Flow simulation and investigating the effects of cutoff wall on the uplift pressure in earth dams

Since the construction of dam is significantly important both according to economic and safety aspects, it should be carefully assessed before construction. The use of available software is one of the evaluation and behavioral investigation methods. On this basis, we have investigated the effect of cutoff wall on the seepage flow, uplift pressure, etc, in the body of earth dam in Baft city through numerical modeling using the finite element method through GeoStudio software package. The results of this analysis indicate that the location and dimensions of cutoff wall significantly affects its performance on reducing the seepage flow. The soil type in terms of permeability is another important parameter and the results indicate that the one-time reduction of soil dam penetration reduces the seepage flow by 97%.Keywords: Earth dam, cutoff wall, soil permeability, GeoStudio software, uplift pressure

Explaining the reasons for not maintaining the health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 in high-risk jobs: a qualitative study in Iran

Background: Although the workers in many occupations are at the greatest risk of catching and spreading COVID-19 due to assembling and contacting people, the owners of these occupations do not follow COVID-19 health instructions. The purpose of this study is to explain the reasons for not maintaining health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 in high-risk jobs in Iran. Methods: The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach among people with high-risk jobs in Tehran during March and April of 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 31 people with high-risk occupations selected by purposeful sampling and snowballing. The data were analyzed using the conventional qualitative content analysis method and MAXQDA-18 software. Guba and Lincoln�s criteria were also used to evaluate the quality of the research results. Results: 4 main categories and 13 sub-categories were obtained, including individual factors (personality traits, lack of self-efficacy, little knowledge of the disease and how to observe health norms related to it, misconceptions about health), structural factors (difficulty of access to health supplies, lack of supportive environment, weak laws and supervision, the poor performance of officials and national media), economic factors (economic costs of living, lack of government economic support), Socio-cultural factors (learning, cultural beliefs, social customs, and rituals). Conclusion: COVID-19 prevention requires intervention at different levels. At the individual level: increasing people�s awareness and understanding about how to prevent COVID-19 and strengthening self-efficacy in observing health norms, at the social level: highlighting positive patterns of observing health issues and training people about the consequences of social interactions during the outbreak of the virus, and at the macro level: strengthening regulatory rules and increasing people�s access to hygienic products and support for the vulnerable must be taken into account. © 2021, The Author(s)

The prevalence of burnout and its relationship with capital types among university staff in Tehran, Iran: A cross-sectional study

Burnout; Social capital; Cultural capital; Economic capital © 2021 The Author(s) Background: Burnout is a job-related syndrome that is common among university staff, and it is caused by various factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of burnout and its relationship with capital types among university staff in Tehran, Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive-analytical design was used in which 420 staff were randomly sampled from the Iran University of Medical Sciences. For data collection, the researchers used the Burnout Inventory of Maslach and Jackson and Capital Types Questionnaire. The data were entered into SPSS software (Version 22) and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics and regressions. Results: The mean burnout of staff was 84.42, and 45.9 of them had high burnout. A significant relationship was found among capital types, work experience, gender, education, and burnout. Multiple linear regressions also showed that independent variables estimated about 32 of the variance of the dependent variable, social capital, gender, and work experience, contributed more to explaining and predicting burnout index. Conclusion: Regarding the relationship between burnout and capital types (economic, cultural, and social), it is necessary to increase capital by increasing cultural activities, staff's knowledge level, income levels, informal groups, and finally, strengthening interpersonal relationships among staff. © 2021 The Author(s

Beneficial effects of Se/Zn co-supplementation on body weight and adipose tissue inflammation in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

This research investigated the effect of co-supplementation of selenium with zinc on weight control and the inflammatory and oxidative status in relation to obesity. Male Wistar rats (N = 32) were randomly divided into four groups after induction of obesity model: 1) �Zn� was supplemented with zinc sulfate (15 mg/kg BW), 2) �Se� supplemented with selenium as sodium selenate (0.5 mg/kg BW), 3) �Zn + Se� which received Zn (15 mg/kg BW) + Se (0.5 mg/kg BW), and 4) �HFD� as the control group. The intervention was done for eight weeks. At the end of treatment, serum and tissue level of Zn, Se, SOD, GSH-Px, MDA, leptin, TNF-α, and IL-6 was evaluated. Weight and food intake were significantly reduced in the Se group(p <.001), while in the Zn group, weight gain due to obesity was prevented compared to the control group (p =.48). There was a significant and stronger increase in SOD, GSH-Px levels and a remarkable decrease in MDA, leptin, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the group receiving the combination of two supplements than either alone(p <.001). Leptin had a positive correlation with inflammatory factors and lipid peroxidation marker and showed an inverse relationship with Zn and Se levels and anti-oxidative enzymes(p <.05). The analysis showed the mediating role of leptin in the effects of zinc. Co-supplementation of selenium and zinc may have a synergistic effect in reduction of oxidative and inflammatory markers. Regarding the effect of zinc on inflammatory factors and lipid peroxidation, leptin can play a mediating role. © 2021 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LL

Effects of Royal Jelly and Tocotrienol Rich Fraction in obesity treatment of calorie-restricted obese rats: A focus on white fat browning properties and thermogenic capacity

Background: Obesity has reached an alarming rate worldwide. Promoting thermogenesis via increasing the function of brown adipose tissue (BAT) or white adipose tissue (WAT) browning has been proposed as a new protective approach against obesity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of Royal Jelly (RJ) and tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) on BAT activation and WAT browning during calorie restriction diet (CRD) in obesity model. Methods: In this experimental study, 50 obese Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups and then received one of the following treatments for a period of 8-week: High-fat diet (HFD), CRD, RJ + CRD, TRF + CRD, and RJ + TRF + CRD. Effects of RJ and TRF, individually and in combination on body weight and the expression of key thermoregulatory genes in WAT and BAT were examined by quantitative real-time (qRT-PCR). Also, morphological alterations were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: RJ (- 67.21 g ±4.84 g) and RJ + TRF (- 73.29 g ±4.51 g) significantly reduced weight gain relative to the CRD group (- 40.70 g ±6.50 g, P < 0.001). In comparison with the CRD group, RJ and RJ + TRF remarkably enhanced the uncoupling protein1 (UCP1) expression in WAT (5.81, 4.72 fold, P < 0.001) and BAT (4.99, 4.75 fold, P < 0.001). The expression of PR domain containing 16(PRDM 16), cAMP response element-binding protein1 (CREB1), P38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (P38MAPK), and Bone morphogenetic protein8B (BMP8B) have significantly increased following RJ and RJ + TRF treatments (P < 0.001). However, the expression levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (CEBPβ) and Bone morphogenetic protein7 (BMP7) did not remarkably change. Multilocular beige cells in WAT and compacted dense adipocytes were also observed in BAT of RJ and RJ + TRF received groups. TRF showed no substantial effects on the expression of the mentioned thermoregulatory genes and brown fat-like phenotype. Conclusion: Our results suggest that, Royal Jelly promotes thermogenesis and browning of WAT, contributing to an increase in energy expenditure. Thus, Royal Jelly may give rise to a novel dietary choice to attenuate obesity. © 2020 The Author(s)

Experiences and challenges of Prostitute Women in Iran: A phenomenological qualitative study

Background: Prostitutes in Iran are faced with many challenges and problems that pose risks to their health. Objective: The present study is an attempt to identify and narrate the challenges and experiences of Iranian prostitutes based on a qualitative approach. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with a phenomenological approach in (2018) in Tehran, Iran. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 22 prostitutes who were selected using a snowball sampling method and analyzed with Colaizzi's method. In order to examine the quality of findings, Guba and Lincoln's measures were used. Results: Data analysis results were classified into five main categories and 14 subcategories. The main issues are: The experience of violence, Heath risk, social ostracism, objectifying, and lack of social and legal supporting structures. Conclusion: Prostitutes in Iran experience numerous problems at personal and social levels. By providing social, economic, and legal supports for them such as social services (e.g. educations on how to use contraceptives, how to have safe sexual intercourse, and free counseling services for mental support), we can improve their health and welfare. © 2020 The Author(s

EVALUATION OF COMPLICATOINS AND BENEFITS OF HISTOACRYL TISSUE GLUE IN SURGICAL WOUNDS

- Healing of surgical wounds and their complications such as infection or scar formation are of major concern in surgery. Tissue glues are advanced to reduce these problems. In a prospective study, we have evaluated surgical wound healing in 76 patients whose surgical wounds were repaired by tissue glues (Histoacryl). This study was performed in four leaching hospitals (Sina, Shariaty, Shohada, Razi). The major parameters co/isidered for this study were complete wound healing in the first postoperative week, early wound complications, late wound complications, and their relation with some other factors such as wound size and glue application techniques. In our study, complete wound healing in less than one week was seen in 81.9% of patients, whereas 18.1% had a longer course. Early complications consisted of (5.6%) infection and (2.8%) hematoma. Late complications included hypertrophy (O.48%) and widening (18.1%) of scars. Tliere was a significant correlation between wound size and healing time (P&amp;lt;0.05), but not between faulty techniques and scar formation.&amp;nbsp

Television food advertisements and childhood obesity: A systematic review

The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased worldwide and various environmental factors have accelerated this trend. Several reports have suggested that food advertising causes childhood obesity. We proposed a review study to evaluate the relationship between TV food advertisements and obesity in children. By searching over electronic databases (including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar), the reference lists of original studies, and reviews using key search terms, 1181 articles were identified. Out of these, only 9 articles met the inclusion and quality criteria. Most of the longitudinal study carried out at the national level have reported a significant association between commercial viewing and BMI in children. The duration of these studies varied between 7 months and 5 years. The children's TV viewing time was between 1.5 and 3.5 hours per day. Results of the reviewed studies have revealed a controversial attitude about the influence of TV food advertisements on obesity. However, three of four modeling studies indicated an increment in the prevalence of overweight and obesity following exposure to food advertisements. Further interventional and longitude studies are needed to achieve more precise results. © 2021 Hogrefe Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. All rights reserved