Complex refractive index, single scattering albedo, and mass absorption coefficient of secondary organic aerosols generated from oxidation of biogenic and anthropogenic precursors

Refractive index and optical properties of biogenic and anthropogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles were investigated. Aerosol precursors, namely longifolene, α-pinene, 1-methylnaphthalene, phenol, and toluene were oxidized in a Teflon chamber to produce SOA particles under different initial hydrocarbon concentrations and hydroxyl radical sources, reflecting exposures to different levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The real and imaginary components (n and k, respectively) of the refractive index at 375 nm and 632 nm were determined by Mie theory calculations through an iterative process, using the χ2 function to evaluate the fitness of the predicted optical parameters with the measured scattering, absorption, and extinction coefficients from a Photoacoustic Extinctiometer and Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift Spectrometer. Single scattering albedo (SSA) and bulk mass absorption coefficient (MAC) at 375 nm were calculated. SSA values of SOA particles from biogenic precursors (longifolene and α-pinene) were ∼0.98–0.99 (∼6.3% uncertainty), reflecting purely scattering aerosols regardless of the NOx regime. However, SOA particles from aromatic precursors were more absorbing and displayed NOx-dependent SSA values. For 1-methylnaphthalene SOA particles, SSA values of 0.92–0.95 and ∼0.75–0.90 (∼6.1% uncertainty) were observed under intermediate- and high-NOx conditions, respectively, reflecting the absorbing effects of SOA particles and NOx chemistry for this aromatic system. In mixtures of longifolene and phenol or longifolene and toluene SOA under intermediate- and high-NOx conditions, k values of the aromatic-related component of the SOA mixture were higher than that of 1-methylnaphthalene SOA particles. With the increase in OH exposure, kphenol decreased from 0.10 to 0.02 and 0.22 to 0.05 for intermediate- and high-NOx conditions, respectively. A simple relative radiative forcing calculation for urban environments at λ = 375 nm suggests the influence of absorbing SOA particles on relative radiative forcing at this wavelength is most significant for aerosol sizes greater than 0.4 µm. Copyright © 2019 American Association for Aerosol Research</p

Investigation of Natural Effective Gamma Dose Rates case study: Ardabil Province in Iran

Gamma rays pose enough energy to form charged particles and adversely affect human health. Since, the external exposure of human beings to natural environmental gamma radiation normally exceeds that from all man-made sources combined, natural background gamma dose rates and corresponding annual effective doses were determined for selected cities of Ardabil province from 2009 to 2010. Outdoor gamma dose rates were measured using an Ion Chamber Survey Meter in 105 locations in selected districts. Average absorbed dose for Ardabil, Sar-Ein, Germy, Neer, Shourabil Recreational Lake, and Kosar were determined as 265, 219, 344, 233, 352, and 358 nSvh-1, respectively. Although dose rates recorded for Germi and Kosar are comparable with some areas with high natural radiation background, however, the dose rates in other districts are well below the levels reported for such locations. Average annual effective dose due to indoor and outdoor gamma radiation for Ardabil province was estimated to be 1.73 (1.35-2.39) mSv, which is on average 2 times higher than the world population weighted average

Data Fusion for Real-time Multimodal Emotion Recognition through Webcams and Microphones in E-Learning

The original article is available on the Taylor & Francis Online website in the following link: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10447318.2016.1159799?journalCode=hihc20This paper describes the validation study of our software that uses combined webcam and microphone data for real-time, continuous, unobtrusive emotion recognition as part of our FILTWAM framework. FILTWAM aims at deploying a real time multimodal emotion recognition method for providing more adequate feedback to the learners through an online communication skills training. Herein, timely feedback is needed that reflects on their shown intended emotions and which is also useful to increase learners’ awareness of their own behaviour. At least, a reliable and valid software interpretation of performed face and voice emotions is needed to warrant such adequate feedback. This validation study therefore calibrates our software. The study uses a multimodal fusion method. Twelve test persons performed computer-based tasks in which they were asked to mimic specific facial and vocal emotions. All test persons’ behaviour was recorded on video and two raters independently scored the showed emotions, which were contrasted with the software recognition outcomes. A hybrid method for multimodal fusion of our multimodal software shows accuracy between 96.1% and 98.6% for the best-chosen WEKA classifiers over predicted emotions. The software fulfils its requirements of real-time data interpretation and reliable results.The Netherlands Laboratory for Lifelong Learning (NELLL) of the Open University Netherlands

Comparison of the Sense of Coherence between Mothers with Healthy Children and Mothers of Children with Chronic Disease in Kerman

Comparison of the Sense of Coherence between Mothers with Healthy Children and Mothers of Children with Chronic Disease in Kerman Avaznejad Nosrat1, Ravanipour Maryam2*, Bahreini Masood3, Motamed Nilofar4 Received: 31. 08. 2016 Revised: 02. 11. 2016 Accepted: 10. 09. 2016 Abstract Introduction: Children with chronic disease make some problems in the family that have negative effect on the family members’ quality of life, especially mother’s. Promoting the sense of coherence and capability of mothers to adapt and manage the problems of children with chronic disease and their family seems necessary. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 300 women (150 mothers with healthy children and 150 mothers of children with chronic disease). Convenience sampling was used for mothers of children with chronic disease, and random sampling for mothers of healthy children. Data were collected using the valid and reliable Antonovsky's sense of coherence scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (the frequency, mean, standard deviation) and analytic statistics (Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney U test) by SPSS 18. Results: There was a significant difference in the total score of mothers’ sense of coherence between the groups. There was also a significant difference in the three components of mothers’ sense of coherence (comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness), so that mothers with healthy children had higher scores in all cases (P=0.0001). Conclusion: It seems that a comprehensive program of empowerment that promotes the mothers’ sense of coherence, can be very effective in reducing the problems of compatibility, management, and care of mothers of children with chronic disease, and subsequently, promotes the Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in family members. Key¬words: Sense of Coherence, Mother, Chronic Disease, Healthy Children, Children with Chronic Disease, Atonovesky’s Questionnaire ¬Citation: Avaznejad N, Ravanipour M. Bahreini M, Motamed N. Comparison of the Sense of Coherence between Mothers with Healthy Children and Mothers of Children with Chronic Disease in Kerman. Journal of Health Based Research 2016; 2(2): 183-196. 1. MSc, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. 2. Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Center for Research of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Persian Gulf, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. 3. Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. 4. Associate Professor, Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Busheh,r Iran. *Correspondence: Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Rishehr Street, Bushehr, Iran. Tel: 07518759577 Email: [email protected]

Communication skills training exploiting multimodal emotion recognition

The teaching of communication skills is a labour-intensive task because of the detailed feedback that should be given to learners during their prolonged practice. This study investigates to what extent our FILTWAM facial and vocal emotion recognition software can be used for improving a serious game (the Communication Advisor) that delivers a web-based training of communication skills. A test group of 25 participants played the game wherein they were requested to mimic specific facial and vocal emotions. Half of the assignments included direct feedback and the other half included no feedback. It was investigated whether feedback on the mimicked emotions would lead to better learning. The results suggest the facial performance growth was found to be positive, particularly significant in the feedback condition. The vocal performance growth was significant in both conditions. The results are a significant indication that the automated feedback from the software improves learners’ communication performances.The Netherlands Laboratory for Lifelong Learning (NELLL) of the Open University Netherland

How to deal with big data? Techno-economic analysis of different storage, processing and analysis alternatives

It is beyond doubt that the exponential growth in available data will serve many purposes and will be provided for and to many users. To meet the wide range of needs, a business handling data system must meet different criteria. This paper provides an a both qualitative and quantitative assessment of five different data handling systems: a data warehouse, a database, a data portal, a data lake and a single point of contact. The qualitative assessment relies on the PEST framework to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each option, while the quantitative assessment uses the Equipment Cost Modeling Notation (ECMN) to give a high-level estimation of the implementation cost. The paper concludes that there is a clear trade-off between adding functionality and adding cost, and that the most important decision parameters are the need for storage capacity, the need for a standardized structure and data format, the need for integrated analytics and the requested degree of scalability

People awareness about diabetes disease and its complications among aged 18 years and older in Bushehr port inhabitants (Iran)

Introduction: One of the most prevalent metabolic disease is diabetes and it can lead to enormous medical as well as socio-economic consequences. The Iranian diabetes population is estimated to be around 1.5 million. Studies show that approximately half of the people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are undiagnosed and thus unaware that they have the disease. This lack of awareness can lead to presentation with complications and its consequences. The aim of this survey was to determine the level of population awareness in Bushehr port, based on the available education programs. Material and methods: The cross-sectional study was assessed upon 719 subjects aged over 18 years old, without diabetes and inhabitant in Bushehr port in 2005. Multistage random simple sampling was used in this study. A questionnaire was prepared with validity checked by researchers in Yazd Diabetes Research Center and reliability alpha-cronbach = 75%. The questionnaire was included 39 questions: demographics indices, fundamentals about diabetes, its presenting signs and symptoms, the early and late complications, means of management as well as looked into the source of the information. The data was analyzed with independent t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, ANOVA and multiple-regression models by SPSS package ver. 10.05. Results: In this study, 719 subjects (417 male and 302 female) that mean age was 40.13 � 11.48 years (40.8 � 12.93 for male and 39.19 � 9.03 for female) were assessed. The male awareness rate was more than of female (P = 0.001). There was indirect relation between subjects’ awareness and their age (r = �0.203, P = 0.001). There was direct relation between awareness and the level of education of subjects (P = 0.01, r = 0.07). The mean of awareness scores of subjects was not same between singles and married (P = 0.042). Studies population awareness about fundamental diabetes disease, primary symptoms, early complications, delay complications, diet awareness was low and about controlling methods of diabetes was high. Conclusion: The results indicate that most subjects’ awareness about fundamental and complications of diabetes disease were low, so the people need more education about diabetes

Comparison of psychosexual problems between substance dependence patients

زمینه و هدف: نارضایتی جنسی یکی از مشکلات شایع در بیماران وابسته به مواد مخدر به شمار می آید. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی مقایسه ای ابعاد روانشناختی مشکلات جنسی در مردان متاهل و مصرف کننده کراک، شیشه و تریاک و مقایسه گروه ها با افراد غیر مصرف کننده انجام شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی- تحلیلی، تعداد 56 نفر بیمار مرد مراجعه کننده به مرکز ترک اعتیاد، به صورت نمونه گیری در دسترس در قالب چهار گروه قرار گرفتند. گروه های نمونه شامل (20 نفر تریاک، 18 نفر کراک و 18 نفر شیشه) و یک گروه شاهد (20 نفر) بودند. آزمودنی ها اقدام به تکمیل پرسشنامه چند وجهی مسایل جنسی نمودند. یافته ها: از بین خرده مقیاس های آزمون، تفاوت معناداری در میانگین نمرات سه گروه مصرف کننده با یکدیگر و نیز با گروه شاهد در خرده مقیاس‌های اشتغال ذهن جنسی، انگیزش جنسی، اضطراب جنسی، قاطعیت جنسی، افسردگی جنسی، کنترل جنسی بیرونی، نظارت جنسی، ترس از رابطه‌ی جنسی و رضایت جنسی مشاهده شد (05/0>P). تفاوت بین گروه شیشه و کراک / تریاک و شیشه در خرده مقیاس‌های اشتغال ذهن جنسی، انگیزش جنسی، اضطراب جنسی، افسردگی جنسی، کنترل جنسی بیرونی، نظارت جنسی، ترس از رابطه‌ی جنسی و رضایت جنسی معنادار بوده است (01/0

Quantifying environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis in discordant monozygotic twins: a case report

Relative contribution of genetic and environmental risk factors in complex disorders is widely explored through discordant identical twins. Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system in which the interplay of genetic and environmental risk factors define the disease pathogenicity. Robust epidemiological studies in different populations suggested that active levels of serum vitamin D and viral load implicate in MS pathogenicity and severity. In order to refine non-shared components of susceptibility factors in MS, we investigated the role of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and viral infection in a pair of identical twins remained discordant for MS during the course of 5 years follow up. Here we report serological finding regarding the viral load and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in a pair of discordant monozygotic twins. Based on our observation, lower levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and higher anti-viral IgG titre was consistent with the disease statues in the affected sib

Comparison of Power Hierarchy, Cohesion and Structure in Families with and Without a Disabled Child From the Perspective of their Mothers, Bushehr 2015

Background: Power hierarchy, cohesion and family structure are the main component of every family. Families with disabled children may be affected with this structure and function. The aim of this study was to comparison of the power hierarchy, cohesion and family structure with disabled and non-disabled children in Bushehr from the perspective of their mothers (2015). Materials & Methods: In this Cross-sectional study, 150 mothers of disabled and non-disabled children in Bushehr city were selected by census and clusters method, respectively. Family structure, cohesion and hierarchy of mothers was assessed by using the Family System Test (FAST). Data were analyzed by using SPSS software (Version 18) and statistical tests carried out such as (Independent t-test, ANOVA and chisquare test. Results: Based on this results, there was no significant difference between the families in terms of power (p=0.22) but the cohesion of families with children with physical disabilities (p=0.0001, 1/90 ± 0.54) and mentally (p=0.0001, 1.56 ± 0.73) is less than the natural family (p=0.0001, 2.26 ± 0.52), Also in terms of structure, there was no significant difference between families with healthy children and physical disability and mentally (p=0.05). Conclusion: Findings showed that the cohesion of families with disabled children are more vulnerable than healthy family. In the first step, awareness of young couples about the outcome of the birth of a disabled child is necessary and inevitable and in second step, providing training and adequate support to families with disabled child