Failure Investigation of Gas Turbine Generator Cooling Fan Blades by Experimental and Numerical Analysis

Non

Dynamic Analysis of Two-lane Skewed Bridge and High-speed Train System

Bridges are vital in the operation of railway networks since any hindrances to their operation could suspend the flow of traffic. An important characteristic of bridges highly affecting their behavior is the skew angle. In this paper, a sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the effects of skew angle on train-track interaction for single- and double-sided crossings of a high-speed train. Comprehensive three-dimensional finite element models of the bridge and vehicle are developed, which are then calibrated using dynamic field test results. Effects of skew angle on shape modes and modal frequencies, acceleration values, and bridge displacement in various crossing speeds are studied. The results showed that if the bridge skew angle is more than 15°, it will affect the modal shape and frequency of the bridge. When the skew angle is less than 15°, the results of the bridge displacement are similar to those of the bridge with skew angle of zero. However, with the increase of the skew angle, the deformation value of the bridge decreases and the speed corresponding to the maximum displacement value also varies. Finally, the results of acceleration due to the speed and skew angle of the bridge are not the same in one-way and two-way passing states

HOW HASAN ROOHANI'S DISCOURSE GOT DOMINANT IN THE ELEVENTH ROUND OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF IRAN: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Within the political arena of Iran, parties, media and political activities are passing through initial stages; yet, they get suddenly active during the presidential election campaign. Hence, a proper investigation into the dominant discourses during this time can tell a lot about the politics of the country. The present paper aims at conducting a critical discourse analysis on the antagonistic discourses of Hasan Roohani and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to demonstrate how the former one’s discourse gets dominant and wins the election. The headlines of two supporting newspapers, Keyhan, supporting the fundamentalists, and Shargh, advocating the reformists, are analyzed as well to see how they try to back their candidates

Challenges of Utilizing the Primary Health Safety Index Tool for Assessing the Vulnerability of Healthcare Centers to Disasters

As important infrastructures in every community, hospitals and healthcare centers are required to continue their operation during normal and disastrous situations and respond to the situation and provide services for the injured. In 2008, the hospital safety index (HSI) was proposed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for evaluating the safety of hospitals and healthcare facilities in potential hazardous situations. The hazards threatening these facilities can be identified using a checklist, and categorized as structural, non-structural and functional vulnerability while considering their likelihood of occurrence, frequency, harmful outcomes and numerical estimate of damage. In 2016, risk and safety assessments in disasters were performed in 280 healthcare centers affiliated to Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran, including 204 medical homes, 66 comprehensive urban and rural health centers and 10 district health centers. The present research was conducted using the hazard assessment guidelines developed by the Iranian Ministry of Health. The results revealed that geologic hazards, climatologic threats, epidemics and traffic accidents were respectively the most frequent hazards threatening healthcare centers in Ilam province. Moreover, the levels of the structural, non-structural and functional safety of the healthcare centers were respectively found to be 20.34%, 27.67% and 21.53%. The overall safety of the health centers was also estimated at 22.79%. In fact, the safety level received a score of 3 out of 10.  Hatami et al. obtained a safety index of 4 out of 10, and found the level of functional safety to be 51.48%, that of structural safety 33.97%, that of non-structural safety 54.82% and that of overall safety 43.72%. Moreover, an evaluation of the safety level of Iranian health centers in the face of disasters in 2015 reported a functional safety level of 29%, a structural safety level of 36%, a non-structural safety level of 21% and an overall safety level of 29%. The safety levels of healthcare centers in Ilam province were therefore lower than those reported as the national mean safety indices. In addition, the present results were expressed through their root cause analysis. The unsatisfactory preparedness level of healthcare centers in Ilam province on a national scale based on the hazard assessment guidelines developed by the Ministry of Health can be attributed to the following factors: The very old building structures of the health centers contributing to lower safety and higher risks Failing to complete the checklists according to the instructions provided for national assessment tools; the checklists should have been completed by skilled, well-educated experts who were informed of how to use the instruments and how to complete the checklists. The invalidity of the obtained results associated with completing the checklists by experts of the Deputy of Health and subsidiary units, who lacked knowledge about structural engineering and building architecture. In fact, the intrinsic features of some of the instruments required asking for assistance from engineering experts such as architects, civil engineers and urban engineers to complete the checklists; nevertheless, financial limitations prevented the use of specialist expertise. Failing to take the necessary measures to promote the safety and efficiency of the healthcare centers despite the neglect reflected in the annually-completed preparedness assessment tools; the annual status of safety and preparedness of healthcare centers in Ilam was reported to be unsatisfactory. As a major component of management, control is a combination of actions required for identifying strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities through monitoring and evaluating the processes and solving the system problems by performing appropriate intervention. The improvement of the status quo is not guaranteed unless controls lead to interventions. The results obtained through assessing the preparedness and safety of hospitals appear to have not affected the strategic programs, policies and procedures of the health system authorities in a way that safety levels are enhanced in healthcare facilities. The policy makers are therefore recommended to revise the methods used to take advantage of this information

ASSESSING THE SATISFACTION RATE OF HOSPITALIZED MOTHERS AND NURSES WARDS IN AL-HADI HOSPITAL OF SHOUSHTAR AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HEALTH CARE REFORM PLAN IN 2017

Background and: The Health System Development Plan is considered one of the most valuable services of the eleventh state in the field of health. The aim of this study was to determine the satisfaction rate of hospitalized mothers and nurses from implementation of health system development plan in Shoushtar Al-Hadi hospital. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study is a cross-sectional one. The study population consisted of 163 mothers who were hospitalized before delivery and 18 nurses from maternity wards who were selected by census method during three months. The data collection tool was demographic information and researcher-made questionnaire that measured the satisfaction of maternity hospitalized in the delivery sector and nurses' satisfaction. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney test in SPSS-16 software. Results: 94 hospitalized mothers (56.3%) had relative satisfaction and 15 nurses (83.3%) had high satisfaction with the implementation of the health system reform plan. There was no significant relationship between the satisfactions of pregnant mothers with cesarean section with normal delivery (P> 0.05). There was a significant relationship between satisfaction of nurses in the ward of women with maternity ward (P <0.05). Conclusion: Most of the research samples were satisfied with the implementation of the Health System Development Plan, so it is suggested that this research be done in other hospitals in order to compare their results with each other. Keywords: Satisfaction, Health System Development Plan, Pregnant Mothers, Nurse

People’s perspectives and expectations on preparedness against earthquakes: Tehran case study

Background: Public education is one of the most important elements of earthquake preparedness. The present study identifies methods and appropriate strategies for public awareness and education on preparedness for earthquakes based on people’s opinions in the city of Tehran. Method: This was a cross-sectional study and a door-to-door survey of residents from 22 municipal districts in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. It involved a total of 1 211 individuals aged 15 and above. People were asked about different methods of public information and education, as well as the type of information needed for earthquake preparedness. Results: “Enforcing the building contractors’ compliance with the construction codes and regulations” was ranked as the first priority by 33.4% of the respondents. Over 70% of the participants (71.7%) regarded TV as the most appropriate means of media communication to prepare people for an earthquake. This was followed by “radio” which was selected by 51.6% of respondents. Slightly over 95% of the respondents believed that there would soon be an earthquake in the country, and 80% reported that they obtained this information from “the general public”. Seventy percent of the study population felt that news of an earthquake should be communicated through the media. However, over fifty (58%) of the participants believed that governmental officials and agencies are best qualified to disseminate information about the risk of an imminent earthquake. Just over half (50.8%) of the respondents argued that the authorities do not usually provide enough information to people about earthquakes and the probability of their occurrence. Besides seismologists, respondents thought astronauts (32%), fortunetellers (32.3%), religious figures (34%), meteorologists (23%), and paleontologists (2%) can correctly predict the occurrence of an earthquake. Furthermore, 88.6% listed aid centers, mosques, newspapers and TV as the most important sources of information during the aftermath of an earthquake, Discussion: A participatory approach to earthquake-preparedness planning is recommended. This would ensure that program planners use methods, tools, media, and educational materials that are compatible with the culture, needs, and skills of the local communities. Conclusion: The findings of this study also reveal methods and tools that the local community considers to be most effective for earthquake-preparedness planning and management. The development of an earthquake-resistance and a safe community requires a high level of collaboration between broadcasting organizations, seismologists, experts in the disaster-preparedness field, as well as the local community. This will allow for timely planning, development, and dissemination of essential information to all stakeholders including the local communities

Three-dimensional Modeling of an Old Masonry Bridge and Assessing Its Current Capacity

Masonry bridges are among the main structures built along the road and railway routes. These structures are generally old and have historical value. Considering the increased axial load and passing speed from these bridges, an in-depth study of these structures and their potential is of paramount importance. In the present study, an old masonry arch bridge located in 475 km of Western Iranian railway is investigated. For the detailed modeling of this structure, a three-dimensional finite element method (3DFEM) was implemented to take into account the details of the bridge and the train passing over it. The developed model was calibrated and validated using the dynamic field test results. The obtained results showed that the increase in the axial load and train speed over the bridge must be done carefully because exceeding the travel speed of 90 km/h and increasing the axial load from 20 to 30 ton makes serious problems in the bridge and interrupts its performance. Furthermore, it was found that the adequacy factor of the bridge under the standard load of LM71 is over 2

Optimal Planning of On-Grid Hybrid Microgrid for Remote Island Using HOMER Software, Kish in Iran

HOMER software functions as a tool for modeling and optimization of an energy generation micropower system based on renewable technologies. In this paper for the first time the monthly real load data have been used in HOMER to design a renewable-based microgrid in grid-connected mode for Kish Island, Iran. The calculations were performed in a way that the designed system could supply the load demand of the studied area with the lowest cost, least pollution, and highest reliability. To overcome the intermittency of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, a combination of these sources in a hybrid system and installation of battery storage systems were considered. The solar radiation and wind speed data required by the software were obtained from the country’s meteorology and NASA website and used in the software. The analysis results of four scenarios, including national grid/diesel generator, national grid/diesel generator/solar cell, national grid/diesel generator/wind turbine, and national grid/diesel generator/solar cell/wind turbine, showed the prices per kWh of $0.483,$0.505, $0.472,$0.537, respectively. In these scenarios, the share of renewable energies was 0%, 8%, 11%, and 26%, respectively. The highest amount of electricity sold to the national grid was 1597095 kWh/y for the fourth scenario which had also the lowest rate of CO2 emissions by 4128650 kg/y

Determining Asphalt Mixture Properties Using Imaging Techniques

This study introduces imaging technology to determine the bulk specific gravity (Gmb) of compacted asphalt mixture specimens. Using an advanced three-dimensional scanner, a fast, accurate technique for determining compacted asphalt mixture specimen Gmb was developed. The feasibility of this technique was evaluated by testing a collection of asphalt mixtures, including dense-graded and stone mastic asphalt mixtures. The results were compared with those obtained using the currently-specified Gmb measurement methods of AASHTO T166 and CoreLok. The proposed scanning technique was also used for both laboratory-prepared and field-cored specimens to determine its reliability and reproducibility. The study results suggest the proposed imaging technique is effective in decreasing Gmb measurement variation as well as in improving the accuracy and reproducibility. Additionally, the results indicate the proposed technique can be applied to any asphalt specimen, regardless of mixture type, aggregate sizes, or fabrication technique

The role of endowments in the realization of peace and human rights

The purpose of this article is to examine the role of endowments in the realization of peace and human rights. Endowment means that the property of imprisonment and its benefits should be placed in the way of God. The meaning of endowment is the permanent benefit of the endowment against the property of the endowment, and for this reason it has been called endowment, and among the benefits is the transfer of interests in the way of God and social charity. So far, several researches have been done in the field of endowments but, the study of the functions of the endowment and the role of its endowments, especially in the field of peace and human rights, has not received much attention. The basic question that has been raised and examined in this regard is that what role does endowment play in achieving peace and the standards of the third generation of human rights? The present article is a descriptive-analytical and examines the question using the library method. The results of this article indicate that positive peace focuses on health, disease and the fight against disease, poverty, social and economic inequalities, and the realization of social justice and at the same time, the components of the third generation of human rights are trying to realize such things as the right to development, the right to education and the right to occupation that due to its functions, endowment plays an important role in providing the mentioned items. In conclusion, it can be said that endowment is effective in strengthening and promoting positive peace and the components of the third generation of human rights