Segmentation and profiling consumers in a multi-channel environment using a combination of self-organizing maps (SOM) method, and logistic regression

Market segmentation plays essential role on understanding the behavior of people’s interests in purchasing various products and services through various channels. This paper presents an empirical investigation to shed light on consumer’s purchasing attitude as well as gathering information in multi-channel environment. The proposed study of this paper designed a questionnaire and distributed it among 800 people who were at least 18 years of age and had some experiences on purchasing goods and services on internet, catalog or regular shopping centers. Self-organizing map, SOM, clustering technique was performed based on consumer’s interest in gathering information as well as purchasing products through internet, catalog and shopping centers and determined four segments. There were two types of questions for the proposed study of this paper. The first group considered participants’ personal characteristics such as age, gender, income, etc. The second group of questions was associated with participants’ psychographic characteristics including price consciousness, quality consciousness, time pressure, etc. Using multinominal logistic regression technique, the study determines consumers’ behaviors in each four segments

A 10-year review of the visual outcomes of early versus late pars plana vitrectomy in eyes with dropped lens fragment or nucleus during phacoemulsification

Background: Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) is a routine surgical option for the removal of dropped lens fragment or nucleus in the vitreous cavity due to complicated cataract surgery; however, its optimal timing is controversial. Therefore, we aimed to determine the visual outcomes of early versus late PPV in eyes with dropped lens fragment or nucleus due to complicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Methods: This descriptive-analytical retrospective study collected data of patients who underwent early (less than or equal to 1 week) versus late (> 1 week) PPV for the management of dropped lens fragment or nucleus resulting from complicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery over a 10-year period at Imam Khomeini Tertiary Referral Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. Demographic characteristics, the interval between complicated phacoemulsification and PPV, pre- and postoperative intraocular pressures, best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), and postoperative complications were extracted from each patient’s record. Results: Fifty-one eyes of 51 patients with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 64.66 (6.54) years and a male-to-female ratio of 33 (64.7%) to 18 (35.3%) were included over 10 years. The mean (SD) BCDVA before PPV was 1.87 (0.53) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), which improved significantly to 0.54 (0.46) logMAR at the final postoperative visit (P < 0.001). The mean (SD) BCDVA was significantly better after early PPV than after late PPV (0.41 [0.30] versus 0.62 [0.52] logMAR; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the final BCDVAs among the three methods of lens fragment removal (P > 0.05). The rates of post-PPV complications were as follows: 29 (56.9%) eyes with corneal edema, 16 (31.4%) eyes with uveitis, 10 (19.6%) eyes with cystoid macular edema, 8 (15.7%) eyes with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and 8 (15.7%) eyes with other complications (optic nerve atrophy, choroidal neovascularization, vitreous hemorrhage, or epiretinal membrane formation). No significant differences were observed in the rates of complications according to the time interval between complicated phacoemulsification and PPV (all P > 0.05). The frequency of corneal edema was significantly higher when removing lens fragments using the trans-limbal method than using the other methods (P < 0.05), yet the rates of other complications were comparable among the three methods of lens fragment removal (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: Early PPV and removal of a dropped lens fragment or nucleus resulting from complicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery are recommended to achieve better visual outcomes. Future studies with longer follow-up, greater sample sizes, and analysis of other parameters of visual function, such as contrast sensitivity, visual field, color vision, and stereopsis, could provide more conclusive results and help verify our preliminary findings

Designing and Sublimation Printing of the Polyester Fabrics Using HyperRealism Style

Hyper-realism style is considered as attractive and meaningful concepts regarding to its unique and real advantages. One of the fields that has manifestation capacity of hyper- realism designs and has attracted less attention is textile. This research has focused on designing and printing images on polyester fabrics by using hyper- realism style. It was used polyester fabric as suitable substrate to print derived designs from hyper-realism designs in this research and also, it was used art elements and creating images to integrate two or more photos. Creative and various designs were printed by using designing software such as Photoshop, realism and concepts of mentioned art style. Hyper- realism designs were printed on fabrics by digital printing, painting and Batik printing, variously. Regarding to obtained attractive and innovative results, it can be used printed polyester fabric for fields such as clothe, panel, bedside lamp designing and other things. In such way, a diverse and different vision will be provided through mentioned applications. It shows high potential of derived designs from hyper- realism style and its generalization in different life situations. The results of the research showed that hyper-realism designs were printed on polyester fabrics by using common methods of printing such as digital printing and Batik printing, successfully

Examining the Epic Language and Tone in Farrokhi Sistani's Poems

The tone is the speaker's attitude and feeling The most important factor is to create an atmosphere and influence the audience in the poem. Knowing the language and its tone plays an important role in understanding any text. The language and tone of the epic are the results of the choice of words, combinations, imagery, novelty, and the choice of weight to suit the type of epic. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effective factors in creating epic language and tone in Farrokhi Sistani's poems using descriptive-analytical methods, it has been done in a library way. Farrokhi Sistani has given his poems an epic tone and atmosphere by the use of internal and external music, vocabulary selection, and epic combinations, and using epic arrays such as exaggeration, metaphor, and numerous references to Iranian heroes, and epic and mythological characters. The results of the studies show that the poet has an epic, thoughtful mind, and it is reflected in the forms, words, and combinations used in his poems. This kind of mindset and imagination is linked to the society of the fifth century and the beliefs and ideas that govern the culture and literature of that period and of course it is effective

History of primary health care in Iran

Background: The history of the primary healthcare system in Iran portrays a journey of strategic development and implementation that has resulted in significant advancements in healthcare access and overall population well-being. Starting in the early 1980s, Iran embarked on a comprehensive approach to health care delivery prioritizing universal access, equity, and community participation. Introduction: The foundation of this system was established during the Alma-Ata Conference in 1978, which placed a strong emphasis on the role of primary health care in attaining health for all. Iran's unwavering commitment to this approach led to the creation of an extensive network of rural and urban health centers designed to offer essential health services and preventive care to all citizens. Discussion: Over the years, the expansion of Iran's primary healthcare system has yielded noteworthy accomplishments. Maternal and child mortality rates have seen substantial declines, attributed to improved access to maternal care and immunization services. The effectiveness of the system in reaching diverse populations has been enhanced through community engagement and the integration of traditional medicine. Furthermore, Iran's focus on health education and disease prevention has resulted in heightened public awareness and the adoption of healthier lifestyles. Despite these achievements, challenges continue to persist. Disparities in the quality and accessibility of services between urban and rural areas remain a concern. Moreover, the ongoing necessity for infrastructure development, training of the health workforce, and efficient resource allocation underscore the continuous efforts required to strengthen the primary healthcare system. Conclusion: The history of Iran's primary health care system is marked by progress and achievements, underscored by an unwavering commitment to providing comprehensive, community-based care. Iran's journey serves as an exemplary model, highlighting the positive impact of prioritizing primary health care in achieving better health outcomes for its population. As Iran continues to evolve its health system, addressing challenges and building upon successes, the history of its primary health care system serves as a valuable lesson in the pursuit of accessible and equitable health care for all

The mutual effect of iron and manganese on microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminium –silicon alloy

The effect of iron and manganese concentration on the morphology of complex intermetallics and their influence on the mechanical properties and microstructure has been studied in an Al-16.67 wt. % Si alloy with three content of iron (0.4, 1.2, 1.8 wt.%), and two different content of manganese, i.e. 0.6 and 0.9 wt.%. The intermetallic compounds are formed at high iron contents or at high concentrations of manganese with low iron. The microstructural investigation by Clemex software showed that the biggest intermetallic size reached the surface area of 12750 μm2, when the amount of iron was increased from 1.2% to 1.8% wt.%. It was also showed that the volume fraction of intermetallic compounds increases as the iron and manganese content increases. Formation of complex intermetallic phases with iron adversely affects tensile strength decreasing from 229MPa with 0.4 wt.% of iron to 187MPa when iron content was increased to 1.8 wt.%

Giant segregation transition as origin of liquid metal embrittlement in the Fe-Zn system

A giant Zn segregation transition is revealed using CALPHAD-integrated density-based modelling of Zn segregation into Fe grain boundaries (GBs). The results show that above a threshold of only a few atomic percent Zn in the alloy, a substantial amount of up to 60 at.% Zn can segregate to the GB. We also found that the amount of segregation significantly increases with decreasing temperature, while the required Zn content in the alloy for triggering the segregation transition decreases. Direct evidence of this Zn segregation transition is obtained using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. We trace the origin of the segregation transition and its temperature dependence back to the low cohesive energy of Zn and a miscibility gap in Fe-Zn GB, arising from the magnetic ordering effect, which is demonstrated by ab initio calculations. We show that the massive Zn segregation resulting from the segregation transition greatly assists with liquid wetting and reduces the work of separation along the GB. These findings reveal the fundamental origin of GB weakening and therefore liquid metal embrittlement in the Fe-Zn system.Comment: Original work, Letter, 14 pages including supplementary material (SM), 8 figures (3 in SM), 2 tables in S

A Review of the Effects of Omega-3 and Omega-6 on Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a type of fatty fat that causes an increase in alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption causes inflammation, and liver damage. The certain fatty acids (FAs) may be involved in this liver damage. Anti-inflammatory and blood lipid lowering effects are the effects of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). NAFLD is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome because obesity and insulin resistance are the main pathogenic factors of both diseases. NAFLD is a disease associated with metabolic syndrome. Most patients with NAFLD are obese, although the disease can also affect non-obese people. Metabolic and genetic factors play an important role in the occurrence of this disease. Oxidative stress, lipotoxicity and inflammation play a key role in the development of NAFLD. There is a lot of evidence for the therapeutic potential of omega-3 PUFAs fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), mainly docosahexaenoic acid and eicosatetraenoic acid in the treatment of metabolic diseases due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, in this review article, we examined the effects of omega-3 and omega-6 on alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease