152 research outputs found

    The Qualitative Interrelation between Open Spaces and Living Standards in a Residential Complex

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    From the early 50s onwards the major Iranian cities were subject to a massive immigration. The immediate solution to this crisis was residential complex in the less populated areas. After few decades of accommodating a large number of new citizens in these residential complexes, while having a limited open space, created physical, functional, semantic, environmental, and social problems. Today, the new challenge that confronted the designers and architectures of this field is therefore how to improve the quality of both open spaces and the living condition of the inhabitances and at the same time being able to compete in the housing market with budgetary restrictions on their expenditures.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies, Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Residential complex open space; open space factors; FAN

    Multi Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) for Size and Shape Optimization of 2D Truss Structures

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    This paper covers optimization techniques for trusses to find the most efficient cross sections and configuration of joints. The improvement will be achieved by applying changes in one or both of these parameters. Objective functions for optimization are weight and the deflection of the truss’s joints. For optimization of both weight and deflection the MOPSO method is used. This is a powerful method that enables the optimization of huge trusses. The former methods for optimization of the shape or size of the trusses, was done separately and as a single objective while this paper covers a new way via multi objective methods. For proofing the ability of the represented method in this paper, some standard examples are compared. The comparison of the results shows good accuracy and desirable verity of pareto front

    An investigation on cognitive and behavioural effects of donepezil on autistic children in Winter 2020 in Gorgan Taleghani pediatric hospital

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    ObjectivesThe present investigation has been done to study the behavioraleffects of donepezil in autistic children, given that not much researchhas been carried out concerning using this drug for treating autism. Materials & MethodsA cross-sectional and analytic-descriptive study was done on twentypatients with autism, aged 4-17, who visited the neurology clinic of Gorgan’s Taleghani Pediatric Hospital and Yasha Pediatric Autism Clinic, Iran from 2019 to 2020. Demographic information, including sex, age, father’s education, mother’s education ,patient’s education, family status, other problems, and ethnicity, were documented using a checklist, having been filled in during interviews with the parents. Before the trial, ABC cognitive and behavioral tests were taken to determine the children’s current status. After the tests, these children received a daily dose of donepezil (10mg) before sleep for three months. At the end of the three months, the cognitive and behavioral tests were taken from the children once again. In order to analyze the effects of different factors on the studied variables, including irritability, lethargy, stereotypic behavior, hyperactivity, and inappropriate speech before and after the administration of donepezil in patients, a generalized linear model and to test the effects of donepezil on the studied variables, paired t-test was used. ResultsIn this study, twenty patients were registered for the investigation, 12 (60%) male and eight (40%) female. Age groups 5-6 had the highest frequency, and age group 17 had the lowest. Regardingthe parents’ education, the highest frequency was for bachelor’s degrees, and the lowest was for less-than-high school education and master’s degree. The highest frequency for the patients’ education was kindergarten (60%), and then groups without education (20%) and elementary school-level education (15%). Most of the studied patients (80%) did not have other problems besides autism, and only 20% had other problems besides autism. The family status of 15% of the families was ‘separated,’ and ethnically, most patients (80%) were Fars, while the rest (20%) were Turkmen. None of the analyzed factors (age, sex, father’s education, mother’s education, patient’s education, other problems, family status, and ethnicity) had a significant effect on the studied variables after the administration of donepezil. Among the studied variables prior to the administration of donepezil and among the analyzed factors, the father’s education, the patient’s education, other problems, and family status had only a significant effect on stereotypic behavior. The present research findings of the present research indicated that all the studied variables, including irritability, lethargy, stereotypic behavior, hyperactivity, and inappropriate speech, were significantly decreased toward the desired goal. The decreased amounts in irritability, lethargy, stereotypic behavior, hyperactivity, and inappropriate speech after the administration of donepezil were, respectively, 38%, 44%, 54%, 41%, and 54% and on average, these behaviors were reduced by 46%. ConclusionThe present investigation has shown that all the studied variables, including irritability, lethargy, stereotypic behavior, hyperactivity, and inappropriate speech, were significantly decreased towards the desired goal by 46%. This significant decrease is indicative of the effectiveness of the treatment of autism patients with donepezil, and therefore, this drug can be placed as a prominent and essential part of the medical therapy of autism. &nbsp

    Correlation between CRP and IL-6 Serum Levels after Induction of Diabetes and Eight Weeks Resistance Training in Rats

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    Introduction: Systemic low-grade chronic inflammation is considered to be one of the significant characteristics of diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between C- reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin- 6 (IL-6) serum levels, after induction of diabetes and eight weeks of resistance training in rats. Methods: For the purpose of this experimental study, 24 streptozotocin induced diabetic rats were divided into three groups of 8 including (1) first week diabetic control, (2) last week diabetic control and (3) resistance training. Moreover, 8 healthy rats were chosen as the first week healthy control groups to assess the effects of diabetes induction on CRP and IL-6 serum levels. Rats of group 3 were subjected to an eight-week resistance training (3 days/week). Kolmogorov-Smirnov, independent-samples t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient, were used for data analysis (p≤0.05). Results: Induction of diabetes had a significant effect on the increased serum levels of CRP (p = 0.01) and IL-6 (p = 0.01). However, after 8 weeks of resistance training, a significant decrease was observed in CRP (p = 0.001) and IL-6 (p = 0.01) serum levels of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Also, there was no significant correlation between CRP and IL-6 serum levels, after the induction of diabetes (p = 0.23) and eight weeks of resistance training (p=0.65). Conclusion: It appears that there is no correlation between CRP and IL-6 serum levels, after the induction of diabetes and eight weeks of resistance training in rats

    A Framework for Identifying Material sustainability Criteria in the Exchange Industry Using Fuzzy AHP Method

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    Considering the important role of the exchange industry in the optimal allocation of resources and economic growth, as well as promoting a culture of attention to sustainability issues, the purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive framework of material sustainability criteria in the exchange industry for integration into strategies, performance measurement, evaluation and reporting. In order to identify material sustainability criteria in the Iranian exchange industry, the findings of Ahmadi et al research  (1401) which include 33 criteria and 352 sub-criteria have been used as a basis. In order to formulate a local framework, the participation of 21 industry experts was used to modify the criteria identified in the Ahmadi et al, according to the culture of Iran. Finally, after finalizing sustainability framework of the Iranian exchange industry, in order to evaluate materiality and prioritize the main criteria, the Fuzzy AHP method has been used. Considering the extensive effects of exchanges from the perspective of financing economic enterprises and the government (through transaction fee tax and issuing bonds), the findings of this study indicate the priority of economic dimension over other sustainability dimensions. Macroeconomics, government and other regulators and trust and confidence have the greatest relative importance among all other criteria. On the other hand, due to the low emissions of exchanges, the relative importance of environment dimension criteria is less than other dimensions in the industry. IntroductionThe number of countries that have organized capital markets has increased greatly in recent decades and investors' interest in capital markets have experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. As a result of the increased attention of society towards investing in capital markets, their awareness of sustainability issues has also increased. As a result, in such a situation, the necessity of proper management and sustainable performance of exchanges and issuing sustainability reports is more important than before. Sustainability reporting deals with how a company can report its sustainability performance in the form of a formal report, taking into account its responsibilities regarding positive and negative economic, social and environmental impacts (Hahn & Michael, 2013).In the current situation of Iranian exchanges and the volatility of stock prices and indices, the attention of a wide range of domestic stakeholders has been drawn to the performance of the exchanges. Therefore in the current situation, it is very important to achieve sustainable performance and be responsible to stakeholders. Therefore, the aim of this study is to answer the question that paying attention to what factors will guarantee the sustainable performance of exchanges and as a result economic development in the long term. Methods and material In order to identify the important sustainability criteria of the Iranian exchange industry in the present study, the results of Ahmadi et al were used as a basis. They presented a comprehensive international framework of sustainability. In order to confirm and modify their proposed model in domestic exchanges, the method of interviewing 21 experts has been used. Then, the fuzzy AHP method has been used to prioritize the sustainability criteria. The results of this process is providing a framework of the most important sustainability issues, considering the priority coefficients of each criterion.The paradigm of the current research is an interpretive paradigm, and in order to extract the sustainability criteria, an inductive approach has been used. From the perspective of research strategy, this study can be classified in the field of documentary and survey studies. Also, due to the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches to answer the research questions, this study used mixed method. On the other hand, due to the fact that this study was conducted at a specific point in time, this study is classified as a cross-sectional study. FindingsBased on the research findings, the most important sustainability criteria of the exchange industry can be classified in four economic, social, environmental, and corporate governance dimensions. After summarizing Ahmadi et al. (under publication) findings with the results of the interview coding process regarding the most important sustainability criteria of the Iranian exchange industry, 6 main criteria under the environmental dimension, 6 criteria under the social dimension, 11 criteria under the economic dimension and 13 criteria under the corporate governance dimension has been classified. Based on the findings of this study, the criteria of the economic dimension are the most important and the criteria of the environmental dimension are the least important in the Iranian exchange industry. Table 1: The relative and ultimate priority of sustainability framework criteria of Iran's exchange industryDimensionCriteriaRelative Importance of CriteriaUltimate Importance of CriteriaRelative Priority of CriteriaUltimate Priority of CriteriaEconomicMacroeconomics0.1400.07211EconomicGovernment and Other Regulators0.1290.06622EconomicTrust and Confidence0.1280.06533EconomicOperational Excellence0.1060.05444EconomicDiversified Products and Services0.0980.05055EconomicInnovation and Technology0.0930.04866EconomicListed Companies0.0830.04277Corporate GovernanceBoard of Directors0.1320.04018EconomicTransparency0.0740.03889Corporate GovernanceSelf-Regulation and Independence0.1250.037210EconomicDisclosure and Reporting0.0720.037911Corporate GovernanceMarket Regulation and Surveillance0.1190.036312EconomicFinancial and Economic Performance0.0670.0341013Corporate GovernanceRisk Management0.1060.032414Corporate GovernanceFinancial Crimes0.1050.031515SocialHuman Capital0.2250.027116Corporate GovernanceResponsibility and Accountability0.0840.025617SocialEducation and Training0.1850.022218SocialSupport for Startups and SMEs0.1830.022319SocialHuman Rights0.1780.022420Corporate GovernanceConflict of Interest Management0.0700.021721Corporate GovernanceStakeholder Management0.0660.020822SocialDiversity and Equality0.1630.020523Corporate GovernanceAudit and Assurance0.0610.018924Corporate GovernanceEthics0.0510.0151025EnvironmentalEnergy and Resource Management0.1960.014126EnvironmentalAwareness Raising and Participation in The Environment0.1930.013227EnvironmentalDesigning Environmental Instruments0.1790.012328EnvironmentalEnvironmental Requirements for Listing0.1780.012429Corporate GovernanceValues ​​and Culture0.0390.0121130Corporate GovernanceVision0.0380.0111231EnvironmentalCarbon Footprint and Greenhouse Gas Emissions0.1500.010532SocialImproving the Living Standards0.0660.008633EnvironmentalCompliance with Environmental Rules0.1030.007634EconomicSupply Chain Management0.0110.0051135Corporate GovernanceWhistleblowing0.0040.0011336Total 1  Conclusion & ResultsAccording to the survey conducted by Wfe in 2016, the most important sustainability issues for exchanges include ethics and corruption, board of directors composition and remuneration, health and safety, risk management, labor standards, water use and recycling, pollution (air, water and waste), climate change and energy, supply chain, human rights and diversity. The findings of the survey conducted by Wfe are limited to 11 criteria, while in the present study a comprehensive approach has been used to identify the most important sustainability criteria and prioritize them. Findings include 36 main criteria and include all the provided criteria in the Wfe survey. The findings of this study will help exchanges to identify the most important issues that help to create shared value. The findings of this study can be used to develop sustainable strategies as well as the findings can also help providers of sustainability reports to choose the most important sustainability issues to report. In addition, due to the similarity of the mechanisms of the financial industry to the exchange industry, financial industry professionals can also use the findings of this research in their sustainability decisions

    Assessment of essential elements in the wild Beluga Sturgeon (Huso huso) caviar from Caspian Sea

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    In this study, the concentration of Calcium (Ca), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Manganese (Mn), Selenium (Se) and Zinc (Zn) as essential metals, were determined in caviar of wild beluga sturgeon caught from the Caspian Sea in March 2012. Potassium (4885.51± 17.81 µg g-1) and Magnesium (346.61± 6.6 µg g-1) had the highest concentration and Cobalt and Manganese levels were less than 0.01 mg kg-1 wet weight. The mean concentration of Copper and Zinc in the caviar samples were under the permissible limits proposed by the UK’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods. The caviar maximum allowable daily consumption rate was calculated. However, the health risks from caviar consumption are uncertain because the amount of caviar consumed by heavy users is not known

    Relationship between Religious Orientation, Anxiety, and Depression among College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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    Background: Religious obligation helps people to develop mental health by creating internal commitment to special rules. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the relationship between religious orientation and anxiety among college students. Methods: Major scientific databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, EBSCO, ProQuest and PsycINFO were searched for original research articles published 1987-2016. A random effect model was used to combine Correlation coefficient. All analyses were performed using Stata MP. Results: After screening of 7235 documents, 13 articles including 5620 participants met inclusion criteria in this meta-analysis. Correlation coefficient was -0.08 (95% CI= -0.19, -0.03) which indicated with increasing religious orientation, anxiety and depression reduced (P<0.001). Characteristics such as sex, geographic region, and type of religions were potential sources of heterogeneity. Based on fill-and-trim method the adjusted pooled r was obtained, -0.06 (95% CI= -0.16, -0.04). Conclusion: There was a weakness relationship between religious orientation and mental anxiety and depression. Therefore, it needs to improve knowledge of student about advantages of religious orientation

    Comparing the Outcome of Immobilizing Lower Limb Injuries Using Standard-Sized and Half-Length Short Leg Splints

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    Background: Soft tissue injuries (STIs) of lower extremities are considered as a very common complaint in those patients that were admitted to the emergency department. One of the main purposes in these patients' treatment strategies is early returning to work and regular activities. This study purpose was to compare the results of two lower limb (leg) splinting methods: standard-sized short leg splinting, and also half-sized short leg splinting. Methods: In this randomized controlled clinical trial research, we enrolled those patients with STI of the lower limb and without bone fracture. The setting was Haftom Tir trauma center and all patients signed the written consent before the study starting. We categorized participants into two groups: standard-sized short leg splint and halfsized short leg splint. The data were entered into SPSS 18 software and also were analyzed using that. Results: 300 patients were included in this study totally. The splinting complications were similar in two groups, but the splint fracture and skin burn frequency were significantly lower in half-sized short leg splint (p value &lt;0.005). The mean score of pain and swelling frequency had no significant differences in both groups (P&gt;0.005). Conclusions: The results indicated that the performance of standardsized and half-sized short leg splinting was similar in lower limbs STIs. The difficulties were less in half-sized short leg splint. Therefore, this study recommend that emergency physicians could consider half-sized short leg splinting in STIs, but the recommendation may be considered as valuable when this study results reassess in other clinical trials with multicenter researches and more sample size

    Reliability and validity of the Persian version of Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait-Reduced (FCQ-T-r) in overweight and obese women

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    Introduction: Food Craving Questionnaire (FCQ) is a popular tool in assessing food craving which consisted of a trait (FCQ-T) and state (FCQ-S). The aim of the current study was to provide reliability and validity of the Persian version of FCQ-Trait-reduced (FCQ-T-r 15-items) in overweight and obese women. Material and methods: The subjects were 168 overweight and obese women who were consented to participate. The subjects completed the FCQ-T-r and subsequently, anthropometric, body composition and psychometric assessments performed to assess the inter-correlations and concurrent validity. The confirmatory factor analysis was done to derive the potential factors and internal consistency of the questionnaire was assessed. Two weeks later, FCQ-T-r repeated for 126 subjects to assess test-retest reliability. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis of by varimax rotation, show that three principal components were loaded on expected factors. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.90. (0.91, 0.78, and 0.71, for factors). The test–retest analysis shows an acceptable level of reliability ( P=0.001) and Pearson correlation coefficient  of 0.92 between the two administrations. In split-half reliability analysis the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the part 1 was 0.80 and for the part 2 was 0.86. The correlation coefficient between part 1 and part 2 was 0.81. Conclusion: This preliminary study provides evidences in favor of reliability and validity of the Persian version of the FCQ-T-r. In general, the results showed a high level of internal consistency for FCQ-T-r, and none of the 15 items had to be deleted to improve α
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