2003年12月26日バム地震によって亀裂電柱に残留したひずみと家屋被害

The Bam earthquake of December 26, 2003 (Mw6.5) occurred around the city of Bam in southeast Iran. Because the earthquake happened early in the morning at 01: 56: 56 (GMT, 05: 26: 26 local time), most of the reported 43,100 victims were killed in their dwellings. In Iran, there are dense strong ground motion networks for describing the seismological features of earthquakes, but very sparse networks for damage distribution analysis. Actually, damage differed from street block to street block, and only one seismometer was available in the city. Measuring traces of intense shakes remaining in structures, which are seen everywhere and have common features, can be very effective. The authors used utility poles in Bam for this structure. This report provides a spatial distribution of strains induced in these poles, and compares them with damage distribution in the city

Investigating the performance of isolation systems in improving the seismic behavior of urban bridges. A case study on the Hesarak Bridge

This paper investigates the influence of isolation systems on the seismic behavior of urban reinforce concrete bridge. The performance of the Hesarak Bridge constructed in Karaj city, Iran with two isolation systems; i.e. the existing elastomeric rubber bearing (ERB) and a proposed lead rubber bearing (LRB) is discussed. The numerical model was implemented in the well-known FEM software CSIBridge. The isolated bridge has been analyzed using nonlinear time history analysis method with seven pairs of earthquake records and the results are compared for the two isolation systems. The LRB isolators are shown to have superior seismic performance in comparison with the existing ERB systems based on the response evaluation including force on the isolator, pier base shear, deck acceleration, bending moment, pier displacement, and energy dissipation

Evaluation of correlation between airway and serum inflammatory markers in asthmatic patients

Context: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases all over the world, resulting from a state of persistent sub-acute inflammation of the airways. Beside local inflammation, systemic inflammation is also present, which can be shown by increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). One of the most important cells in this disease is eosinophil, and sputum eosinophilia is used for its diagnosis. Aims: The purpose of the present study was to compare and evaluate the correlation between CRP level and sputum eosinophilia in asthmatic and control subjects. Materials and Methods: A total of 61 patients suffering from mild-to-moderate asthma participated in this study. They were divided into two groups based on whether they used inhaled steroid or not. Sputum was induced by ultrasonic nebulizer, and then samples of peripheral venous blood were collected to measure peripheral cell count and CRP by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty-seven healthy subjects were selected and their blood samples were taken. Thirty-seven healthy subjects were selected and their blood samples were taken. Results: Thirty asthmatic patients in user group (14 females/16 males) with the mean age of 39.4±9.37 years, 31 asthmatic patients in non-user group (13 females/18 males) with the mean age of 35.5±8.87 years, and 37 healthy controls (17 females/20 males) were included in our study. The mean serum concentration of CRP was 2.6 μg/mL, 3.32 μg/mL, and 1.16 μg/mL in user, non-user, and control groups, respectively. Compared to healthy controls, serum concentrations of high sensitivity-CRP (hs-CRP) significantly increased in the non-user group (P=0.0001), and user group as well. (P=0.016). The number of sputum eosinophils and peripheral blood eosinophils significantly increased in the non-users compared to the healthy controls (P=0.0001, P=0.003, respectively). In the non-user group, serum hs-CRP levels correlated negatively with FEV 1 and positively with numbers of sputum eosinophils, which was not statistically significant. Atopy status, age, and sex did not affect hs-CRP levels in both asthmatic groups. Conclusions: It was found that serum concentrations of hs-CRP significantly increased in asthmatic patients, and in the steroid-native group it partly correlated with FEV 1 and numbers of sputum eosinophils. It suggests that serum hs-CRP can indirectly indicate the degree of airway inflammation

The effect of comprehensive individual motivational-educational program on medication adherence in elderly patients with bipolar disorders: An experimental study

BACKGROUND: The number of older adults with bipolar disorder is increasing and medication non-adherence is a major problem that negatively impacts the course of bipolar disorder. This study aimed to determine the effect of a comprehensive individual motivational-educational program on medication adherence in elderly patients with bipolar disorder. MATERIALS AND METHOD: An experimental study with pretest-posttest repeated measures with a control group was conducted on two groups of 62 elderly people with bipolar disorders hospitalized at Ibn Sina Hospital in Mashhad, Northeast Iran, 2019. For the elderly in the intervention group, a comprehensive motivational-educational program was administered for one month (four 30–45 minute sessions), and for the elderly in the control group, routine clinical care was performed. Medication adherence in both elderly groups was measured before, immediately after, one and two months after the intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software (version 16) using descriptive statistics and independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, paired t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Chi-square tests. RESULTS: The mean age of elderlies in the intervention and control groups were 69.03 ± 5.75 and 68.50 ± 6.73 years, respectively. Regardless of the groups to which the patients were assigned, a significant difference in medication adherence scores was observed during the study period (time effect; P < 0.001). Also, the medication adherence score was significantly lower in the intervention group, compared to the control group (group effect; P < 0.001). Also, there was a group time interaction between the medication adherence score and the time of evaluation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study confirm the positive effect of a comprehensive educational-motivational program on improving medication adherence in elderly patients with bipolar disorder

Strain Induced in Cracked Utility Poles and Damage to Dwellings from the Dec 26, 2003, Bam Earthquake

The Bam earthquake of December 26, 2003 (Mw6.5) occurred around the city of Bam in southeast Iran. Because the earthquake happened early in the morning at 01: 56: 56 (GMT, 05: 26: 26 local time), most of the reported 43,100 victims were killed in their dwellings. In Iran, there are dense strong ground motion networks for describing the seismological features of earthquakes, but very sparse networks for damage distribution analysis. Actually, damage differed from street block to street block, and only one seismometer was available in the city. Measuring traces of intense shakes remaining in structures, which are seen everywhere and have common features, can be very effective. The authors used utility poles in Bam for this structure. This report provides a spatial distribution of strains induced in these poles, and compares them with damage distribution in the city

Psychological Effects of the Outbreak of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Iran

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed healthcare workers to heavy stress and made them vulnerable to various types of mental illnesses. This study aims to evaluate the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers in the COVID-19 ward. Methods: This study was performed during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 9-Dey Hospital of Torbat Heydarieh in Iran, in which a total of 178 healthcare workers in the COVID-19 ward participated via the census sampling method. In this study, we employed the Goldberg general health questionnaire along with a researcher-made questionnaire on the experience of exposure to COVID-19 disease. Following the completion of the questionnaires, the participants’ data were analyzed by the SPSS software and statistical tests (the Spearman and Pearson correlations). Results: Our results showed 91.1%, 77.57%, 87.55%, 87.07%, 56.75%, and 74.16% for the general health, physical symptoms, anxiety symptoms, sleep disorders, social dysfunction, and depression symptoms, respectively, during the COVID-19 pandemic conditions. The results showed a significant association between the experience of exposure to COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disorders (P<0.05). Discussion: Access to counseling and psychotherapy systems, rehabilitation, and the improvement of working conditions can effectively enhance resilience and promote the mental health of healthcare workers and increase the quality of care and treatment services