Canadian Experiment for Soil Moisture in 2010 (CanEX-SM10): Overview and Preliminary Results

The Canadian Experiment for Soil Moisture in 2010 (CanEx-SM10) was carried out in Saskatchewan, Canada from 31 May to 16 June, 2010. Its main objective was to contribute to Soil Moisture and Ocean salinity (SMOS) mission validation and the pre-launch assessment of Soil Moisture and Active and Passive (SMAP) mission. During CanEx-SM10, SMOS data as well as other passive and active microwave measurements were collected by both airborne and satellite platforms. Ground-based measurements of soil (moisture, temperature, roughness, bulk density) and vegetation characteristics (Leaf Area Index, biomass, vegetation height) were conducted close in time to the airborne and satellite acquisitions. Besides, two ground-based in situ networks provided continuous measurements of meteorological conditions and soil moisture and soil temperature profiles. Two sites, each covering 33 km x 71 km (about two SMOS pixels) were selected in agricultural and boreal forested areas in order to provide contrasting soil and vegetation conditions. This paper describes the measurement strategy, provides an overview of the data sets and presents preliminary results. Over the agricultural area, the airborne L-band brightness temperatures matched up well with the SMOS data. The Radio frequency interference (RFI) observed in both SMOS and the airborne L-band radiometer data exhibited spatial and temporal variability and polarization dependency. The temporal evolution of SMOS soil moisture product matched that observed with the ground data, but the absolute soil moisture estimates did not meet the accuracy requirements (0.04 m3/m3) of the SMOS mission. AMSR-E soil moisture estimates are more closely correlated with measured soil moisture

Comparing the effect of low-power laser therapy with methylprednisolone injection in unilateral plantar fasciitis

Background: Plantar fasciitis accounts for 11 to 15 percent of foot pain in adults. Although an injection of corticosteroids is a common treatment in plantar fasciitis, it has side effects and short-term pain relief. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effect of low-power laser therapy (LPLT) with methylprednisolone injection in unilateral plantar fasciitis patients.Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 40 patients with unilateral plantar fasciitis were randomly allocated into two groups (n=20). In the first group, 40 mg of prednisolone was locally injected and the second group received LPLT in 10 sessions. Levels of pain and morning stiffness were evaluated.Results: Forty-two percent of cases were male and 57.5 female. Fifty-five percent of the patients had right and 45 had left foot fasciitis. The mean age of the patients was 52.98 years and the disease duration was 32.38 weeks. In men pain was seen more in the right foot and in women in left foot. Duration of pain in women with plantar fasciitis was more than the men. The effect of the two therapies on morning stiffness and pain reduction was the same in both groups. Moreover, pain reduction measured by visual analogue scale had a similar effect during the study in both groups. Conclusion: LPLT like corticosteroid injection has significant effect on the intensity and duration of pain and morning stiffness in plantar fasciitis and can be used as an alternative to corticosteroid injection

Effect of electromagnetic field on okra (Hibiscus sculentus L.) developmental stages and the effect of okra extract on breast cancer cells

Background and objectives: Electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields can act as stress factors with different effects on biological systems. Due to the nutritional and medicinal values, and the increasing electromagnetic radiations, the present study was performed to investigate the effects of the electromagnetic field on the developmental stages and cytotoxic properties of okra. Methods: Both dry and wet seeds were exposed to electromagnetic field with the intensities of 2 and 4 mT for 60 minutes. MTT assay was applied to evaluate the potential cytotoxic effects of okra extract on MCF-7 cell line. The anatomical structure of leaves in both treated and untreated (control) plants were examined. Results: The results showed that a field intensity of 4 mT increased the speed of germination of wet treated seeds and the stem length of dry treated seeds. MTT assay revealed no cytotoxicity of the aqueous extracts of okra pods up to the concentration of 100 μg/mL from either the treated or the control plants towards the MCF-7 cell line. Conclusion: The results suggest that the electromagnetic fields would be able to increase the speed of germination without effects on percentage of germination

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of cleaning staff regarding hepatitis B virus

 Abstract Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic in human population. It is estimated that 400 million people are infected with HBV in the world. Healthcare workers face with the risk of HBV infection during their work. Despite the increase of the disease, lack of knowledge regarding the mode of transmission and methods of prevention including immunization is still a threat. Purpose: The aim of this descriptive study was to assess knowledge, attitudes and practice of cleaning staff at Labafinejad Hospital regarding prevention of HBV.  Methods:  A questionnaire and a checklist of observation were used for data collection. The questionnaire consisted of 4 parts: 1) 18 questions regarding demographic characteristics; 2) 32 questions on knowledge, route of transmission and prevention of HBV infection; 3) 18 questions on attitude and 4) 4 questions regarding practice. It was validated and made reliable by content and test-retest methods (r=0.87). The questionnaire was distributed among 100 cleaning staff.   Results: Finding showed that 75% of samples was male and 25% female. Knowledge score on universal precautions was moderate, attitude was good and practice was moderate. The results also showed that their attitude and practice were significantly correlated (P=0.009), practice had a significant correlation with age and sex (P=0.03). However, Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between knowledge with attitude, (P=0.35) and knowledge with practice (P=0.12). Conclusion: It can be concluded that cleaners had positive attitude toward HBV and implementation of universal precautions. On the other hand, cleaners had moderate knowledge and practice with regard to the mode of transmission. Therefore, performing comprehensive educational programs for cleaning staff regarding universal precautions seems necessary. Key words: HBV, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice

Efficacy of HRF in COD Removal from Secondary Effluent of Yasuj Municipal Wastewater

Background & Aim: Re-use of wastewater is an appropriate approach for development of water resources and water supply strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of HRF in COD removal from secondary effluent of municipal wastewater in Yasouj. Methods: The pilot which was used in the present study was a horizontal roughing filter designed and prepared according to the Wegelin’s Design Criteria. The Samples were removed daily and instantaneous based on the predicted number of samples (28 samples at each filtration rate) from the input and output filter, and then tested in the laboratory by the D5000 device. The collected data was analyzed using ANOVA and paired t-test. Results: The results indicated that the average COD removal in the filtration rate of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 were 60, 51, and 38 percent respectively. Conclusion: The average output of the HRF for all three filtration rates was lower than the maximum EPA standard of Iran