Economic and social value of recreational facilities in urban areas by using Travel Cost Method (Case study: Amirkola Urban Park, Mazandaran Province, Iran)

One cannot ignore the importance and role of parks and urban green space in providing the lost relief and welfare of people in industrial and civil life today as its importance and value is increasing day by day. Environment is regarded as a very valuable property form economic point of view with a wide economics range. Today, environmental economy uses different valuation methods to calculate the value of a park or an urban green space. Thereon, the value of Amirkola urban park in Babol was calculated by using valuated individual travel cost solution and physical and real carrying capacity of visitors from park. The results show that the average number of visitors in a day is 1000 -1100 people and the number of useful visiting days is 185. Regarding the average number of visitors and their traveling cost, the economic-recreational value of the park was estimated at 90.000 dollars in a useful day and 1.665.000 dollars in one year. Moreover, the physical carrying capacity of this park is estimated at 90.000 people per day and the real carrying capacity -after regarding restricting factors- is about 60.000 people per day

Economic and social value of recreational facilities in urban areas by using Travel Cost Method (Case study: Amirkola Urban Park, Mazandaran Province, Iran)

One cannot ignore the importance and role of parks and urban green space in providing the lost relief and welfare of people in industrial and civil life today as its importance and value is increasing day by day. Environment is regarded as a very valuable property form economic point of view with a wide economics range. Today, environmental economy uses different valuation methods to calculate the value of a park or an urban green space. Thereon, the value of Amirkola urban park in Babol was calculated by using valuated individual travel cost solution and physical and real carrying capacity of visitors from park. The results show that the average number of visitors in a day is 1000 -1100 people and the number of useful visiting days is 185. Regarding the average number of visitors and their traveling cost, the economic-recreational value of the park was estimated at 90.000 dollars in a useful day and 1.665.000 dollars in one year. Moreover, the physical carrying capacity of this park is estimated at 90.000 people per day and the real carrying capacity -after regarding restricting factors- is about 60.000 people per day

Determine the Dose Distribution Using Ultrasound Parameters in MAGIC-f Polymer Gels

In this study, using methacrylic and ascorbic acid in gelatin initiated by copper (MAGIC-f) polymer gel after megavoltage energy exposure, the sensitivity of the ultrasound velocity and attenuation coefficient dose-dependent parameters was evaluated. The MAGIC-f polymer gel was irradiated under 1.25 MeV cobalt-60, ranging from 0 to 60 Gy in 2-Gy steps, and received dose uniformity and accuracy of +2%. After calibration of the ultrasonic systems with a frequency of 500 kHz, the parameters of ultrasound velocity and attenuation coefficient of the irradiated gel samples were measured. According to the dose–response curve, the ability of ultrasonic parameters was evaluated in dose rate readings. Based on a 4-order polynomial curve, fitted on the dose–response parameters of ultrasound velocity and attenuation coefficient and observed at 24 hours after irradiation, ultrasonic parameters had more sensitivity. The sensitivity of the dose–velocity and dose-attenuation coefficient curves was observed as 50 m/s/Gy and 0.06 dB/MHz/Gy over the linear range of 4 to 44 Gy, respectively. The ultrasonic parameters at 5C, 15C, and 25C on the gel dosimeter after 0 to 60 Gy irradiation showed that readings at 25C have higher sensitivity compared to 15C and 5C. Maximum sensitivity time and temperature readings of the MAGIC-f ultrasonic parameters were concluded 24 hours after irradiation and at a temperature of 25C. Keyw

The Ability of Ultrasonic Characterization to Extract the Dose Distribution of MAGIC-f Polymer Gel

Background & Aims: Today, different imaging techniques have been studied in the reading of radiationsensitive polymer gels dosage. Due to limitations of imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), ultrasound techniques are proposed for dose-dependent parameter extraction. In this study, using MAGIC-f (methacrylic and ascorbic acid in gelatin initiated by copper with added formaldehyde) polymer gel and megavoltage radiation energy, the dose-dependent parameters of speed of sound and broadband ultrasonic attenuation (BUA) were evaluated. Methods: MAGIC-f polymer gel was irradiated with 1.25 MeV of Cobalt-60 and received a uniform dose in the range of 0 to 60 Gy in 2 Gy steps (2% accuracy). After calibration of ultrasound system with 500 kHz frequency, the parameters of speed of sound and BUA coefficient of exposed polymer gel samples were measured. Based on the dose-response curve, the ability of the ultrasound parameters in reading the absorbed dose was investigated. To evaluate the reasonable time interval with the most sensitive reading of the ultrasound method, samples were studied 3, 24, 36, and 48 hours after irradiation. To study the temperature readings, the gel samples irradiated at 5, 15, and 25 °C were studied. Results: The relationship of variation of speed of sound and attenuation coefficient and quality index (QI) with absorbed dose 3, 24, 36, and 48 hours after irradiation of gels are shown with a fourth-order polynomial fit. The results show that ultrasonic parameters have higher sensitivity 24 hours after irradiation. The sensitivity of dose-speed of sound and attenuation curve were 50 cm/s and 0.06 dB/MHz/Gy based on each Gy in the linear range of 4-44 Gy. Ultrasonic parameters were measured in the gel samples at 5, 15, and 25 ºC after 0-60 Gy irradiation in 2 Gy steps to determine the sensitivity of the ultrasonic properties to temperature. The measurements show that readings at 25 °C have a higher sensitivity than that at 5 and 15 °C. Thus, with an increase of 20 °C, the speed of sound increased 28 and 66 m/s before irradiation and with 60 Gy absorbed dose, respectively. Moreover, the attenuation coefficient decreased 2.50 dB/MHz before irradiation and increased 2.70 dB/MHz with 60 Gy absorbed dose. Conclusion: Acoustic properties of MAGIC-f gel, determined by measurements of speed of sound and ultrasonic broadband attenuation, indicate the ability of this technique in reading of absorbed dose. Maximum sensitivity of reading time and temperature of MAGIC-f gel were 24 hours after irradiation and 25 °C, respectivel

Quality of care before, during, and after casting: A cross-sectional study

Background: Casting is the most common treatment for managing limb fractures. Casts that are not properly provided or are not correctly cared for may hinder the healing of fractures. However, no study assessed the quality of care before, during, and after casting. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the quality of nursing care before, during, and after casting. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 188 patients with limb fractures referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran, from July to November 2018. The data collection instrument consisted of 57 items on the quality of care before, during, and after casting. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 188 patients were assessed, 94 cases regarding the quality of care before and during casting and 94 additional cases for the quality of care after casting. The quality of care before, during, and after casting was at a moderate level in 83, 58.5, and 63.8 of patients, respectively. A significant connection was found between the quality of care before casting and the type of damage (P = 0.002). Significant connections were also found between the quality of care after casting and the nurses' work shift (P = 0.05) and gender (P = 0.05). Conclusion: The quality of care before, during, and after casting was mostly at a moderate level. Educational interventions are needed for nurses to improve the quality of cast care

Self-rated health and internet addiction in Iranian medical sciences students; prevalence, risk factors and complications

Introduction: Self-rated health is a brief measure for general health. It is a comprehensive and sensitive index for prediction of health in future. Due to the high internet usage in medical students, the current study designed to evaluate the self-rated health (SR H) in relationship with internet addiction risk factors in medical students. Methods: This cross sectional study conducted on 254 students of Qom University of Medical Sciences 2014. Participants selected by two stage sampling method including stratified and simple random sampling. The Young’s questionnaire of internet addiction and SR H question used for data collection. Chisquare, t-test, and logistic regression used in data analysis. Results: More than 79.9% of students reported their general health good and very good. The student’s mean score of general health was higher than the average. In addition, the prevalence of internet addiction was 28.7%. An inverse significant correlation observed between SR H and internet addiction score (r=-0.198, p=0.002). Using internet for Entertainment, using private Email and chat rooms were the most important predictors of affecting to internet addiction. Moreover, internet addiction is the most predictors of SR H and increased the odds of bad SR H. Conclusion: The good SR H of medical students was higher than general population but in health faculty’ students were lower than others. Due to the effect of internet addiction on SRH and increasing trend of internet use in medical students, as well as low age of participants, attention to psychological aspects and the job expectancy in future, can effective on increasing the good SRH

Luteolin Reduced the Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Memory Impairments in Rats: Attenuating Oxidative Stress and Dark Neurons of Hippocampus

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is generally recognized as a major risk factor for memory impairments and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this experimental study, our aim was to investigate the ameliorating effects of luteolin (LUT) on the memory impairments, oxidative stress, and histopathological changes induced by TBI in rats. The adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups including: Control (Co), sham, TBI, TBI+LUT (10 mg/kg), TBI +LUT (25 mg/kg), TBI +LUT (50 mg/kg). To evaluate the protective effects of LUT on the memory of the rats, passive avoidance test using shuttle box was performed. Finally, the animals were anesthetized, and the brain tissues were removed and analyzed for oxidative stress parameters. Using histological methods, dark neuron production was also evaluated. There was a significant decrease in the latency time to enter the dark compartment in passive avoidance test in TBI animals. This latency time was significantly increased in TBI+LUT (25 mg/kg) and TBI+LUT (50 mg/kg) groups along with significant increases in superoxide dismutase and catalase activity in the hippocampal zone and a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA). The number of dark neurons in the hippocampus decreased with all three doses of LUT. In the present study, LUT showed neuroprotective effects, improvement in learning and reduction in memory impairment induced by TBI in rats. Protection against oxidative stress might be a possible mechanism behind these effects. Further works are necessary to work out if LUT is potentially a suitable therapeutic candidate for neural disorders

Global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer and its risk factors, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Funding: F Carvalho and E Fernandes acknowledge support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT), in the scope of the project UIDP/04378/2020 and UIDB/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences UCIBIO and the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy i4HB; FCT/MCTES through the project UIDB/50006/2020. J Conde acknowledges the European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-StG-2019-848325). V M Costa acknowledges the grant SFRH/BHD/110001/2015, received by Portuguese national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), IP, under the Norma Transitória DL57/2016/CP1334/CT0006.proofepub_ahead_of_prin

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms