Effect of increase in amplitude of occipital alpha & theta brain waves on global functioning level of patients with GAD

Introduction: The basic objective of this study is to investigate the effects of alpha and theta brain waves amplitude increase in occipital area on reducing the severity of symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and to increase the global functioning level in patients with GAD. Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test with two groups. For this purpose, 28 patients who had been referred to Sohrawardi psychiatric and clinical psychology center in Zanjan were studied based on the interview with the psychiatrist, clinical psychologist and using clinical diagnostic criteria for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders text revision - the DSM-IV-TR Fourth Edition diagnosis of GAD, 14 subjects were studied in neurofeedback treatment group and 14 subjects in the waiting list group. Patients in both groups were evaluated at pre-test and post-test with General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Global Assessment Functioning Scale (GAFs). The treatment group received fifteen 30-minute alpha training sessions and fifteen 30-minute theta brain training sessions in occipital area by neurofeedback training (treatment group). This evaluation was performed according to the treatment protocol to increase the alpha and theta waves. And no intervention was done in the waiting list group. But due to ethical issues after the completion of the study all the subjects in the waiting list group were treated. Results: The results showed that increase of alpha and theta brain waves amplitude in occipital area in people with GAD can increase the global functioning level and can reduce symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in a treatment group, but no such change was observed in the waiting list group. Discussion: Increase of alpha and theta brain waves amplitude in occipital area can be useful in the treatment of people with GAD

Effect of different levels of Azolla meal on growth performance and digestibility of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

In this study, the effects of different dietary levels of Azolla meal were investigated on growth performance and digestibility of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings during 60 days. Five experimental diets approximately iso-protein (30%) and isolipidic (10%), were formulated with different levels of Azolla meal consisting of 0, 15, 25, 35 and 45%, respectively. In each experimental treatment, triplicate groups of common Carp fingerlings (16.5± 0.2 g) were used in a completely randomized design. Twenty fish were assigned to each experimental unit and stocked in 300 L tank. The results showed that the use of Azolla meal up to 15% had no negative effect on growth performance. The growth of fish was reduced significantly with increasing Azolla meal level of more than 15% of diet. Based on results, the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of dry matter decreased with increasing Azolla meal in diets. The highest ADC of protein was observed in control treatment. However, no significant difference was observed between the treatment 2 (diet with 15% Azolla meal) and control (without Azolla meal) for ADC of protein. In general, results of the present study showed that Azolla meal can be used up to 15% in Cyprinus carpio diet

Impacts of nano-clay particles and heat-treating on out-of-phase thermo-mechanical fatigue characteristics in piston aluminum-silicon alloys

Abstract. In this article, the effect of nano-clay particles and heat-treating on thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviors and failures of piston aluminum-silicon (AlSi) alloys was investigated. For this purpose, thermo-mechanical fatigue tests were conducted under out-of-phase (OP) loading conditions. Two loading conditions were checked based on different maximum temperatures (250, 300, and 350 °C) and various thermo-mechanical loading factors (100, 125, and 150%). The minimum temperature was constant in all tests at 50 °C under a heating/cooling rate of 10 °C/s and a dwell time of 5 s. Results showed that the nano-composites had a longer fatigue lifetime, at least 2 times higher, compared to the Al alloy, when the maximum temperature was 250 °C and the thermo-mechanical loading factor was 100%. However, no effective change was seen for the stress value and the plastic strain. At higher maximum temperatures, the change in the material behavior was lower. The fracture analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that both materials had a brittle behavior due to cleavage and quasi-cleavage marks. The damage mechanism was also due to the Si-rich phase and intermetallics, respectively for the crack propagation and the micro-crack initiation

Toward Sustainable Tackling of Biofouling Implications and Improved Performance of TFC FO Membranes Modified by Ag-MOF Nanorods

In this work, nanorods with high antibacterial properties were synthesized with silver acetate as the metal source and 2-aminoterephthalic acid as the organic linker and were then embedded into thin-film composite (TFC) membranes to amend their performance as well as to alleviate biofouling. Silver metal-organic framework (Ag-MOF) nanorods with a length smaller than 40 nm were incorporated within the polyamide thin selective layer of the membranes during interfacial polymerization. The interaction of the synthesized nanorods with the polyamide was favored because of the presence of amine-containing functional groups on the nanorod's surface. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy characterizations proved the presence of Ag-MOF nanorods in the selective layer of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. TFN membranes demonstrated improved water permeance, salt selectivity, and superior antibacterial properties. Specifically, the increased hydrophilicity and antibacterial potential of the TFN membranes led to a synergetic effect toward biofouling mitigation. The number of live bacteria attached to the surface of the neat TFC membrane decreased by more than 92% when a low amount of Ag-MOF nanorods (0.2 wt %) was applied. Following contact of the TFN membrane surface with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, full inactivation, and degradation of bacteria cells were observed with microscopy, colony-forming unit tests, and disc inhibition zone analyses. This result translated to a negligible amount of the biofilm formed on the active layer. Indeed, the incorporation of Ag-MOF nanorods decreased the metal-ion release rate and therefore provided prolonged antibacterial performance

Impacts of nano-clay particles and heat-treating on out-of-phase thermo-mechanical fatigue characteristics in piston aluminum-silicon alloys

Abstract. In this article, the effect of nano-clay particles and heat-treating on thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviors and failures of piston aluminum-silicon (AlSi) alloys was investigated. For this purpose, thermo-mechanical fatigue tests were conducted under out-of-phase (OP) loading conditions. Two loading conditions were checked based on different maximum temperatures (250, 300, and 350 °C) and various thermo-mechanical loading factors (100, 125, and 150%). The minimum temperature was constant in all tests at 50 °C under a heating/cooling rate of 10 °C/s and a dwell time of 5 s. Results showed that the nano-composites had a longer fatigue lifetime, at least 2 times higher, compared to the Al alloy, when the maximum temperature was 250 °C and the thermo-mechanical loading factor was 100%. However, no effective change was seen for the stress value and the plastic strain. At higher maximum temperatures, the change in the material behavior was lower. The fracture analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that both materials had a brittle behavior due to cleavage and quasi-cleavage marks. The damage mechanism was also due to the Si-rich phase and intermetallics, respectively for the crack propagation and the micro-crack initiation

Gait Analysis Using Shoe-worn Inertial Sensors: How is foot clearance related to walking speed?

Spatiotemporal gait analysis with body worn inertial sensors improves diagnosis in clinical practice. Most of the gait performance measures are affected by walking speed. However, it has not been investigated that how much information foot clearance parameters share with the key parameters of gait performance domains. Using shoe-worn inertial sensors and previously validated algorithm we measured spatiotemporal as well as clearance gait parameters in a cohort of able-bodied adults over the age of 65 (N=879). Principal components analysis showed that variability of foot clearance parameters contribute to the main variability in gait data. Moreover, only weak to moderate correlation of gait speed and stride length with some clearance parameters has been observed. We recommend the assessment of clearance parameters during gait analysis in addition to parameters such as gait speed, bearing in mind the importance of foot clearance measures in obstacle negotiation, slipping and tripping related falls

Inertial measurement unit and biomechanical analysis of swimming : an update

The biomechanical analysis of swimming always faced impeding factors of measurement in the aquatic environment. Our current knowledge of swimming locomotion is very much owing to employing video cameras to capture the body kinematics. Nevertheless, the recent improvements in wearable inertial sensor technology and signal processing techniques offer us a whole new range of measurement setups that were not realizable beforehand. The principal aim of this paper is to present the inertial sensor based systems that are used in the study of swimming biomechanics. In this manuscript we briefly introduce the other existing technologies used in analysis of swimming and the necessity of having an easy to use, reliable and affordable system. Then we highlight the application of inertial sensors in estimation of temporal phases of swimming and also estimation of performance metrics. The perspective of the inertial sensors applications in the swimming studies is eventually discussed. Our concluding remarks advocate the potentials of inertial sensors as a tool for coaches to design the optimal personal training plan for trainees