Transformation of β-Ni(OH)2to NiO nano-sheets via surface nanocrystalline zirconia coating: Shape and size retention

Shape and size of the synthesized NiO nano-sheets were retained during transformation of sheet-like β-Ni(OH)2to NiO at elevated temperatures via nano-sized zirconia coating on the surface of β-Ni(OH)2. The average grain size was 6.42 nm after 600 °C treatment and slightly increased to 10 nm after 1000 °C treatment, showing effective sintering retardation between NiO nano-sheets. The excellent thermal stability revealed potential application at elevated temperatures, especially for high temperature catalysts and solid-state electrochemical devices

Evapotranspiration Prediction Using M5T Data Mining Method

Evapotranspiration (ET) estimation takes an important role in hydraulic designs and irrigation management. Even these imperative importance ET estimation methods are not clear and easily employable enough. This study focused on M5T data mining method to estimate ET due this method is in use for nonlinear physical cases. 1543 daily Solar Radiation (SR), Air Temperature (AT), Relative Humidity (RH) and Wind Speed (U) meteorological parameters are used to create a M5T model. 1153 daily data is used for training the model and 385 left data is used for testing model results. Data set is taken from St. Johns, Florida, USA weather station.The correlation coefficient (R) is calculated as 0.983 for the M5T. Model results are compared with Turc empirical formula and it is found that M5T data mining method has better performance than Turc empirical formula

Stabilization of mesoporous nanocrystalline zirconia with Laponite

The mesoporous nanocrystalline zircoina was synthesized via solid state reaction-structure directing method in the presence of Laponite. The introduction of Laponite renders the higher thermal stability and lamellar track to the zirconia. Laponite acts as inhibitor for crystal growth and also hard template for the mesostructure. The role of Laponite is attributed to the interaction between the zirconia precursors and the nano-platelets of Laponite via the bridge of hydrophilic segments of surfactant. It results in the formation of Zr-O-Mg-O-Si frameworks in the direction of Laponite layer with the condensation of frameworks during the calcination process, which contributes the higher stability and lamellar structure to the nano-sized zirconia samples

Health-related quality of life in infertile couples receiving IVF or ICSI treatment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infertile couples might experience psychological distress and suffer from impaired health-related quality of life. This study aimed to examine health-related quality of life in infertile couples receiving either in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a cross-sectional study of quality of life in infertile couples attending to Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center or Royan Institute for either IVF or ICSI treatment in Tehran, Iran. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were also recorded. Data were analyzed to compare quality of life in infertile women and men and to indicate what variables predict quality of life in infertile couples.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In all 514 women and 514 men (n = 1028) were studied. There were significant differences between women and men indicating that male patients had a better health-related quality of life. Also health-related quality of life was found to be better in infertility due to male factor. Performing logistic regression analysis it was found that female gender, and lower educational level were significant predictors of poorer physical health-related quality of life. For mental health-related quality of life in addition to female gender and lower educational level, younger age also was found to be a significant predictor of poorer condition. No significant results were observed for infertility duration or causes of infertility either for physical or mental health-related quality of life.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings suggest that infertility duration or causes of infertility do not have significant effects on health-related quality of life in infertile couples. However, infertile couples, especially less educated younger women, are at risk of a sub-optimal health-related quality of life and they should be provided help and support in order to improve their health-related quality of life.</p

A survey of relationship between anxiety, depression and duration of infertility

BACKGROUND: A cross sectional study was designed to survey the relationship between anxiety/depression and duration/cause of infertility, in Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran, Iran. METHODS: After obtaining their consents, 370 female patients with different infertility causes participated in, and data gathered by Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and Cattle questionnaires for surveying anxiety and depression due to the duration of infertility. This was studied in relation to patients' age, educational level, socio-economic status and job (patients and their husbands). RESULTS: Age range was 17–45 years and duration and cause of infertility was 1–20 years. This survey showed that 151 women (40.8%) had depression and 321 women (86.8%) had anxiety. Depression had a significant relation with cause of infertility, duration of infertility, educational level, and job of women. Anxiety had a significant relationship with duration of infertility and educational level, but not with cause of infertility, or job. Findings showed that anxiety and depression were most common after 4–6 years of infertility and especially severe depression could be found in those who had infertility for 7–9 years. CONCLUSIONS: Adequate attention to these patients psychologically and treating them properly, is of great importance for their mental health and will improve quality of their lives

Neuromagnetic Index of Hemispheric Asymmetry Prognosticating the Outcome of Sudden Hearing Loss

The longitudinal relationship between central plastic changes and clinical presentations of peripheral hearing impairment remains unknown. Previously, we reported a unique plastic pattern of “healthy-side dominance” in acute unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). This study aimed to explore whether such hemispheric asymmetry bears any prognostic relevance to ISSNHL along the disease course. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), inter-hemispheric differences in peak dipole amplitude and latency of N100m to monaural tones were evaluated in 21 controls and 21 ISSNHL patients at two stages: initial and fixed stage (1 month later). Dynamics/Prognostication of hemispheric asymmetry were assessed by the interplay between hearing level/hearing gain and ipsilateral/contralateral ratio (I/C) of N100m latency and amplitude. Healthy-side dominance of N100m amplitude was observed in ISSNHL initially. The pattern changed with disease process. There is a strong correlation between the hearing level at the fixed stage and initial I/Camplitude on affected-ear stimulation in ISSNHL. The optimal cut-off value with the best prognostication effect for the hearing improvement at the fixed stage was an initial I/Clatency on affected-ear stimulation of 1.34 (between subgroups of complete and partial recovery) and an initial I/Clatency on healthy-ear stimulation of 0.76 (between subgroups of partial and no recovery), respectively. This study suggested that a dynamic process of central auditory plasticity can be induced by peripheral lesions. The hemispheric asymmetry at the initial stage bears an excellent prognostic potential for the treatment outcomes and hearing level at the fixed stage in ISSNHL. Our study demonstrated that such brain signature of central auditory plasticity in terms of both N100m latency and amplitude at defined time can serve as a prognostication predictor for ISSNHL. Further studies are needed to explore the long-term temporal scenario of auditory hemispheric asymmetry and to get better psychoacoustic correlates of pathological hemispheric asymmetry in ISSNHL

A comparison of conveyance methods for compound channels

One-dimensional (1-D) methods, namely, coherence method by Ackers (COHM) and exchange discharge method (EDM), and two-dimensional (2-D) method, namely, Shiono-Knight method (SKM) are investigated for computing the discharge capacity of a compound channel. The validity of the methods were tested against previously published experimental data sets. A comparison is made between 1-D and 2-D models, with respect to the accuracy and ease of application for conveyance calculations. It is shown that EDM is able to simulate the measured discharge values more accurately among 1-D methods and also gives less error than 2-D SKM for the data analyzed herein. EDM is hence recommended for estimating the discharge capacity of a compound channel

The closing and remediation of the non-regu-lated landfills non-conforming with legal requirements after the joining of Poland to EU, on the example of a selected landfill at the territory of Nowy Sącz district

W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono najważniejsze zagadnienia dotyczące prawnych aspektów związanych z zamykaniem i rekultywacją składowisk odpadów innych niż niebezpieczne i obojętne, na których składowano głów-nie odpady komunalne. Odniesiono się również do niezbędnego monitoringu, jaki powinien być realizowany w okresie poeksploatacyjnym. Dokonano także analizy i oceny przebiegu takiego procesu na przykładzie wybranego, nieczynnego składowiska położonego na terenie powiatu nowosądeckiego.In this work, the most important issues related to legal aspects of closing and remediation of landfills used for storage of waste other than hazardous and inert waste, which means mainly for municipal waste storage, are considered. The work also refers to the required monitoring which should be performed in post-operation period. The analysis and evaluation of such process has been performed upon the example of the selected inoperable landfill located at the territory of Nowy Sącz district