Dynamic soil-structure interaction analysis using the scaled boundary finite-element method.

This thesis presents the development of a reliable and efficient technique for the numerical simulation of dynamic soil-structure interaction problems in anisotropic and nonhomogeneous unbounded soils of arbitrary geometry. Such a technique is indispensable in the seismic analysis of large-scale engineering constructions and, to my best knowledge, does not exist at present. The theoretical framework of the research is based on the scaled boundary finite-element method. The following advances are achieved: The scaled boundary finite-element method is extended to simulate the dynamic response of non-homogeneous unbounded domains. The scaled boundary finite element equations in the frequency and time domains are derived for power-type non-homogeneity frequently employed in geotechnical engineering. A high-frequency asymptotic expansion of the dynamic-stiffness matrix is developed. The frequency domain analysis is performed by integrating the scaled boundary finite-element equation in dynamic stiffness. In the time domain, the scaled boundary finite-element equation including convolution integrals is solved for the unit-impulse response at discrete time stations. A Padé series solution for the scaled boundary finite-element equation in dynamic stiffness is developed. It converges over the whole frequency range as the order of the approximation increases. The computationally expensive task of numerically integrating the scaled boundary finite-element equation is circumvented. Exploiting the sparsity of the coefficientmatrices in the scaled boundary finite-element equation leads to a significant reduction in computer time and memory requirements for solving large-scale problems. Furthermore, lumped coefficient matrices are obtained by adopting the auss-Lobatto-Legendre shape functions with nodal quadrature, which avoids the eigenvalue problem in determining the asymptotic expansion. A high-order local transmitting boundary constructed from a continued-fraction solution of the dynamic-stiffness matrix is developed. An equation of motion as occurring in standard structural dynamics with symmetric and frequency-independent coefficient matrices is obtained. This transmitting boundary condition can be coupled seamlessly with standard finite elements. Transient responses are evaluated by using a standard timeintegration scheme. The expensive task of evaluating convolution integrals is circumvented. The advances developed in this thesis are applicable in other disciplines of engineering and science to the analysis of scalar and vector waves in unbounded media

Universality in microdroplet nucleation during solvent exchange in Hele-Shaw like channels

Micro and nanodroplets have many important applications such as in drug delivery, liquid-liquid extraction, nanomaterial synthesis and cosmetics. A commonly used method to generate a large number of micro or nanodroplets in one simple step is solvent exchange (also called nanoprecipitation), in which a good solvent of the droplet phase is displaced by a poor one, generating an oversaturation pulse that leads to droplet nucleation. Despite its crucial importance, the droplet growth resulting from the oversaturation pulse in this ternary system is still poorly understood. We experimentally and theoretically study this growth in Hele-Shaw like channels by measuring the total volume of the oil droplets that nucleates out of it. In order to prevent the oversaturated oil from exiting the channel, we decorated some of the channels with a porous region in the middle. Solvent exchange is performed with various solution compositions, flow rates and channel geometries, and the measured droplets volume is found to increase with the P\'eclet number $Pe$ with an approximate effective power law $V\propto Pe^{0.50}$. A theoretical model is developed to account for this finding. With this model we can indeed explain the $V\propto Pe^{1/2}$ scaling, including the prefactor, which can collapse all data of the "porous" channels onto one universal curve, irrespective of channel geometry and composition of the mixtures. Our work provides a macroscopic approach to this bottom-up method of droplet generation and may guide further studies on oversaturation and nucleation in ternary systems.Comment: Published in Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 16 pages, 6 figure

Bedaquiline: Current status and future perspectives

The development of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a major threat worldwide. Based on World Health Organization (WHO) reports, it is estimated that more than 500 000 new cases of drug-resistant TB occur annually. In addition, there are alarming reports of increasing multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and the emergence of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) from different countries of the world. Therefore, new options for TB therapy are required. Bedaquiline (BDQ), a novel anti-TB drug, has significant minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) both against drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB. Moreover, BDQ was recently approved for therapy of MDR-TB. The current narrative review summarises the available data on BDQ resistance, describes its antimicrobial properties, and provides new perspectives on clinical use of this novel anti-TB agent. © 2021 The Author(s

On the Application of Microfluidic-Based Technologies in Forensics: A Review

Microfluidic technology is a powerful tool to enable the rapid, accurate, and on-site analysis of forensically relevant evidence on a crime scene. This review paper provides a summary on the application of this technology in various forensic investigation fields spanning from forensic serology and human identification to discriminating and analyzing diverse classes of drugs and explosives. Each aspect is further explained by providing a short summary on general forensic workflow and investigations for body fluid identification as well as through the analysis of drugs and explosives. Microfluidic technology, including fabrication methodologies, materials, and working modules, are touched upon. Finally, the current shortcomings on the implementation of the microfluidic technology in the forensic field are discussed along with the future perspectives.Engineering Thermodynamic

The Prevalence of Anabolic Steroid Misuse and the Awareness about Its Negative Effects among Bodybuilders in Karaj City

Background & Aims: Regarding the increase in the misuse of anabolic steroids among young athletes particularly bodybuilding and power lifting athletes, this study aims to specify the degree of misuse prevalence anabolic steroid and the awareness of the side effects of such drugs among Karaj bodybuilders. Materials and Methods: This study is descriptive. All the bodybuilders of Karaj city was the participants of this research. The measurement instrument of this research was a questionnaire that contained 25 questions (7 questions were for background information, 9 questions were for awareness, 4 questions for attitudes about use of such drugs and the left 5 ones were for misuse prevalence) that distributed among 320 bodybuilding athletes of different parts of Karaj. The response rate was 63.75% (240 persons from total 320 persons). At last, the current research output analyzed by the SPSS software and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The analysis showed that 62.7% of athletes that participated in the research used such drugs. Also, the data analysis showed that there was a meaningful relationship between the sport histories of the involved participants with misuse prevalence (p0.05). In addition to this, data analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between misuse prevalence and wrong attitudes about anabolic steroid (p< 0.05). The comparison of the current study results about the misuse of anabolic steroid with a similar research at 1382 showed 140% increase in the misuse of these drugs. Conclusion: This study indicates the high use of anabolic steroids among bodybuilders. According to this, we understand that the bodybuilders in Karaj don&rsquo;t consult with specialist in this field get wrong information from unprofessional people. This leads the high misuse of such drugs. So, it is recommended to hold the prevention programs and athletes training about the side effects of anabolic steroids

Infrastructures Required for the Expansion of Family Physician Program to Urban Settings in Iran

Introduction: Following the implementation of Family Physician (FP) Program in rural areas and cities with populations under 20000 in 2005, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education in 2012 decided to implement urban FP in large cities with populations more than 20000. Along with the development and implementation of urban FP in Iran, local websites and newspapers reflected the viewpoints of experts in various levels of health system regarding the various stages of Family Medicine (FM) development (from agenda setting to initial stages of implementation). This study aimed to explore the major infrastructures perceived to be required to achieve desirable implementation of urban FP through analyzing experts' viewpoints reflected in the media and interviews. Methods: In a qualitative study, we analyzed the contents of health related national websites as well as transcribed interviews with key informants. Documents were collected from December 2011 to January 2014 and interviews were conducted from February 2014 to June 2015. We used mixed thematic approach (inductive and deductive) for analysis that was assisted by MAXQDA 12 software. Results: Infrastructures needed for the implementation of FP were categorized in five main themes and 23 subthemes. The themes are: 'Stewardship/governance', 'Actors and stakeholders', 'structural infrastructure', 'technical infrastructure and needed resources', and 'information and communication infrastructure'. Conclusions: Expansion of FP program to urban settings needs appropriate attention to the principles of policy implementation as well as provision of robust infrastructures. Well-defined stewardship, revised approach to financial regulation and payment system, stakeholder's commitment to collaboration, policy for conflict resolution, and universal insurance coverage are pivotal for the expansion of family physician program to the urban settings in Iran

The association between moral distress and moral courage in nurses: A cross-sectional study in iran

Background: Moral distress and moral courage among healthcare professionals have received considerable attention in recent years. However, there is a paucity of studies investigating these topics among nurses. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the association between moral distress and moral courage among nurses in an Iranian sample population. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted during February–December 2018. Corley’s Moral Distress (MDS-R) and Sekerka’s moral courage scales were used to collect the data. MDS-R is a 21-items scale which includes frequency and intensity ranges from 0 (never) to 4 (very frequently) and 0 (none) to 4 (great extent), respectively. In addition, the moral courage scale contains 15 items ranging from “never true” (1 point) to “always true” (7 points). In total, 225 eligible nurses were entered into this study. Finally, SPSS-16 was used for statistical analysis at the α = 0.05 level. Results: The mean scores of the frequency and intensity of moral distress and moral courage were 45.41 (95 CI = 43.37-47.45), 44.24 (95 CI = 42.98-45.42), and 59.63 (95 CI = 58.50-60.87), respectively. Eventually, a significant relationship was found between the moral courage and frequency of moral distress (r = 0.46, p < 0.001) and the intensity of moral distress (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). Conclusions: In general, encouraging healthcare managers and administrators is considered as crucial for developing supportive structures and highly sensitive management which promotes moral courage while reducing moral distress in nurses’ work setting. © 2020 Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Researc

The prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in Iran and the world: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence during pregnancy is a public health crisis, because it affects both mother and fetus simultaneously, resulting in irreversible consequences for mothers and their newborns. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in the world and Iran as meta-analysis. METHODS: This study is a meta-analysis on the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in the world and Iran that was conductedon Persian and English published articles up to 2015. To this end, through searching the information by key words and their compounds at SID, Medlib, Irandoc, Google scholar, Pubmid, ISI, Iranmedex, Scopus and Magiran, all related articles were extracted independently by two trained researchers. The results of studies analyzed using the STATA and Spss 16 software. RESULTS: In the initial searching of 167 articles, 33 articles related to Iran, 40 articles related to other parts of the world and totally 73 articles met inclusion criteria for study. The prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy were estimated in the world 17 (CI 95: 15 -18) and in Iran 28 (CI 95: 23-32). The prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in Iran is 11 percent more than the world. CONCLUSIONS: According to the present meta-analysis results, the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy in Iran is high. Given that sexual violence during pregnancy causes damage to the mother and infant, it is recommended that the relevant authorities with the implementation of intervention and educational programs reduce the prevalence of sexual violence during pregnancy

Environmental Related Risk Factors to Road Traffic Accidents in Ilam, Iran

Introduction: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are the most serious health issue in the world and the main cause of death after the first year of birth. Environmental factors are among the most important and effective aspects of RTIs occurrences and their human consequences. Aim: This study aimed to identify the environmental factors associated with road traffic accidents (RTAs) in Ilam province. Methods: All crash data in Ilam province in 2012 were investigated. RTI's data was collected using COM 114 form which included some human, environmental and vehicle related factors. Through Chi-Square test and logistic regression model, the association between environmental factors and RTIs was examined. For all statistical analyses we used the package Stata 13.1. Results: A total of 2314 traffic accidents were investigated. The highest 1659 (72.3) and lowest 19 (0.83) frequency of RTAs occurred during day and sunrise respectively. The majority of RTAs took place in July and September. The maximum number of RTAs was when the day was clear (91.7) 2103 and the minimum when it was cloudy (3.5) 81. A significant relationship was found between fatal RTAs and factors such as; the sort of the road, the hindered visibility, the location of the accident, the accidents' place, the climate, and lighting of the day (P<0.05). The adjusted chance of traffic accidents causing death or injuries in main streets was 9.7 times more than in highways; in sidetracks it was 3.54 times more. And when it was cloudy, the chance was 2.60 times more than when was clear (P<0.05). Conclusion: Regarding the standards of road construction, development of the roads, and educating drivers how to adjust their driving behavior to the environment and road conditions could have a great role in decreasing RTAs causing death or injury

Suicide Death Rate after Disasters: A Meta-Analysis Study

Background Disasters have undesirable effects on health among individuals such as psychosocial disorders which may lead lead to suicide in some cases. Thus, the present study aimed to measure the rate of suicide death after disasters all over the world. Methods In the present meta-analysis study, all of the articles published in English until the end of 2019 were probed in electronic databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Google Scholar. Then, the data were imported to STATA ver.13 software and analyzed through fixed- and random-effects models, meta-regression, and Cochrane statistical tests. Results A total of 11 studies including a sample size of 65495867 were considered. Suicide death rates before and after the disasters were calculated as 13.61 (CI95: 11.59-15.77) vs. 16.68 (CI95: 14.5-19:0) among the whole population, 28.36 (CI 95:11.29-45.43) vs. 32.17 (CI95: 17.71-46.62) among men, and 12.71 (CI95: 5.98-19.44) vs 12.69 (CI95: 5.17-20.21) among women. The rate of suicide death significantly increased in the whole population and men, while no significant difference was reported among women. Conclusion Suicide death rate increases after disasters indicating the destructive impact of this phenomenon on peoples' health. Therefore, implementing supportive and interventional measures is highly suggested after disasters in order to prevent suicide death among the affected people