A total of 200 isolates of UPECs, 24.5% (n=49) of isolates, were positive for ESBL production. Resistance ranged from 0% for amikacin and imipenem to over 93.9% for carbenicillin and ampicillin. Frequencies of haemagglutination, haemolysin, and hydrophobicity were 51%, 18.3%, and 14.28%, respectively. A total of 10 different genotypes were obtained, which include nine common clones and one single clone. Conclusion. We confirmed the prevalence of virulence phenotyping especially Haemagglutination among UPEC strains and that it can also contribute to virulence in these strains. Large diversity in genotypes was observed in the isolates that could be indicative of different sources of infection in community acquired

Effect of chamomile on the complications of cancer : A systematic review

publishedVersio

Assessment of the Relationship Between Facial and Dental Midlines with Anatomical Landmarks of the Face and Oral Cavity

Objective:The purpose of the present study was to determine the facial anatomical landmarks, in order of accuracy, closest to the midline of the face, as well as oral cavity midline, and to specify which intraoral anatomical landmarks are closer to the dental midline.Methods:Three commonly used anatomical landmarks including nasion, nose, and philtrum tips were marked clinically in 108 subjects. A frontal full-face digital image was used for midline analysis in accordance with the esthetic frame. Deviations from the facial and oral midlines were measured for the three clinical landmarks. Dental midline was considered as the fourth landmark. Alginate impressions were taken, and casts were analyzed under standardized conditions. The labial frenum and incisive papilla were marked. Cast images were taken and analyzed.Results:Data showed difference between the mean ratios of the selected anatomical landmarks and the facial and oral midlines (p≤0/05). The anatomical landmark hierarchies, in proximity to the facial midline, are commissural midlines, nasion, philtrum tip, nose tip, and dental midline, respectively. The anatomical landmark hierarchies, in proximity to the commissural midline, include dental midline, philtrum tip, nose tip, and nasion. The labial frenum was less deviated from the dental midline than the incisive papilla.Conclusion:With respect to shortcomings, the results showed that all of the anatomical landmarks were deviated from the facial and oral midlines. The order of proximity of the anatomical landmarks to the facial midline was as follows: commissural midline, nasion, philtrum, and dental midline

The ability of mouse nuclear transfer embryonic stem cells to differentiate into primordial germ cells

Nuclear transfer embryonic stem cells (ntESCs) show stem cell characteristics such as pluripotency but cause no immunological disorders. Although ntESCs are able to differentiate into somatic cells, the ability of ntESCs to differentiate into primordial germ cells (PGCs) has not been examined. In this work, we examined the capacity of mouse ntESCs to differentiate into PGCs in vitro. ntESCs aggregated to form embryoid bodies (EB) in EB culture medium supplemented with bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP4) as the differentiation factor. The expression level of specific PGC genes was compared at days 4 and 8 using real time PCR. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemical staining were used to detect Mvh as a specific PGC marker. ntESCs expressed particular genes related to different stages of PGC development. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemical staining confirmed the presence of Mvh protein in a small number of cells. There were significant differences between cells that differentiated into PGCs in the group treated with Bmp4 compared to non-treated cells. These findings indicate that ntESCs can differentiate into putative PGCs. Improvement of ntESC differentiation into PGCs may be a reliable means of producing mature germ cells