Artificial neural network to predict the health risk caused by whole body vibration of mining trucks

Drivers of mining trucks are exposed to whole-body vibrations (WBV) and shocks during the various working cycles. These exposures have an adversely influence on the health, comfort and also working efficiency of drivers. Determination and prediction of the vibrational health risk of the mining haul trucks at thevarious operational conditions is the main goal of this study. To this aim, three haul roads with low, medium and poor qualities are considered based on the ISO 8608 standard. Accordingly, the vibration of a mining truck in different speeds, weights and distribution qualities of the materials in the dump body are evaluated for each haul road quality using the Trucksim software. An artificial neural network (ANN) is used to predict the vibrational health risk. The obtained results indicate that the haul road qualities, the truck speeds and the accumulation sides of material in the truck dump body have significant effects on the root mean square (RMS) of vertical vibrations. However, there is no significant relation between the material’s weight and the RMS values. Also, the application of ANN revealed that there is a good correlation between the predicted and simulated RMS values. The performance of the proposed neural network to predict the moderate and high health risk are 88.11% and 93.93% respectively</span

Assessment of workers' exposure to hand-arm and whole body vibration in one of the furniture industries in east of Tehran

Workers in wood industry are exposed to vibration and its damages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate exposure to hand-arm and whole body vibration in the wood industry. In this study, the parameters of whole body and hand-arm vibrations such as effective acceleration, overall equivalent acceleration, Vibration Dose Value and crest factor were studied on two Thicknessing planes, two sliding panel saw machines, two orbital sander, and three operators of perforate procedure. Assessments were done by the use of an oscillator and an analyzer of Svantak Co. Evaluating Hand-arm and whole body vibrations were conducted based on ISO 5349-1, ISO 5349-2 and ISO 2631-1 standards, respectively, and the findings/ the evaluated data were analyzed. The mean amount of daily exposure to hand-arm vibration (RMS) in Thicknessing plane, Orbital Sander and Sliding panel saw machine operators are respectively 5.56, 5.49 and 3.37 m/s2 . In addition, the average crest factor of the 3 jobs is higher than 6. Mean of daily Exposure to whole body vibration in 3 machine operators of Thicknessing plane, perforate procedure and Sliding panel saw is respectively, 0.28, 0.24 and 0.17 meters per square second. The crest factor for all the exposures was to be less than 6 and the mean of the calculated daily vibration dose equaled 5.83 with the standard deviation of 0.87( m)⁄s^1.75 . In further measured situations, exposure to hand-arm vibration is more than the standard level, so engineering and management measures are required to reduce the amount of exposure and support the health of the operators and the equipment

The application of human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells in wound healing: A narrative review

Management and treatment of chronic wounds remain a significant problem in clinical practice. Stem cell therapies are an important and promising approach for regenerative medicine because of their self-renewal and differentiation potential. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a major cellular source for regeneration, are present in almost all tissues. The use of embryonic stem cells is morally controversial because of the need to nurture and destroy embryonic cells. Therefore, adult umbilical cord tissues are of particular importance as an alternative source of perinatal tissues. Wharton Jelly is a gelatinous connective tissue in the umbilical cord containing MSCs that can differentiate into osteogenic, adipose, chondrogenic, and other lineages. These cells do not express the MHC-II molecule and show immunomodulatory properties that make them viable for allogeneic and xenogenic transplants in cell therapy. Therefore, the umbilical cord, especially the part named Wharton's jelly, is an important and promising source of mesenchymal stem cells

The Trend of Changes in Relative Humidity in Razavi Khorasan Province, Northeast Iran

The present study was conducted to examine the changes in monthly, seasonal, and annual trends in relative humidity of 13 meteorological stations in the Razavi-Khorasan Province from the beginning of the statistical period of each station until 2021. The study area includes Dargaz, Fariman, Golmakan, Gonabad, Kashmar, Khaf, Neyshabour, Mashhad, Quchan, Sarakhs, Sabzevar, Torbat-e Jam, and Torbat-e Heydarieh counties. Parametric linear regression and the nonparametric Mann-Kendall (MK) test were used to detect trends in relative humidity. The majority of stations have shown decreasing trends at 5% significance level in relative humidity in different time scales, and only in two stations, Quchan (June, December, and autumn season) and Sarakhs (autumn season), the relative humidity showed an increasing trend at 5% significance level. A decrease in monthly mean relative humidity for six stations has been found in the range of 0.7 to 3.5 percent/decade, while an increase for Quchan station 1.9 to 2.6  percent/decade was observed. In addition, most of the studied stations have experienced a decrease in relative humidity on a seasonal and annual scale. A decrease in Seasonal mean relative humidity for six stations has been found in the range of 0.6 to 2 percent/decade, while decreases in annual mean relative humidity stations ranged from 0.9 to 1.6 percent/decade. The results of this research indicate a decreasing trend in the average monthly, annual and seasonal relative humidity during recent years

Evaluation of the Antibacterial and Wound Healing Properties of a Burn Ointment Containing Curcumin, Honey, and Potassium Aluminium

Burn wounds can severely trouble the health system and life quality of patients. The present study aimed to analyze the synergistic healing properties of curcumin, honey, and potassium alum substances merged in a newly-devised burn ointment on second-degree burn wounds in rats. The MIC and MBC tests on 200 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginous are compared to imipenem in vitro. Their killing time and cytotoxicity are also studied using a standard isolate of P. aeruginous, fibroblast stem cells (FSC) and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF). Furthermore, histopathological and histomorphological assessments are conducted on 150 male Wistar rats whitin four experimental groups to evaluate the efficiency of the prepared burn ointment. We found a significant wound healing in both macroscopical observations and microscopical evaluations. Both curcumin and honey show strong antimicrobial effects with no cytotoxicity. Also, the histopathological results present a considerable and comparable wound re-epithelization in the a group of rats treated with both honey and curcumin after 7 days. The burn ointment containing curcumin, honey, and potassium alum show considerable efficacy in accelerating the healing of experimentally-induced burn wounds in animals. Th novel onement product is propose as a powerful alternative for the topical treatment of burn injuries

Evaluation of Major Psychiatric Disorders in Patients in Rafsanjan, Iran, with Acne Vulgaris

Background: Skin health and mental health are highly correlated. Considering that less attention has been paid to multidisciplinary fields, we evaluated the prevalence of mental disorders and related problems in patients with acne vulgaris in the city of Rafsanjan, Iran.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The study population included all patients with acne vulgaris in Rafsanjan who were referred in 2016 to a skin and hair clinic. After the patients agreed to participate, they underwent a psychological interview. Using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and suicide questionnaires, their data were recorded and collected. Data were then analyzed using the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test.Results: Of 100 patients evaluated (48 women and 52 men), 8% had severe anxiety, 61% had moderate anxiety, and 31% had mild anxiety. Moreover, 64% of patients had mild depression, 29% had moderate depression, and 7% had severe depression. Of all patients, only one had a high risk for suicide attempts. We did not find any significant relationship between anxiety or suicide disorder and any of following variables: marital status, disease duration, amount of lesions, location of lesions, and expansion of lesions. We observed that with increasing duration of illness, expansion of lesions, and level of lesions, depression increased significantly in patients with acne vulgaris. Location of lesions was not associated with depression.Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety and depression is high in patients with acne vulgaris. Acne disease is more significantly correlated with depression

Spirometric Parameters in Waterpipe Smokers, Cigarette Smokers, and Non-smokers of Shahedieh Cohort Study

Background: Different kinds of smoking tobacco may affect pulmonary function and reduce some spirometric parameters. This study aimed to assess the relationship between smoking cigarettes and waterpipe and spirometric parameters. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on 1543 middle-aged individuals, as a sub-study of the Shahedieh cohort study in Yazd. The participants were randomly selected from the Shahedieh cohort population and were divided into 6 groups according to their smoking habits: non-smokers (n=455), cigarette smokers (n=139), waterpipe smokers (n=287), ex-cigarette smokers (n=131), concurrent waterpipe and cigarette smokers (n=121), and cigarette or waterpipe passive smokers (n=410). Spirometry was performed on all participants and spirometric parameters were compared between different groups. The data were analyzed by SPSS (version 20) using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Findings: FEV1%, FEV1/FVC, and PEF25-75% were significantly lower in cigarette smokers, compared to waterpipe smokers and non-smokers. The measures were not significantly lower in waterpipe smokers in comparison to non-smokers. The frequency of obstructive pattern and small airway diseases was significantly higher in cigarette smokers compared to waterpipe smokers and non-smokers. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that in the middle-aged population, spirometric parameters related to airway obstruction (FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25-75%) were significantly lower in cigarette smokers than in non-smokers and waterpipe smokers, but these parameters were not significantly different between waterpipe smokers and non-smokers

Frequency of IL-10+CD19+ B cells in patients with prostate cancer compared to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Background: The function of the immune system in prostate cancer (PC) might promote carcinogenesis. PC is a common cancer in men. Regulatory B cells (Bregs) are a new subtype of B cells that have suppressive roles in the immune system. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a dominant mediator of immune suppression released by Bregs. Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the frequency of CD19+IL10+ B cells and IL-10 mRNA expression in patients with PC compared to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: Forty paraffin tissue samples from patients with PC and 32 paraffin tissue samples from patients with BPH were entered in this study. The immunohistochemistry staining was used to evaluate the pattern expression of CD19 and IL-10 markers. IL-10 mRNA expression in fresh tissue was determined by real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: The frequency of CD19+IL-10+ B cells and IL-10 mRNA expression in PC patients were significantly higher than patients with BPH. Also, there was no meaningful relationship between the frequency of IL-10+CD19+ B cells and gleason scores in patients with PC. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that frequency of IL-10+CD19+ B cells correlates with progressive stage of PC

Frequency of IL-10+CD19+ B cells in patients with prostate cancer compared to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Background: The function of the immune system in prostate cancer (PC) might promote carcinogenesis. PC is a common cancer in men. Regulatory B cells (Bregs) are a new subtype of B cells that have suppressive roles in the immune system. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a dominant mediator of immune suppression released by Bregs. Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the frequency of CD19+IL10+ B cells and IL-10 mRNA expression in patients with PC compared to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: Forty paraffin tissue samples from patients with PC and 32 paraffin tissue samples from patients with BPH were entered in this study. The immunohistochemistry staining was used to evaluate the pattern expression of CD19 and IL-10 markers. IL-10 mRNA expression in fresh tissue was determined by real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: The frequency of CD19+IL-10+ B cells and IL-10 mRNA expression in PC patients were significantly higher than patients with BPH. Also, there was no meaningful relationship between the frequency of IL-10+CD19+ B cells and gleason scores in patients with PC. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that frequency of IL-10+CD19+ B cells correlates with progressive stage of PC

Hydrogel nanocomposite based on alginate/zeolite for burn wound healing: In vitro and in vivo study

Objective(s): The main objective of the current assay was to evaluate the antibacterial and regenerative effects of hydrogel nanocomposite containing pure natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) integrated with alginate (Alg) as wound healing/dressing biomaterials.Materials and Methods: The zeolites were size excluded, characterized by SEM, DLS, XRD, FTIR, and XRF, and then integrated into Alg hydrogel followed by calcium chloride crosslinking. The Alg and alginate zeolite (Alg/Zeo) hydrogel was characterized by swelling and weight loss tests, also the antibacterial, hemocompatibility, and cell viability tests were performed. In animal studies, the burn wound was induced on the back of rats and treated with the following groups: control, Alg hydrogel, and Alg/Zeo hydrogel.Results: The results showed that the hydrodynamic diameter of zeolites was 367 ± 0.2 nm. Zeolites did not show any significant antibacterial effect, however, the hydrogel nanocomposite containing zeolite had proper swelling as well as hemocompatibility and no cytotoxicity was observed. Following the creation of a third-degree burn wound on the back of rats, the results indicated that the Alg hydrogel and Alg/Zeo nanocomposite accelerated the wound healing process compared with the control group. Re-epithelialization, granulation tissue thickness, collagenization, inflammatory cell recruitment, and angiogenesis level were not significantly different between Alg and Alg/Zeo nanocomposite.Conclusion: These findings revealed that although the incorporation of zeolites did not induce a significant beneficial effect in comparison with Alg hydrogel, using zeolite capacity in hydrogel for loading the antibiotics or other effective compounds can be considered a promising wound dressing