Medicine and nephro-urology in ancient Iran: Part II: Avicenna and His Art of Uroscopy

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Prevalence of Nephrolithiasis in 7-11 year-old Students: A Multicenter Study

Introduction: Renal diseases can be asymptomatic even in progressive disorders; therefore, detecting urine and ultrasound abnormalities may help facilitate early diagnosis and prevention of renal diseases. This study was conducted to investigate random urine parameters and urinary system ultrasonography findings in 7-11 year-old students.Materials and Methods: Healthy students from Tehran and Qom, Iran were enrolled in a prospective descriptive study and their sex, age, weight, height, and BMI were measured. Then, a fresh clean urine sample was collected and ultrasonography of the urinary tract was done. The urine specimen was tested for urine Ca/Cr, urine oxalate/Cr, and urine citrate/Cr.Results: Of 932 students, 47.9% were female and 52.1% were male. The age range of the students was 7-11 years with a mean age of9.08 years. A history of renal disease and UTI was positive in 1.1% and 9.9% of the students, respectively. Ultrasound was normal in78% and abnormal in 22% of the students. Abnormal findings included hydronephrosis in 1.1%, fullness of the urinary tract in 0.1%, urinary system duplication in 3%, urolithiases in 0.7%, decreased kidney size in 0.4%, increased bladder thickness in 8.9%, and other abnormal findings in 7.8% of the subjects. Abnormal urine findings included hypercalciuria, in 10.9%, urine hyperuricosuria in 5.4%, urine hyperoxaluria in 12.8%, and hypocitraturia in 96.9% of the students.Conclusions: According to the results, nephrolithiasis may be due to hyperoxaluria, hypercalciuria, and hyperuricosuria in a normal population. Genetics and nutrition are more important risk factors. Therefore, some nutritional interventions for decreasing urine oxalate, calcium, and uric acid may be beneficial. Keywords: Urinalysis; Ultrasonography; Hypercalciuria; Hyperuricosuria; Hyperoxaluria; Child

Energy/economic analysis and optimization of on-grid photovoltaic system using CPSO algorithm

Today, the use of renewable energy is increasing day by day, and this development requires the optimization of these technologies in various dimensions. Solar systems have a higher acceptance due to their high availability and accessibility; the most common solar technology is photovoltaic cell. In this research, modeling was done to achieve the most economically optimal arrangement of photovoltaic panels, inverters, and module placement to generate more electrical energy by considering economic parameters, for which the CPSO algorithm was used. Four different combinations of module and inverter were studied in this research, among which the second combination, which included PV module type one and inverter type two, was the best case. One of the significant results of the present study is 191,430 kWh of electrical energy during the studied year by the solar cell connected to the grid, which requires $42,792,727 to produce.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainabilitydm2022Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineerin

Prevalence of reflux nephropathy in Iranian children with solitary kidney: results of a multi-center study

Abstract Background: Given the importance of the function of the remnant kidney in children with unilateral renal agen‑ esis and the significance of timely diagnosis and treatment of reflux nephropathy to prevent further damage to the remaining kidney, we aimed to determine the prevalence of reflux nephropathy in this subgroup of pediatric patients. Methods: In general, 274 children referred to pediatric nephrologists in different parts of Iran were evaluated, of whom 199 had solitary kidney and were included in this cross‑sectional study. The reasons for referral included urinary tract infection (UTI), abnormal renal ultrasonography, being symptomatic, and incidental screening. Demographic characteristics, including age and gender were recorded. History of UTI and presence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) were evaluated. Results: Of the 274 children evaluated in this study with the mean age (SD) of 4.71 (4.24) years, 199 (72.6%) had solitary kidney. Among these, 118 (59.3%) were male and 81 (60.7%) were female, 21.1% had a history of UTI, and VUR was present in 23.1%. The most common cause of referral was abnormal renal ultrasonography (40.2%), followed by incidental screening (21.1%), being symptomatic (14.1%), and UTI (5.5%). In 116 children (58.3%), the right kidneys and in 83 (41.7%) the left kidneys were absent. Besides, 14.6% of the participants had consanguineous parents and 3% had a family history of solitary kidney. Upon DMSA scan, the single kidney was scarred in 13.1%, of which only 7.5% were associated with VUR. In addition, proteinuria and hematuria were observed in 6.5% and 1.5% of children, respectively. Conclusions: The prevalence of reflux nephropathy was 7.5% in children with solitary kidney with a male predomi‑ nance. Given the relatively high prevalence of reflux nephropathy in these children, screening for VUR in the remnant kidney appears to be essential in this population. Keywords: Vesicoureteral reflux, Nephropathy, Children, Solitary kidney, Renal agenesi

Evaluation of the Heading Confinement Pressure Effect on Ground Settlement for EPBTBM Using Full 3D Numerical Analysis

Ground settlement is often the most serious concern when tunneling under an old city with numerous historic monuments. A successful engineering design under these conditions would require getting the most out of the ground strength parameters and avoiding any weakening maneuver throughout the operation. Knowing that surface settlement is highly affected by tunneling parameters in EPB shield tunneling lead us to estimate the optimum values for the machine heading pressure with the lower amount of the ground settlement in fragile structure of the old city for the Esfahan Subway Project. Tunnels were dug underneath some of the most prominent historical sites along the path of the project. To improve precision and efficiency in tunneling operation, at the first step, tunnel heading confinement pressure is calculated by using an advanced 3D mathematical approach based on the limit equilibrium theory. Then, a promoted 3D finite element model is developed, taking into account the tunneling procedures and the designed heading confinement pressure from the first step. Settlements were pre-calculated and the surface displacement was checked at all sensitive locations. At the third step, settlement is estimated by exerting executed face supporting pressure to the tunnel face and the concluded amounts for displacement are compared with the outputs of extensometers. This comparison leads us to check the reliability of calculated settlements and the accuracy of the designed tunnel heading confinement pressure. Furthermore, evaluating the relation between extensometer outputs and executed tunnel face pressure at the points of extensometers stations validates the assumption that the safe face supporting pressure causes least surface displacement. Although the minimum pressure occurred in short term fluctuations, this approach confirms the sensibility of settlement with the least executed face supporting pressure.. It is also found that higher executed face supporting pressures could reduce the tunnel face stability. Therefore, documentation of appropriate software facilitates design procedures. Yet a further achievement of this study concerns effective decision implementations under strictly limited

Kidney Calculi in Iranian Children: A Multicentric Report: Kidney Calculi in Iranian Children

Background and Aim: Studies on the prevalence of kidney stones in Iranian childrenare limited. Children with nephrolithiasis have a high risk of recurrent stones; therefore, athorough evaluation is warranted. Due to the paucity of data on Iranian children, this studyaims to investigate the prevalence of kidney stones in this population.Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of kidney stones amongoutpatients and inpatients at various university centers in Iran from March to December2019. Twenty-six pediatric nephrologists from 13 centers participated and completed aquestionnaire on the total number of inpatients and outpatients and the number of patientswith kidney stones. The diagnosis was based on radiological results.Results: A total of 97 912 patients were included, with 20327 hospitalized and 77585outpatients. Of all patients, 2.86% had kidney stones, the prevalence of which was 1.5%in inpatients and 3.2% in outpatients. This figure is about 1% more than Iran’s past reports.Inpatient stones in Kerman City, Iran (3.65%) and outpatients in Zahedan City, Iran (16.4%) were the most common. The study lacked data on age and gender. The main results are thetotal and setting-specific prevalences, and regional variations suggesting environmental andgenetic factors.Conclusion: This large study examined kidney stone prevalence in Iranian children, the totalprevalence of which is 2.86%. Given the limited data and rising trend, more extensive studieswith the collaboration of additional centers are recommended. Demographic characteristics,such as age, sex, stone composition, family history, and diet should be examined