Restless Legs Syndrome in shift workers: A cross sectional study on male assembly workers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological movement disorder characterized by symptoms that follow a circadian pattern. Night and rotating shift work schedules exert adverse effects on functions of the human body by disturbing circadian rhythms, and they are known to cause sleep disturbances and insomnia. In this paper, we investigate the possible association between shift work and RLS.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross sectional study was conducted in an automobile manufacturing factory in Tehran, Iran. A total of 780 male assembly workers were recruited in three groups, each with 260 workers: workers on a permanent morning shift (A) and two different rotating shift schedules (B and C) with morning, afternoon and night shifts. We used the international RLS study group criteria for diagnosis of RLS, and the severity scale for severity assessment in subjects with RLS. Self administered questionnaires were used to gather information on age, smoking, work history, medical condition, and existence and severity of RLS symptoms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of RLS was significantly higher in rotational shift workers (15%) than workers with permanent morning work schedule (8.5%). In workers suffering from RLS, we found greater mean values of age and work experience, higher percentages of drug consumption, smoking, and co-morbid illnesses compared with subjects who did not have RLS, although these differences were statistically significant only for age, work experience and drug consumption.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Rotational shift work acts as a risk or exacerbating factor for Restless Legs Syndrome.</p

A LANDSCAPE BIOGRAPHY OF THE WATAMPONE CITY

Bone merupakan salah satu situs pusat kerajaan Bugis yang menarik diungkap biografi lanskapnya, dari unit-unit kampung kecil tradisional (abad ke-14 M) hingga mencapai bentuk kota kolonial pada awal abad ke-20. Penelitian ini secara spasial berfokus pada situs dalam wilayah keruangan Kota Watampone dengan menggunakan metode pendekatan biografi lanskap. Metode penelitian melalui tahapan: (1) rekonstruksi sejarah dan arkeologi; (2) dokumentasi ingatan kolektif; dan (3) narasi biografi lanskap. Hasil penelitian menemukan 9 lapisan biografis secara vertikal. Dari jumlah lapisan biografis tersebut, memori kolektif warga kota hanya terkait Bola Soba sebagai ikon arsitektur serta 4 lapisan biografi peradaban terkait legacy tokoh, yaitu Kawerang (situs Manurunge), Macege, serta&nbsp;&nbsp; Tanah Bangkala dan Taman Arung Palakka (periode lanskap tanpa istana). Perubahan lanskap sangat dipengaruhi perubahan lokasi istana, mengikuti ruang hunian penguasa terpilih. Lanskap tidak saja menunjukkan biografi periodic ruang, tetapi juga identitas dan ‘legacy’&nbsp; tokoh pada setiap lapisan peradaban.Watampone merupakan situs pusat Kerajaan Bone yang memiliki biografi lanskap dinamis, dari unit unit kampung kecil tradisional (abad ke-14 M) hingga mencapai bentuk kota kolonial pada awal abad ke-20. Dalam periode yang panjang dan dinamis, narasi perkembangan kota Watampone sudah sepantasnya dikaji tidak saja dalam bingkai simpul-simpul peristiwa besar atau historiografi arusutama, tetapi juga menyertakan narasi memori warga kota. Masalah penelitian ini berfokus bagaimana biografi lanskap Kota Watampone? Tujuannya ialah merekonstruksi perkembangan lanskap kota Watampone secara diakronis berdasarkan ketersediaan data (penanda) arkeologis dan historis serta memori kolektif warga. Untuk itu, pendekatan biografi lanskap digunakan dengan metode melalui tahapan: (1) survei untuk rekonstruksi sejarah dan arkeologi; (2) dokumentasi ingatan kolektif dengan wawancara dan FGD; dan (3) Interpretasi narasi biografi lanskap. Hasil penelitian mengidentifikasi sembilan lapisan biografis sepanjang lima abad kisah Kota Watampone. Dari jumlah lapisan biografis tersebut, memori kolektif warga kota hanya terkait Bola Soba sebagai ikon arsitektur serta 4 lapisan biografi peradaban terkait legacy tokoh, yaitu Kawerang (situs Manurunge), Macege, serta Tanah Bangkala dan Taman Arung Palakka (periode lanskap tanpa istana). Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ternyata tidak semua era pemerintahan menyimpan jejak fitur pada lanskap sebagai ‘legacy’, sekaligus atribut kuat identitas eksistensi lapisan biografi kota.     From its smallest traditional units in 14th AD to its colonial morphology in 20th AD, Bone is one of the Buginese kingdom cities with interesting landscape biography. In a long and dynamic period, the narrative of the development of the city of Watampone should be examined, not only in the frame of major historiography, but also to include the residents' collective memory. This research is focused to study the landscape biography of Watampone City? The purpose is to reconstruct the urban landscape development of Watampone diachronically based on the archaeological and historical data and the collective memory of the residents. This study used landscape biographical approach, with these following stages: (1) surveys for historical and archaeological reconstruction; (2) documentation of collective memory by interview and focus group discussion; and (3) Interpretation of landscape biographical narratives. The results of the study identified nine biographical layers along the five centuries of Watampone City. Of those biographic layers, its citizen’s collective memory only recollects one architectural icon (Bola Soba), and four other sites that related to a historic figure (Kawerang, Macege, Tanah Bangkala, and Arung Palakka’s City Park). This research shows that not all of the government eras have traces of features in the landscape as 'legacy', as well as strong attributes of the existence of urban biographical layers

Artefak Batu Preneolitik Situs Leang Jarie: bukti teknologi Maros point tertua di kawasan budaya Toalean, Sulawesi Selatan

The Preneolithic Stone Artefact of Leang Jarie Site: The Oldest Evidence of Maros Point  Technology in the Toalean Culture Region, South Sulawesi. Maros Point is one type of flake tool that shows characteristics of the techno-complex Toalean from South Sulawesi. Early emergence of the Toalean Culture phase is still debated, but most experts agree that this tool only appeared no more than 4000 years ago and is positioned include with pottery or Neolithic period. The Maros Point is considered to be made by the early occupants of Sulawesi after the arrival and contact with Austronesian speakers migration in South Sulawesi. The problem is that the results of the latest research are contrary to previous opinions. This paper aims to show new evidence of excavation at the Leang Jarie Site, as the oldest Maros Point technology ca. 8,000 years ago in the Toalean Cultural Region. Maros Point is made simpler with the support flake without using reduction pattern of flake-blade technology. Flakes with an asymmetrical shape can also be utilized as long as it have a pointed and thin tip. The "backed" retouched technique is also used to maximize flakes with steep sharp edges. Thus, the phase of Toalean Culture compiled by previous studies needs to be reviewed and the presence of Maros Points can no longer be used as a marker of the youngest phase. Maros Point is produced from the early holocene or Preneolithic Period and has possibility its continuation until Neolithic period.Maros Point adalah salah satu tipe alat serpih yang menunjukkan karakteristik teknokompleks budaya Toalean dari Sulawesi Selatan. Awal munculnya masih diperdebatkan. Namun, sebagian besar ahli sepakat bahwa alat ini baru muncul tidak lebih dari 4.000 tahun yang lalu dan diposisikan sekonteks dengan tembikar atau masa neolitik. Maros Point dianggap dibuat oleh penghuni awal Sulawesi setelah kedatangan dan kontak dengan migrasi penutur Austronesia di Sulawesi Selatan. Permasalahannya adalah hasil penelitian terbaru justru bertentangan dengan pendapat sebelumnya. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menunjukkan bukti baru dari penggalian di situs  Leang Jarie, sebagai teknologi Maros Point paling tua berumur ca. 8.000 tahun lalu di kawasan budaya Toalean. Maros Point dari masa preneolitik dibuat lebih sederhana dengan dukungan serpih tanpa harus menggunakan pola penyerpihan teknologi serpih bilah. Serpih dengan bentuk yang tidak simetris pun dapat dimanfaatkan selama memiliki ujung runcing dan tipis. Teknik peretusan “dipunggungkan” juga digunakan untuk memaksimal serpih dengan tepian tajaman yang terjal. Dengan demikian, fase budaya Toalean yang disusun oleh penelitian sebelumnya perlu ditinjau ulang dan kehadiran Maros Point tidak bisa lagi dijadikan sebagai penanda fase paling muda. Maros Point diproduksi dari awal holosen atau preneolitik dan mungkin terus berlanjut hingga masa neolitik

SPB1 and SPB1,2: Synthesis and Determination of the Microstructure and Physical Properties

New nano-structures of silica namely SPB particles (silica mesoporous particles, prepared by sol-gel method using triblock copolymers as template) were successfully synthesized, in water/n-octane (co-solvent) system and acidic media. Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as silica precursor, ethanol as co-surfactant and mixture of two copolymers of PPG-b-PEG-b-PPG and PEG-b-PPG-b-PEG (Pluronic) as template were used. The prepared new mesoporous silica particles were characterized using nitrogen adsorption-desorption (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The obtained results indicated that the porosity of mesoporous materials and their surface properties could be improved by using a mixture of two copolymers as template. Also mixed triblock copolymers could adjust the pore size distribution of the mesoporous silica particles to a normal distribution. As confirmed by BET analysis, the mean pore diameters of SPB1 and SPB1,2 silica particles were found to be 5.48 nm and 3.21 nm respectively. The specific surface area and pore volume for SPB1,2 silica particles also increased with mixed block copolymers (SBET= 632.36 m2/g, VP= 0.342 cm3/g) compared to SPB1 particles (SBET = 577.27 m2/g, VP= 0.231 cm3/g). SEM results confirmed that the structures of these samples were spherical. Furthermore, the results also revealed that elimination of n-octane co-solvent from the reaction produced non-uniform large aggregates where the shape of particles changed from the spherical to non-spherical porous particles. These results showed that using a mixture of two triblock copolymers as template have outstanding effect on porosity, specific surface area, morphology, and microstructure of the new mesoporous silica particles

Using Cyclohexanol as a Co-Surfactant in the Synthesis of New Mesoporous Silica Particles

In the synthesis of mesoporous silica particles, the geometry, pore size, and specific surface area and pore volume of the particles can be greatly influenced by selected media and method, selection of co-solvent and co-surfactant. In this study, new SPB particles (silicone mesoporous particles, prepared by sol-gel method using block copolymers as template) were synthesized in a water/n-octane system from the mixture of two copolymers based on poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly (propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-b-PPO-b-PEO) and poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly (ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide) (PPO-b-PEO-b-PPO) triblock copolymers. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursor, cyclohexanol as co-surfactant, n-octane as co-solvent and citric acid catalyst were used. The specific surface area and pore volume, pore diameter, morphology, microstructure and porosity of the SPB particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption (BET method) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained results revealed that, using the mixture of two block copolymers in the synthesis of SPB1,2 particles, could produce mean pore diameters around 9 nm and control the pore size distribution of silica particles from non-normal to a normal distribution. Furthermore, the effect of chair conformation of cyclohexanol as a large co-surfactant on the mixed block copolymers due to increase in the uniformity and yield of the SPB1,2 mesoporous silica particles compared to the SPB1 particles, there is approximately a two fold increase in SPB1,2 particle yield. In this regard, the effect of cyclohexanol and the second block copolymer in making the new templates and micellization process were discussed

Assessment of Safety Procedures in Industries and Development of a Framework for Improving their Usability

Background and Objective: Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are always considered a guide for performing tasks in industries. The present study aimed to identify the effective factors in increasing the usability of safety SOPs. Materials and Methods: In this observational-analytical study, guidelines, books, and studies in the SOPs were used to identify factors that improve their usability. These factors were assigned to four main groups. A Delphi study was conducted to investigate and ensure the effectiveness of these factors. Data analysis, including validity and reliability, was performed in SPSS software (version 22). Results: In this study, which aimed to design and develop a tool for increasing the usability of SOP, 22 factors were identified and categorized into four main groups. After the Delphi study, the content validity ratio (CVR) for the designed instrument was 0.83, the content validity index (CVI) was calculated at 0.955, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was obtained at 0.819. Conclusion: In this study, 22 factors in four main groups were identified to be effective in increasing the usability of safety SOPs. Their effectiveness was evaluated and proven. According to this study, all procedures in the industry should be developed in a specific framework, their applicability should be examined in a specific period of time, and if necessary, they should be reviewed and amended

An eco-friendly remote sensing assisted development procedure to install renewable energy infrastructure for highest techno-economic gain

By taking socio-economic, terrain, and meteorological impacts into account, an eco-friendly methodology to sort the potential locations for installation of renewable energy infrastructure has been proposed, which is also able to address the most important challenge in the field, i.e., determination of the best contribution of the renewable energy sources. For this purpose, three advanced approaches, namely, remote sensing by geographic information system (GIS), optimization, and weighted decision-making are employed. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the influence of land prices, nominal capacity, and relative importance of technical and economic indicators in decision-making. Iran is chosen as the case study because it has significant solar and wind energy potential and also has serious energy, economic, and environmental issues. The findings indicate an optimal land price of $200 per m2, a hub nominal capacity of 50 MW, and an equal weighting of objective functions for the case study. The average energy generation, levelized cost of energy (LCOE), PV ratio, and land utilization are projected to reach 288.5 GWh.year−1, 0.3260$.(kWh)-1, 4.15 %, and 2362334 m2, respectively when the optimal procedure is applied. The sensitivity study also shows that relative to PV, the contribution of wind turbines increases with plant size

Analysis of the safety effectiveness of methane gas valve pits: A Case Study in the Steel Industry Based on Hazardous Areas Classification

Introduction: Methane is one of the most widely used gases in industries with a high flammability potential. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of ventilation systems installed on methane valve pits based on hazardous areas classification. Material and Methods: This study was implemented in a steel industry in Qom Province in 2019. The tools used in this study were a DELTA OHM pitot tube (DO-2003) to measure wind speed, EPA Protocol for equipment leak emission estimates (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and IEC-60079-10 for evaluating the safety of ventilation of methane valve pits. Results: The methane LELm was about 0.0334 kg/m3, and the volume of the release area was approximately VZ = 0.053 m3. The expected leak emissions were within the Vz < 0.1 m3 range. The ventilation system embedded on methane distribution pipelines was not effective for openings with diameters of more than 0.3 mm and the volume of gas inside the valve pits would quickly exceed high ventilation border which might lead to a dangerous accumulation of gas in the valve pits. Conclusion: Given that a very small opening or leak in gas transmission valves may lead to the formation of an explosive atmosphere, it is essential to monitor methane before entering the valve pit area and performing any operations on valve pits

Compositionally graded Fe(1−x)-Pt(x) nanowires produced by alternating current electrodeposition into alumina templates

Fe(1−x)-Pt(x) (0<x<1) compositionally graded nanowires (50 nm in diameter and 1 µm in length) were fabricated by alternating current (AC) electrodeposition into nanoporous aluminum oxide templates through a systematic approach. The effect of AC electrodeposition parameters such as frequency, voltage and electrolyte concentration on morphology and chemical composition of Fe-Pt alloy nanowires was studied. Based on experimental data, AC sine wave deposition at an intermediate voltage of 12 Vrms and a frequency of 50 Hz, produces nanowires with nearly stoichiometric composition (Fe42Pt58) and a reasonably good uniformity of pore filling. However, there is a gradual change of composition in Fe-Pt alloy nanowires along the length under certain AC parameters. The observed dependency of alloy composition on the deposition voltage and frequency of AC electrodeposition is explained by an interplay between reduction potentials and diffusion coefficients of Fe and Pt ions which makes FePt system able to access compositionally graded nanowires. Magnetic measurements of nanowires of as-deposited nanowires confirm that maximum coercivity of 1.55 kOe is observed for nearly stoichiometric composition which increases up to 1.81 kOe after thermal annealing at 550 °C.A. F-I. would like to give his gratitude to the Iranian minsitry of science, research and technology for the visiting scholarship and the Iranian nanotechnology initiative council for thesis award as well as he would like to thank Ester Palmero for practical assistance during the measurements at ICMM and all the supports from the ICMM research center in Spain.N

Electrochemical nucleation and growth of Fe, Pt and Fe–Pt on n-type Si (001)

Electrodeposition of Fe, Pt and Fe–Pt on n-type Si (001) wafer was studied. The electrochemical nucleation and growth mechanism was investigated using conventional electrochemical techniques and morphological examinations. The current transients recorded during potentiostatic deposition were compared with the non-dimensional plots predicted by the Scharifker-Hills theory indicating that there exists a progressive nucleation mechanism for the electrodeposition of iron and platinum on the silicon substrate. Using different methods it was shown that the diffusion coefficient of iron ions is about three times larger than that of platinum ions. All single and multi-component system studied reveal 3D multiple nucleation with diffusion controlled growth