The Effect of Thermophoresis on Flame Propagation in Nano-Aluminum and Water Mixtures

This study investigates the important role of thermophoresis in flame propagation speed of nano-sized aluminum particles and water mixtures. To this aim, a one-dimensional steady state model was developed based on mass and energy conservation equations considering the effect of thermophoresis. In order to simulate the flame propagation speed of nano-sized aluminum particles and liquid water mixtures, the flame structure (the computational domain) was divided into three zones: liquid water zone, preheat zone and reaction zone. The governing conservation equations were solved numerically using a finite-difference method. The predicted results were in reasonable agreement with literature data for the flame propagation speed. The modeling results demonstrated that although the effect of thermophoresis is negligible at micro-scales, it cannot be ignored for nano-sized particles. Furthermore, as the particle size decreases and the equivalence ratio and initial mixture temperature increases; the effect of thermophoresis on the flame propagation speed becomes more significant

A Social Network Approach to Analyzing Token Properties and Abnormal Events in Decentralized Exchanges

The properties of tokens within the Ethereum blockchain, such as their current prices, trade volumes, and potential future values, have been subjects of numerous studies. The complex interaction of the variables related to tokens makes analyzing them challenging. Employing social networks, a powerful tool for modeling connections within groups or communities, can provide valuable guidance. This study mainly focuses on creating and examining networks related to two major decentralized exchanges: Uniswap Version 2 and SushiSwap. We discovered that the distribution of links to nodes follow a power law making them scale-free networks. Additionally, during our analysis, we made an intresting discovery: the centrality of tokens in exchange graphs provide valuable insights into their value and significance in the world of cryptocurrencies. By observing changes in centrality over time, we uncovered noteworthy events in the cryptocurrency domain, that shows the potential of this networks for extracting information about the exchanges

Financial strategies and investigating the relationship among financial literacy, financial well-being, and financial worry

Global competition, technology, value changes and population along with expense increase and lack of awareness about features and functions of these advantages caused countries to take into account the importance of financial planning training. Thus, individuals' financial awareness, financial well-being, and financial worry have become the matter of interest of investigators and some studies have been conducted in this area. In this regard, the current study investigated the relationship between financial literacy, financial well-being, and financial worry in the professors of Yazd Islamic Azad University. For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed; then, using random sampling, it was distributed among selected individuals. The data was analyzed using statistical analyses such as correlation and binomial. Results showed the strategy of "reducing expenses and the cost of living" is agreed on by most groups, except the group "having both financial literacy and financial well-being". In addition, none of the groups use specialized consulting services in financial area. Also, purchasing real estate is one of the common strategies. Finally, higher financial well-being caused less financial worry

Financial strategies and investigating the relationship among financial literacy, financial well-being, and financial worry

Global competition, technology, value changes and population along with expense increase and lack of awareness about features and functions of these advantages caused countries to take into account the importance of financial planning training. Thus, individuals' financial awareness, financial well-being, and financial worry have become the matter of interest of investigators and some studies have been conducted in this area. In this regard, the current study investigated the relationship between financial literacy, financial well-being, and financial worry in the professors of Yazd Islamic Azad University. For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed; then, using random sampling, it was distributed among selected individuals. The data was analyzed using statistical analyses such as correlation and binomial. Results showed the strategy of "reducing expenses and the cost of living" is agreed on by most groups, except the group "having both financial literacy and financial well-being". In addition, none of the groups use specialized consulting services in financial area. Also, purchasing real estate is one of the common strategies. Finally, higher financial well-being caused less financial worry

Modeling Flame Propagation of Coal Char Particles in Heterogeneous Media

In the present research, combustion of a quiescent coal char particle cloud has been studied in the media with spatially discrete sources by means of numerical approach. A thermal model based on diffusion-controlled regime of coal char particles has been generated in order to estimate the characteristics of flame propagation in heterogeneous media. The model uses discrete heat sources to analyze dust combustion of particles with the diameter of 50 μm. Oxygen and Nitrogen have been considered as the main oxidizer and the inert gas, respectively. Flame propagation speed in various dust and oxygen concentrations has been studied. Flame speed as a function of particle size has been investigated and comparison between cases with and without consideration of radiation effect has been made. Furthermore, minimum ignition energy as a function of dust concentration for different particle sizes has been studied. Results show a reasonable compatibility with the existing experimental data

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward SARS COV-2 in Qazvin Province: A Population-Based Study

Background and Objectives: The spread of COVID-19 in the world has had adverse effects on all aspects of people´ life and social and economic development of the communities. The current study was conducted to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward COVID-19 in the general population of Qazvin province. Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted on 1223 people above 15 years in Qazvin province between December and January 2020. We used multistage stratified random sampling to select the participants from urban and rural health centers. The questionnaires were completed by the patients as well as through phone interviews. The questions included demographic information and knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19. Results: In total, 1223 subjects with a mean (standard deviation) age of 35.6 ± 12.2 years participated in this study. The scores of knowledge, attitudes, and practice were 68%, 72% and 91%, respectively. The lowest score of knowledge was related to awareness of common symptoms of the disease (6%). Forty-two subjects believed they observed the principles of disease prevention. A distance of 2 meters was observed by 50.3%. The scores of knowledge (P=0.007) and practice (P=0.028) increased with age, and the scores of knowledge (P<0.001) and attitude (P=0.001) increased and decreased with an increase in the education level, respectively. Males had significantly lower knowledge (P=0.002) and practice (P<0.001) scores. Moreover, rural residents had higher attitude scores compared to urban residents (P=0.002). Conclusion: The results suggest that the general population of Qazvin province had desirable knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19 at the time of the epidemic. Keywords: Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, COVID-19, Ira

Assessment of the Cytotoxic Activity of Triphala: A Semisolid Traditional Formulation on HepG2 Cancer Cell Line

Cancer chemotherapies may result in resistance, and therefore, contemporary treatments including natural products may find an increasing consideration. As per Persian medicine (PM), many natural products have been used for malignant and chronic diseases. Triphala, with a combination of Terminalia chebula Retz., Terminalia bellirica Retz., Phyllanthus emblica L., and honey, is a multi-ingredient traditional formulation attributed to anticancer activities in PM. This study is aimed at evaluating the cytotoxic activity of this preparation on HepG2, the human liver cancer cell line. Hydroalcoholic extracts were prepared from the formulation and its components. Compared with the control and Cisplatin, the extracts were tested using MTT assay at different concentrations. All concentrations of the preparation, as well as Cisplatin, were effective significantly against HepG2 cells. All extract preparations at multiple concentrations were significantly effective as evidenced by MTT assay when compared to the control group. The IC50 level for Triphala extract was 77.63±4.3 μg/ml. Based on the results, Triphala and its components have cytotoxic activity on the HepG2 cancer cell line and they can reduce the survival rate significantl

Protocol Design for Large–Scale Cross–Sectional Studies of Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non–Communicable Diseases in Iran: STEPs 2016

INTRODUCTION: The rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has gained increasing attention. There is a great need for reliable data to address such problems. Here, we describe the development of a comprehensive set of executive and scientific protocols and instructions of STEPs 2016. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a large-scale cross-sectional study of Surveillance of Risk Factors of NCDs in Iran. Through systematic proportional to size cluster random sampling, 31,050 participants enrolled in three sequential processes, of completing questionnaires; physical measurements, and lab assessment. RESULTS: Out of 429 districts, samples were taken from urban and rural areas of 389 districts. After applying sampling weight to the samples, comparing the distribution of population and samples, compared classification was determined in accordance with the age and sex groups. Out of 31,050 expected participants, 30,541 participant completed questionnaires (52.31% female). For physical measurements and lab assessment, the cases included 30,042 (52.38% female) and 19,778 (54.04% female), respectively. DISCUSSION: There is an urgent need to focus on reviewing trend analyses of NCDs.To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first comprehensive experience on systematic electronic national survey. The results could be also used for future complementary studies

Global burden of chronic respiratory diseases and risk factors, 1990–2019: an update from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CRDs and their attributable risks from 1990 to 2019. Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we estimated mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), prevalence, and incidence of CRDs, i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumoconiosis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and other CRDs, from 1990 to 2019 by sex, age, region, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) in 204 countries and territories. Deaths and DALYs from CRDs attributable to each risk factor were estimated according to relative risks, risk exposure, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level input. Findings: In 2019, CRDs were the third leading cause of death responsible for 4.0 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval 3.6–4.3) with a prevalence of 454.6 million cases (417.4–499.1) globally. While the total deaths and prevalence of CRDs have increased by 28.5% and 39.8%, the age-standardised rates have dropped by 41.7% and 16.9% from 1990 to 2019, respectively. COPD, with 212.3 million (200.4–225.1) prevalent cases, was the primary cause of deaths from CRDs, accounting for 3.3 million (2.9–3.6) deaths. With 262.4 million (224.1–309.5) prevalent cases, asthma had the highest prevalence among CRDs. The age-standardised rates of all burden measures of COPD, asthma, and pneumoconiosis have reduced globally from 1990 to 2019. Nevertheless, the age-standardised rates of incidence and prevalence of interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis have increased throughout this period. Low- and low-middle SDI countries had the highest age-standardised death and DALYs rates while the high SDI quintile had the highest prevalence rate of CRDs. The highest deaths and DALYs from CRDs were attributed to smoking globally, followed by air pollution and occupational risks. Non-optimal temperature and high body-mass index were additional risk factors for COPD and asthma, respectively. Interpretation: Albeit the age-standardised prevalence, death, and DALYs rates of CRDs have decreased, they still cause a substantial burden and deaths worldwide. The high death and DALYs rates in low and low-middle SDI countries highlights the urgent need for improved preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures. Global strategies for tobacco control, enhancing air quality, reducing occupational hazards, and fostering clean cooking fuels are crucial steps in reducing the burden of CRDs, especially in low- and lower-middle income countries