A comparison of the finite difference and finite element methods for heat transfer calculations

The finite difference method and finite element method for heat transfer calculations are compared by describing their bases and their application to some common heat transfer problems. In general it is noted that neither method is clearly superior, and in many instances, the choice is quite arbitrary and depends more upon the codes available and upon the personal preference of the analyst than upon any well defined advantages of one method. Classes of problems for which one method or the other is better suited are defined

Quality of life after cesarean and vaginal delivery

Objective: Cesarean rates in recent decades have been increasing and a number of studies have shown that cesarean increases maternal morbidities. The aim of this study is to compare the quality of life after cesarean and vaginal delivery. Methods: This prospective study was carried out on 356 pregnant women visiting urban health centers in Shahroud City, Northeast Iran, in 2011. The subjects completed the quality of life questionnaire in the third trimester of pregnancy and at 8 weeks postpartum. Results: In primiparas, the mean global QOL scores for the cesarean and vaginal delivery groups were 67.65±12.7 and 72.12±11.8, respectively. Also, the scores for the physical, psychological and social domains of QOL as well as the global score of QOL were higher in the vaginal delivery group than the cesarean group (p<0.05). In the case of primiparas, multiple regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for education, desirability of pregnancy and the General Health Questionnaire score, the delivery type remained as a predictor of the scores for the physical (R2=1.7%; B=-3.826; p=0.031; CI [-7.301, -.350]) and social (R2=2.5%; B=-5.708; p=0.017; CI [-10.392, -1.023]) domains of QOL and the global QOL score (R2=2.6%; B=-4.065; p=0.006; CI [-6.964, -1.164]). While multiparas, there was no relationship between QOL and type of delivery. Conclusion: In this sample of low-risk women, cesarean negatively affected the QOL of primiparas. More studies with larger sample sizes should be conducted to examine the effects of cesarean on QOL in both primiparas and multiparas within a shorter period after delivery. © OMSB, 2013

Validation of the World Health Organization-5 well-being index; assessment of maternal well-being and its associated factors

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) in a sample of pregnant Iranian women, to explore the changes in maternal well-being from pregnancy to postpartum, and to determine the factors associated with maternal well-being. Materials and Methods: This study included 341 pregnant women that presented to healthcare centers affiliated with Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2011. The participants completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Farsi version of WHO-5 during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 2 months postpartum. Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficient for WHO-5 items was 0.85. The correlation coefficient between WHO-5 and GHQ-28 was -0.64 (P < 0.001). Exploratory factor analysis yielded 1 factor with an eigen value equal to 3.15, which explained 63.1% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 1-factor structure. The area under ROC curve was 0.82. A WHO-5 cut-off score of <50 exhibited optimal sensitivity (0.84) and specificity (0.59) for identifying psychological symptoms (GHQ-28 score ≥24). There was a significant difference between third trimester (58.4 ± 22) and postpartum (64.1 ± 22.3) mean WHO-5 scores (P < 0.001). Maternal level of education (OR = 1.130; 95% CI: 1.307, 1.232) was the only predictor of maternal well-being during third trimester. Breastfeeding difficulty (OR = 0.923; 95% CI: 0.882, 0.965) and maternal well-being scores during third trimester (OR = 1.038; 95% CI: 1.019, 1.058) were predictors of maternal well-being during the postpartum period. Conclusions: The Farsi version of WHO-5 was observed to be a reliable and valid instrument for screening psychological symptoms in pregnant Iranian women. The present findings show that maternal well-being improved following childbirth

Interactive computation of radiation view factors

The development of a pair of computer programs to calculate the radiation exchange view factors is described. The surface generation program is based upon current graphics capabilities and includes special provisions which are unique to the radiation problem. The calculational program uses a combination of contour and double area integration to permit consideration of radiation with obstruction surfaces. Examples of the surface generation and the calculation are given

Preparation and In-vitro Evaluation of Gastroretentive Bupropion Hydrochloride Tablets

Purpose: To develop a gastroretentive formulation of bupropion hydrochloride in the form of floating tablets.Methods: Floating tablets were prepared by wet granulation method using various amounts of sodium carboxymethycellulose (NaCMC), different molecular weight grade of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and varying amounts of fillers (microcrystalline cellulose, lactose and tricalcium phosphate). Sodium bicarbonate was also incorporated as the gas-generating agent. The formulations were tested for their physical properties, floating lag time, duration of floating and in-vitro drug release.Results: All the tablet formulations containing either HPMC K4M or HPMC K15M as the sustained release polymer together with either microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) or lactose, floated in the release medium for &gt; 10 h. Tablets prepared with MCC released &#8805; 79 % of the drug after 10 h, while those prepared with lactose released &#8805; 85 % of the drug within the same period. Tablets containing NaCMC alone did not show good floating properties but when HPMC K4M was also incorporated at certain ratios, tablets with good floating behavior and suitable drug release patterns were produced. Drug release kinetic studies showed that formulations fitted best to the Higuchi model.Conclusion: The developed floating tablets of bupropion HCl exhibited prolonged drug release for &#8805; 10 h, and, thus may improve bioavailability and minimize fluctuations in plasma drug concentration

The principles of ultra high pressure technology and its application in food processing/preservation: A review of microbiological and quality aspects

Consumers have a growing preference for convenient, fresh-like, healthy, palatable, additive-free, highquality and microbiologically safe food products. However, as food deterioration is constant threatalong the entire food chain, food preservation remains as necessary today as in the past. The food industry has responded by applying a number of new technologies including high hydrostatic pressurefor food processing and preservation. In addition, food scientists have demonstrated the feasibility of industrial-scale high pressure processing. High pressure processing is one of the emergingtechnologies to be studied as an alternative to classical thermal processing of food. This ‘clean’ technology offers an effective and safe method of modifying protein structure, enzyme inactivation, andformation of chemical compounds. In addition the study of the effects of high pressure on biological materials has received a great deal of attention in recent years. During the last decade, numerouspublications that describe the influence of pressure on various constituents and contaminants of foods such as spoilage microorganisms, food pathogens, enzymes and food proteins have appeared in the literature. This paper reviews the literature on high pressure application in food industry most notably it covers various facets of high pressure technology, which is, history, concepts and principles underlying the application of this technology,  hysicochemical, chemical, microbiological aspects of high pressurein the viewpoint of food technology

Prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in Rafsanjan: A comparison of different criteria

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is common during pregnancy. This survey was designed based on the frequency of GDM among an urban population according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria. Methods: We included all pregnant women who were admitted to a gynecology clinic from September 2012 until May 2013. The fasting blood sugar (FBS) was measured. Those having FBS� 126 mg/dl were excluded from the study. All women underwent a standard OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) by ingesting 75g of glucose in the 24th to 32nd week of their pregnancy. Results: Two hundred ninety pregnant women with a mean±SD age of 27.72±5.091 years were included in the study. The mean±SD FBS, blood glucose one hour and two hours after ingesting 75g of glucose were 82.48±9.41, 146.86±34.22 and 114.21±27.79 mg/ dl, respectively. Based on the criteria of the ADA, 9.3 (n= 27) of the admitted patients suffered from GDM. For the IADPSG and the WHO, those numbers were 31 (n= 90) and 15.2 (n= 44), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of GDM was 1.5-times and 3 times higher when the IADPSG based data were compared to those of the WHO or the ADA