O uso de elementos culturais iranianos no design de produtos

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Artes, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Design, 2019.A cultura pode ser definida como um conjunto de elementos geográficos, tradicionais, espirituais e religiosos que as pessoas compartilham em uma comunidade. Assim, está conectado com a própria identidade deles e desempenha um papel significativo em suas vidas diárias. Quando se trata do design de produtos, esses elementos podem ser ferramentas poderosas nas mãos dos designers para tornar um produto mais comunicativo e conectado à sociedade-alvo. Existem vários estudos focados no design com base na cultura e como elementos culturais e tradicionais podem ser usados para obter um design bem-sucedido. Norman (2004) propusera procedimento através do qual um designer pode considerar a cultura no design dos produtos. Neste estudo, um experimento foi realizado para avaliar seu procedimento. Os produtos projetados com base nas diferentes camadas da cultura foram capazes de descrever como as pessoas se comunicam com um produto e o escolhem. No experimento, a população estatística escolheu os produtos com base nos aspectos estéticos (design visceral), pois os produtos foram projetados usando os elementos de uma comunidade estrangeira (Irã).The culture can be defined as a set of geographical, traditional, spiritual, and religious elements that people share in a community. Thus, it is connected with the very identity of them and plays a significant role in their daily lives. When it comes to the design of products, these elements could be powerful tools in the hand of designers to make a product more communicative and connected to the target society. There are various studies focused on the cultural-based design and how cultural and traditional elements could be used to achieve a successful design. Norman (2004) proposed a procedure through which a designer can consider the culture in designing the products. In this study, an experiment was carried out to evaluate his procedure. The products designed based on the different layers of culture were able to describe how people communicate with a product and choose it. In the first experiment, the statistical population chose the products based on the aesthetical aspects (Visceral design) since the products were designed using the elements of a foreigner community (Iran)

Evaluating the Effect of Melatonin on Pain Control and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Almost everyone experiences low back pain at some point in his or her lives. Low back pain is becoming more prevalent in low-income and middle-income countries much more rapidly than in high-income countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of melatonin on pain control and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.Materials and Methods: Sixty patients with low back pain aged 45 and 75 years, with a history of back pain more for than 12 weeks and visual analogue scale (VAS) score more than three, who were referred to pain clinics of Akhtar Hospitals (Tehran, Iran) during June to August 2018. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the melatonin or control groups. Control group received diclofenac sodium 25mg tablet two or three times daily and the experimental or melatonin group, in addition to receiving diclofenac sodium 25mg tablet twice a day, received melatonin tablet (3mg) 30 to 40 minutes before bedtime for four weeks. Before the beginning of the study, at the end of the fourth week, both groups underwent VAS test and the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were measured in these groups and they were asked to complete the quality of life questionnaire. Analysis of the data done by using covariance and Shapiro-Wilk tests through SPSS 22.Results: Melatonin consumption reduced the pain and level of IL-1β and TNF-α in the experimental group compared to the control group (p<0.05). However, use of melatonin did not have a significant effect on quality of life (p>0.05).Conclusion: In general, it can be stated that use of melatonin, in addition to reducing the pain, reduces the anti-inflammatory factors in patients with chronic low back pain. Based on the results of this study, melatonin can be recommended as a supplement for treatment of chronic low back pain

Spontaneous Adrenal Hematoma in a Pregnant Woman; a Case Report

Spontaneous adrenal hematoma is a very rare condition and its prevalence has been reported to be about 1% in previous studies. Although various causes have been proposed to explain its incidence in existing case reports, the etiology and pathology of this condition is still not known. The present study presents a case of spontaneous adrenal hematoma in a pregnant 31 year old woman without history of trauma or other probable risk factors of hemorrhage, presenting to the emergency department with chief complaint of pain in the right flank. Diagnostic measures, imaging and laparotomy, confirmed the diagnosis of spontaneous adrenal hematoma for her

Analysis of longitudinal binary outcomes in clinical trials with low percentage of missing values

In interventional or observational longitudinal studies, the issue of missing values is one of the main concepts that should be investigated. The researcher's main concerns are the impact of missing data on the final results of the study and the appropriate methods that missing values should be handled. Regarding the role and the scale of the variable that missing values have been occurred and the structure of missing values, different methods for analysis have been presented. In this article, the impact of missing values on a binary response variable, in a longitudinal clinical trial with three follow up sessions has been investigated Propensity Score, Predictive Model Based and Mahalanobis imputation strategies with complete case and available data methods have been used for dealing with missing values in the mentioned study. Three models; Random intercept, Marginal GEE and Marginalized Random effects models were implemented to evaluate the effect of covariates. The percentage of missing responses in each of the treatment groups, throughout the course of the study, differs from 6.8 to 14.1. Although, the estimate of variance component in random intercept and marginalized random effect models were highly significant (p <0.001) the same results were obtained for the effect of independent variables on the response variable with different imputation strategies. In our study according to the low missing percentage, there were no considerable differences between different methods that were used for handling missing data

Intravenous Acetaminophen Effect on Postoperative Narcotic Analgesic Demand after Elective Cesarean Section

Background: Opioid analgesics are the mainstay of the treatment of postoperative pain. Appropriate monitoring of patients receiving opioid analgesics is essential to detect those with side effects such as respiratory depression. The discovery of Acetaminophen as a COX-3 variant may represent a primary central mechanism by which acetaminophen decrease pain. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of intravenous acetaminophen on morphine requirement in post-operation pain after elective cesarean section.Materials and Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, patients’ candidate for elective cesarean section. In experiment group, intravenous acetaminophen (1000 mg/6 hour) was administered and normal saline to control group. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was measured at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours post-operation. Besides, Morphine dose requirement were measured during next 24 hours.Results: 83 patients were enrolled in the study; which 44 patients assigned in placebo group and 39 in Acetaminophen. Mean Age of placebo group was 29.64±5.55 and Acetaminophen was 30.33±5.50 which was not significantly different (p=0.568). Only at 1 and 3 hours, there was a significant difference between two groups of study. Total dose of morphine requirement was 5.73±2.78 mg/24 h in placebo group and 3.64±2.42 in Acetaminophen group which was significantly different (p=0.001).Conclusion: Intravenous Acetaminophen could decrease post cesarean pain and decrease post operation total morphine requirement particularly at first 3 hours post operation

Evaluating the microbial contamination of some Iranian dried medicinal plants and distillates

Background and aims: In Iran herbal water and dried herb are as traditional medicinal and are consumed widely. Therefore, microbial evaluation of these products in term of public health is important. The aim of the present study was to study the contamination of some dried medical plants and distillates in the groceries of Shahrekord city. Methods: In this descriptive study, 35 samples of herbal waters and 35 samples of 7 species (lavender, lemon balm, valerian, savory, borage, mint and thyme) dried medicinal plant (total samples=70) distributed in Shahrekord during spring to summer of 2012 were purchased and transferred to laboratory. Then, microbial tests such as total aerobic bacterial count mold and yeast count, total coliforms, and detection were evaluated based on national standard of Iran. Results: Contamination to mesophilic bacteria and yeast was observed in the 100 of distilled samples, based on the national standard of Iran. Additionally, none of the medicinal dried plant was contaminated according to the national standard of Iran. Conclusion: According to contamination of all distilled, It is proposed that producers of herbal distillates consider the hygiene conditions, using correct and suitable pasteurization, considering the structural condition of workshop and also appropriate packaging in order to reduce the secondary contamination and increase the quality of the finished product

Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Local Dexmedetomidine Injection vs. Corticosteroid Injection in the Treatment of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Heel pain is commonly caused by chronic plantar fasciitis, associated with pain and activity limitation in patients. Although steroid injection is a popular method to treat this disease, it has side effects and provides short-term pain relief. The study was designed to investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine and corticosteroid injection in treating chronic plantar fasciitis. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 participants were divided into two groups. The intervention group received a mixture of dexmedetomidine (1μg/kg) with 1 ml of lidocaine 2%. The control group received a combination of 1ml of corticosteroid (40mg triamcinolone) with 1ml of lidocaine 2%. Outcome measures were evaluated with Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and Maryland foot score (MFS) before, one, and three months after the intervention. Results: Significant improvements in NRS and MFS were observed in both groups at 1 and 3 months of follow-up compared to baseline(P<0.001). NRS score improvement in the first month was more significant in the corticosteroid group compared to the dexmedetomidine group. However, after three months, the dexmedetomidine group experienced greater pain reduction (P=0.012) and higher functional ability (P<0.001) than the corticosteroid group. Conclusion: Local injection of dexmedetomidine provided significant and long-term effects on pain severity and physical activity. Corticosteroids caused an immediate but short‑term effect, whereas sustained improvement in the dexmedetomidine group was observed during the follow-up

The Effect of Different Combination Doses of Intrathecal Hyperbaric Bupivacaine 0.5% and Sufentanil on the Hemodynamic Profile of Geriatric Patients Undergoing Hip Surgery under Spinal Anesthesia

Background: With the increasing number of elderly patients with fragile hemodynamic profiles undergoing lower limb surgery, avoiding hypotension in this population is of great importance. We intended to study the effect of different combination doses of intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% and sufentanil on the hemodynamic profile of geriatric patients undergoing lower limb surgery.Methods: A total of 60 patients aged over 70, candidates for lower limb surgery under spinal anesthesia were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly allocated into three groups. Group 1 (G1: 5 mg bupivacaine plus 10 µg sufentanil intrathecally), Group 2 (G2: 10 mg bupivacaine plus 5 µg sufentanil intrathecally), and Group 3 (G3: 15 mg bupivacaine intrathecally). Non-invasive automated blood pressure was checked every 1 minute for the first 5 minutes, and every 5 minutes for 25 minutes and every 15 minutes for 30 minutes during surgery. Heart rate (HR) was recorded at the same intervals. The quality of the blocks was also compared.Results: A total of 60 patients met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. Five patients had failed spinal anesthesia whom were replaced with new patients. There was no difference between the groups in their baseline characteristics. Mean arterial pressure after 1 minute in Groups 2 and 3 was significantly lower than Group 1 (86.0 ± 9.0, 87.3 ± 11.0, 92.2 ± 13.0, P = 0.001). No statistically significant difference in HR was observed in between the three groups. The degree of motor and sensory block was adequate in all three groups, and no patients required any additional analgesics. 15 (75%) patients in Group 3 received ephedrine in comparison to 11 (55%) patients in Group 2. 3 (15%) patients in group one needed ephedrine.Conclusions: In conclusion, adding sufentanil as an adjuvant and decreasing the dose of intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine may help maintain a stable hemodynamic during lower limb surgery in the elderly

Ecological, habitat and morphological characteristics of the Ephedra procera C.A.Mey. in the mountain rangelands of Urmia

The survey of the ecological and m orphological characteristics of medicinal plants is one of the essential requirements for multipurpose use of rangelands. Accordingly, the ecological and morphological characteristics of Ephedra procera were investigated in the mountain rangelands of Urmia. For this end, regarding to the physical and vegetation characteristics; three habitats representing a wide range of areas of E. procera distribution region were selected. Then, the data inventory was conducted within 30 two square meters plots established on transects along 100-meter with distances of 10 meters apart and the morphological characteristics and amount of forage production were measured. To study the relation between distribution of vegetation and soil characteristics, soil samples were taken with three replications along transects. The results showed that the morphological characteristics of Ephedra and soil physical and chemical properties in study sites; are significantly different among the sites. Analysis of variance linear regression equation between forage production of Ephedra with morphological characteristics indicates a significant relationship between forage production and number of plant shoots. The results of studying the relationships vegetation distribution with environmental factors showed that the influence of environmental variables on vegetation is significant which accordingly the factors such as slope, temperature, aspect, porosity, sand, elevation from sea level, percent of gravel, bulk density and electrical conductivity are of the most important factors affecting the distribution of Ephedra species. The results can be used in planning the protection and restoration practices of Ephedra in natural habitats

Early Effects of Hypertonic Dextrose versus Corticosteroid on Pain and Activity, in Knee Osteoarthritis; A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Knee osteoarthritis is highly prevalent and causes debilitating pain, progressive movement limitation, and significant socio-economic costs. Intra-articular corticosteroids are widely used to control it, but only short-term effects have been proven for them. Also, they have shown many local and systemic side effects, including cartilage destruction and infection susceptibility. Knee prolotherapy in various forms of hypertonic dextrose injection has shown significant restorative effects, long-lasting pain and activity improvement, negligible side effects, and low cost. The objective is to compare the early effectiveness of intra-articular dextrose with corticosteroids regarding pain and activity changes in knee osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods: In this short-term blinded randomized clinical trial, 70 participants (knees) with primary osteoarthritis grade II or more were divided (1=1) into two random groups that received a single injection of triamcinolone 40 mg or hypertonic dextrose 20% five cc. Visual analog score (VAS) for pain and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score for activity were assessed before, one week after, and one month after injection. The data was analyzed using independent t-test, chi-square, Fisher's exact tests, Repeated measure test, and the linear mixed model regression. Results: The rest and activity VAS score and WOMAC score were reduced in both groups one week and one month after injection, and the difference between the two groups was non-significant for the VAS score but significant for the WOMAC score in favor of the dextrose group. Conclusion: The early analgesic and activity-improvement effects after hypertonic dextrose injection in the arthritic knee are significant and comparable to corticosteroids