368 research outputs found
Drinking Water in Egypt: The Effects of Water on Egyptian’s Health
The Nile River, often thought of as the backbone of Egypt, has been source of great sustenance and mobility throughout the years. Due to the failure of a multilayered system, however, Egypt has had difficulty providing its citizens with clean drinking water. This paper examines the perceptions regarding this matter, as well as causes and solutions as provided by experts
The Repeatability of Axial Length Measurements Using a Scheimpflug-based System
Purpose: To assess the repeatability of Pentacam AXL as a Scheimpflug-based system or measuring axial length according to the age, sex, lens type, axial length value, and type of cataract. Methods: The present study was conducted using multistage cluster sampling in Tehran, Iran. Ocular biometry was performed, using the Pentacam AXL, by an experienced optometrist on all the participants. The axial length (AL) measurements were taken thrice, with a gap of 10 minutes. To evaluate the repeatability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the repeatability coefficient (RC) were calculated. To determine the significant difference in the repeatability index among study variables, the tolerance index (TI) was calculated. Results: In this report, 897 eyes of 677 individuals aged between 20 and 91 years (mean ± SD: 64.90 ± 13.62 years) were reported. The ICC of the axial length measurements was 0.981 for all cases. Based on the within-subject standard deviation, the RC was 0.401. The ICC was 0.976 and 0.985 in men and women, respectively. The TI showed better RC of measurements among females. The ICC decreased from 0.999 in participants under 40 years to 0.973 in individuals over 60 years of age. The TI showed a decrease in RC with advancing age. The RC was worse in eyes with nuclear cataracts; the RC was also worse in the first quartile of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to the other SNR quartiles. Conclusion: The Scheimpflug-based system Pentacam AXL had high repeatability in measuring axial length. Some variables such as male gender, older age, and nuclear cataract were associated with reduced repeatability of the measurements. A higher SNR was associated with better repeatability of the axial length measurements
Bathymetric modelin from satellite imagery via Single Band Algorithm (SBA) and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) in southern Caspian Sea
Remotely sensed imagery is proving to be a useful tool to estimate water depths in coastal zones. Bathymetric algorithms attempt to isolate water attenuation and hence depth from other factors by using different combinations of spectral bands. In this research, images of absolute bathymetry using two different but related methods in a region in the southern Caspian Sea coasts has been produced. The first method used a Single Band Algorithm (SBA) and assumed a constant water attenuation coefficient throughout the blue band. The second method used Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to adjust for varying water attenuation coefficients without additional ground truth data. PCA method (r=-0.672394) appears to match our control points slightly better than single band algorithm (r=-0.645404). It is clear that both methods can be used as rough estimates of bathymetry for many coastal zone studies in the southern Caspian Sea such as near shore fisheries, coastal erosion, water quality, recreation siting and so forth. The presented methodology can be considered as the first step toward mapping bathymetry in the southern Caspian Sea. Further research must investigate the determination of the nonlinear optimization techniques as well as the assessment of these models’ performance in the study area
Cellular resolutions of monomial ideals and their Artinian reductions
The question we address in this paper is: which monomial ideals have minimal
cellular resolutions, that is, minimal resolutions obtained from homogenizing
the chain maps of CW-complexes? Velasco gave families of examples of monomial
ideals that do not have minimal cellular resolutions, but those examples have
large minimal generating sets. In this paper, we show that if a monomial ideal
has at most four generators, then the ideal and its (monomial) Artinian
reductions have minimal cellular resolutions. When the ideal is generated by
two monomials, we can give a precise description of the CW-complex supporting
minimal free resolution of the ideal and its Artinian reduction. Also, in this
case, we compute the multigraded Betti numbers, Cohen-Macaulay type and
determine when the corresponding algebra is a level algebra.Comment: 31 page
Comparing brain-behavioral systems, early maladaptive schemas, and preservative thinking in women with and without pregnancy anxiety in the health center of Ardabil Province, Iran
BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression in women during pregnancy could be associated with unfavorable consequences of pregnancy, such as premature and low-weight newborn birth. Current study was conducted aiming to compare brain-behavioral systems, early maladaptive schemas (EMSs), and preservative thinking in women with and without pregnancy anxiety.METHODS: The method of this research was causal-comparative. The population included of the whole pregnant women who had been referred to Urban Health Service Centers of Ardabil Province, Iran, in order to receive pregnancy period cares at first quarter of 2017. 30 pregnant women whose pregnancy anxiety had been diagnosed by mental health experts and the physicians of the center trough screening and administering Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale (PrAS) were selected using cluster random sampling. 30 women without anxiety were matched with the women having pregnancy anxiety in terms of age, times of pregnancy, number of children, education level, and economic status. For data collecting, Huizink et al.’s PrAS, Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) of Welburn et al., the behavioral inhibition system/behavioral activation system (BIS/BAS) scale of Carver and White, and Ehring et al.’s Preservative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ) were used. The obtained data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) using SPSS software.RESULTS: The results of MANOVA showed that there was a significant difference between brain-behavioral systems, EMSs, and preservative thinking in women with and without pregnancy anxiety (P < 0.010).CONCLUSION: Since maladaptive schemas, brain-behavioral systems, and preservative thinking are higher in pregnant women with anxiety than pregnant women without anxiety, so counselling, supportive, and training programs are essential for vulnerable mothers
Ventricular fibrillation with intracoronary adenosine during fractional flow reserve assessment.
Fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement provides useful hemodynamic assessment of intermediate coronary stenoses affecting long term outcomes. While the gold standard remains intravenous adenosine, intracoronary (IC) bolus administration of adenosine is routinely used in clinical practice because of its ease of use and lower dose providing comparative hyperemia with the most common side effect being a transient atrioventricular block. A 62year old male underwent left heart catheterization after ruling in for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Presenting electrocardiogram (ECG) showed an old left bundle branch block and T-wave inversions in lateral leads (QTc 494ms) with no significant electrolyte abnormalities. Coronary angiography revealed an intermediate lesion in mid left anterior descending coronary artery. FFR assessment with IC adenosine (24μg/mL of normal saline) was performed inducing ventricular fibrillation (VF). He was successfully defibrillated with a single 200J shock and no further arrhythmias were noticed during rest of his hospital stay
OCJENA REZIVOSTI STIJENA S LANČANOM SJEKAČICOM PRIMJENOM TEHNIKE PROMATHEE
One of the most significant factors in the estimation of dimension stone quarry cost is the production rate of rock cutting machines. Evaluating the production rate of chain-saw machines is a very significant and practical issue. In this research, it has been attempted to evaluate and select the suitable working-face for a quarry by examining the maximum production rate in the Dehbid and Shayan marble quarries. For this purpose, fi eld studies were carried out which included measuring operational characteristics of the chain-saw cutting machine, the production rate and sampling for laboratory tests from seven active case studies. Subsequently, the physical and mechanical properties of rocks including: Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS), Brazilian Tensile Strength (BTS), Los Angeles abrasion, quartz content, water absorption percentage, porosity, Schmidt hardness and grain size for all sample measurements were studied after transferring the samples to a rock-mechanics laboratory. Finally, the sawability of the quarried working-faces was evaluated using the PROMETHEE multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model according to the physical and mechanical properties. The results of the study indicated that the number 1 and 5 working-faces from the Dehbid and Shayan quarries are the most suitable working-faces in terms of production rate with the maximum recorded production values (4.95 and 3.1 m2 /h), and with net fl ow rates (2.67 and -0.36) respectively.Jedan od najvažnijih čimbenika u procjeni cijene vađenja građevinskoga kamena jest njegov iznos pridobivanja tijekom strojnoga rezanja. Procjena iznosa proizvodnje takvih strojeva ima vrlo veliku i praktičnu ulogu. Ovdje je načinjena procjena i odabir prikladnoga radilišta unutar kamenoloma radi postizanja najvećega iznosa proizvodnje. Za analizu su odabrani kamenolomi mramora Dehbid i Shayan. Načinjena su terenska ispitivanja, tj. mjerenje operativnih svojstava sjekačice, iznosa pridobivanja te uzorkovanje za laboratorij na sedam smjestišta. Zatim su u laboratoriju za mehaniku stijena izmjerena fizička i mehanička svojstva stijena poput jednoosne kompresijske čvrstoće, brazilske vlačne čvrstoće, abrazije metodom Los Angeles, udjela kvarca, postotka apsorpcije vlage, šupljikavosti, Schmidtove čvrstoće i veličine zrna. Na kraju je ocijenjena rezivost materijala na radilištu kamenoloma uporabom tehnike PROMETHEE, koja predstavlja alat za donošenje odluka na temelju više kriterija koji obuhvaćaju fizička i mehanička svojstva. Rezultati su pokazali kako radilišta označena brojevima 1 i 5, na kamenolomima Dehbid i Shayan, imaju najbolja svojstva postizanja većega brutoiznosa (4,95 i 3,2 m2 /sat) i netoiznosa (2,67 i -0,36 m2 /sat) proizvodnje
Tris(2-methoxyethanaminium) dodecamolybdophosphate trihydrate
The asymmetric unit of the polyoxidometalate-based organic–inorganic hybrid title compound, (C3H10NO)3[PMo12O40]·3H2O, consists of one α-Keggin-type [PMo12O40]3− polyoxidoanion, three independent [CH3–O–CH2–CH2–NH3]+ cations and three solvent water molecules. The polyoxidoanion shows characteristic features with respect to bond lengths and angles. In the crystal structure, extensive intermolecular N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding between the organic cations, inorganic anions and solvent water molecules leads to a three-dimensional supramolecular network
Suicide and deliberate self-harm in Pakistan: A scoping review
Background: Suicide is a major global public health problem with more than 800,000 incidents worldwide annually. Seventy-five percent of the global suicides occur in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Pakistan is a LMIC where information on suicidal behavior is limited. The aim of the review is to map available literature on determinants, risk factors and other variables of suicidal behavior in Pakistan.Method: This study was based on Arksey and O\u27Malley\u27s methodological framework of scoping review, combining peer reviewed publications with grey literature. Ten databases including Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), Cochrane Trials Register (CRG), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), National Library of Medicine Gateway (NLMG), ExcerptaMedica (EMBASE), National Library of Medicine\u27s MEDLINE (PUBMED), PSYCHINFO, Social Science Citation Index and Science Citation Index (SCI) and Pakmedinet.com were searched from the beginning of their time frames until December 2016 using a combination of key terms. The inclusion criteria included studies of various study designs covering different aspects of suicidal behavior in English language.Results: Six hundred and twenty three articles were initially retrieved from all ten databases. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts for relevance. One hundred and eighteen articles were read in full, out of which 11 were excluded because they did not fit the eligibility criteria. One hundred and ten articles, including two student theses and one report, were included in the final review. Most studies were descriptive in nature, with only three that used a case-control design. Majority of the studies were from urban areas, and addressed determinants rather than risk factors. Gender differences and age were predominantly reported, with more males committing suicide. Suicidal behavior was more common among individuals younger than 30 years of age. The three most common methods for suicides were hanging, poisoning and use of firearms. Mental illness as a risk factor for suicides was mentioned in only three studies.Conclusions: This review is the first attempt to synthesize available literature on suicidal behavior in Pakistan. The evidence is limited, and calls for more robust analytical research designs, along with a focus on risk factors
Agreements’ profile of Scheimpflug-based optical biometer with gold standard partial coherence interferometry
AIM: To determine the agreement of ocular biometric indices including axial length, keratometric readings, anterior chamber depth, and horizontal corneal diameter between the Pentacam AXL and IOL Master 500. METHODS: The study was a large cross-sectional population-based study (Tehran Geriatric Eye Study) conducted from Jan 2019 to Jan 2020. A total of 160 clusters were randomly selected proportional to size (each cluster contained 20 individuals) from 22 strata of Tehran city. All people aged 60y and above were invited to participate in the study. For all participants, preliminary ocular examinations were performed including the measurement of uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity, objective and subjective refraction, anterior and posterior segment examinations. All participants underwent an ocular biometry using the Pentacam AXL and IOL Master 500. RESULTS: The 95% limits of agreement (LoA) between the two devices were -0.13 to 0.19, -0.15 to 0.17, and -0.13 to 0.19 in normal, pseudophakic, and cataractous eyes, respectively. With increasing the axial length, the difference between the two devices significantly increased in all three groups of normal, pseudophakic, and cataractous eyes (P<0.001). The 95% LoAs between the two devices regarding the mean keratometry shows that the best LoAs were seen in cataractous (-0.33 to 0.81) and followed by normal eyes (-0.36 to 0.86) and the pseudophakic eyes (-0.48 to 0.90) had the widest LoA. The 95% LoAs for horizontal corneal diameter measurements were -0.08 to 0.86, -0.03 to 0.83, and -0.07 to 0.87 in normal, pseudophakic, and cataractous eyes, respectively. The 95% LoAs of anterior chamber depth measurements between the two devices was -0.39 to 0.19 and -0.37 to 0.13 in normal eyes and cataractous, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Pentacam AXL has excellent agreement with the gold standard, IOL Master 500 in measuring axial length. In eyes with cataracts, the difference between the two devices is more scattered. With the increasing of axial length, the difference between the two devices increased, which should be considered when using Pentacam AXL
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