A study of pain and anxiety/ depression severity on patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain

Background and aims: Patients with low back pain like other chronic diseases, may experience psychological symptoms in addition to physical symptoms which leads to the exacerbation of the condition of these patients and reduce their quality of life. Due to lack of clinical studies in this field, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between pain and severity of depression and anxiety in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain. Methods: This analytic- descriptive study was performed on 250 patients with nonspecific low back pain referring to the orthopedic clinic in Shahrekord selected by convenience sampling. Demographic questionnaire, visual analogue scale of pain, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to collect the patient’s information, pain severity, anxiety and depression. Stata software 14 was used for data analysis. Results: Mean ± SD of pain in women was 4.6±1.21 and higher than in men (4.1±1.25). Pain severity showed a significant difference between the groups of patients with different levels of anxiety and depression (P<0.01). There was a significant difference among non-smokers for pain rate between the groups, according to the levels of depression (P<0.05). Conclusion: Patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain experience higher level of pain with increasing severity of depression and anxiety. It is necessary in treatment of patients with nonspecific low back pain to pay attention to their psychological dimensions in addition to treating physical problems to reduce pain, and take action to relieve for the modulation of anxiety, depression and quality of life in these patients

Novel radiation sensors based on bio/nanomaterials

X-ray sensors are essential to many applications which are not limited to diagnostics and imaging technologies. Such sensors are extensively used in industry, medicine, research and space technology for applications such as safety, security, quality control, imaging and treatment. Depending on the effect of the radiation on the matter employed in the sensor, different types of X-ray sensors are fabricated. However, available techniques of X-ray detection have been under development due to specific shortcomings such as finite life time, low sensitivity, and post-processing requirements. This thesis is focused on design, fabrication and characterization of novel radiation sensors based on bio/nanomaterials. Bacteriorhodopsin (BR), a proton pump protein in the cell membrane of Halobacterium Salinarum, has been used to fabricate a sensor to measure dose and dose rate of X-ray beam in the kilovoltage and megavoltage energy range. The mass attenuation coefficients, effective atomic numbers and electron densities of BR and its comprising amino acids have been calculated for 1 keV-100 GeV photons to better understand the interaction of BR with X-ray photons. A theoretical formulation for calculating the change in the conductivity of nanoparticles under radiation is also provided. In particular, the dependence of radiation induced conductivity to irradiated particle size is given. In addition to that, an X-ray sensor based on thin film of bismuth sulfide has been fabricated using laser micromachining and chemical deposition techniques. This sensor has been characterized under a diagnostic X-ray machine with kilovoltage energy beam.1 yea

Geomechanical key parameters of the process of hydraulic fracturing propagation in fractured medium

International audienceHydraulic Fracturing (HF) is a well-stimulation technique that creates fractures in rock formations through the injection of hydraulically pressurized fluid. Because of the interaction between HF and Natural Fractures (NFs), this process in fractured reservoirs is different from conventional reservoirs. This paper focuses mainly on three effects including anisotropy in the reservoir, strength parameters of discontinuities, and fracture density on HF propagation process using a numerical simulation of Discrete Element Method (DEM). To achieve this aim, a comprehensive study was performed with considering different situations of in situ stress, the presence of a joint set, and different fracture network density in numerical models. The analysis results showed that these factors play a crucial role in HF propagation process. It also was indicated that HF propagation path is not always along the maximum principal stress direction. The results of the numerical models displayed that the affected area under HF treatment is decreased with increasing the strength parameters of natural fracture and decreasing fracture intensity

Scaling Geological Fracture Network from a Micro to a Macro Scale

Characterizing fracture systems at various scales, modeling fracture distributions, and clarifying scale relations that correlate total fracture systems are of paramount importance in geology, mining, civil engineering, and petroleum engineering. In this paper, the conditions of fracture network geometry are investigated in a field scale (about 100 m) and a core sample scale (several centimeters). To achieve this purpose, field surveys and coring of rock outcrops were performed in the Asmari Formation of Iran. Fractures were manually sampled from rock outcrops on the field scale while micro-fractures were surveyed using CT-scan images of core samples on a small scale. To compare the fracture network geometry, two perspectives of fractal dimensions and orientation of fractures were used. The results showed that the fractal dimension has the same value in both field and core scales and the orientation of the fractures is similar in both scales. Therefore, it can be claimed that in the Asmari Formation of Iran the structure of the fracture network is similar in two studied scales

Optimization of removal of COD and color from baker’s yeast wastewater by Fenton oxidation

Background and Objectives: Bakery’s yeast industry wastewater contains various pollutants and is generally characterized with high chemical oxygen demand (COD), dark color, high-nitrogen and sulfate and non-biodegradable organic pollutants. Having persistent soluble colored compounds (called melanoidins), effluent from yeast industry is a major source of water and soil pollution. The aim of this study was to evaluate advanced oxidation efficiency using Fenton process for COD and color removal from bakery’s yeast wastewater. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental- laboratory scale study. In this study, the effect of time and Fenton concentrations were tested for COD and color removal from bakery’s yeast wastewater. The sample used for this study was yeast effluent from Separator 2 with initial concentrations of COD and color of 5300 mg/L and 6950 pt-co respectively. In order to obtain the optimum operating conditions of the process, Taguchi analysis method was used. Experiments were carried out in five stages of the time in the range of 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 min with various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (e.g., 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.1 molar) and concentrations of Fe2+ (e.g., 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05 molar) at pH = 3. Jar test method was used to determine the best operating conditions including: reaction time, dosages of hydrogen peroxide and Fe2+. Results: According to Taguchi method and SN-ratio analysis, the best H2O2/Fe2+ dosages were 0.08/0.04 molar at pH 3 and in reaction time of 30 min for removal of COD and color. For these conditions, the maximum COD and color removal efficiencies were 63 and 69 percent respectively. Based on the results, with increasing reaction time, there was no perceptible change in the removal efficiency. Conclusion: It can be concluded that Fenton’s oxidation method can be used successfully, as an alternative option to the design and choice of color and COD removal from strength industrial wastewaters e.g., bakery’s yeast industry

ISTRAŽIVANJE ČVRSTOĆE I MEHANIZMA NASTANKA FRAKTURA U ANIZOTROPNIM STIJENAMA METODOM ODAŠILJANJA ZVUKA

Anisotropy in rock is among the important parameters that should be considered in studying fracture toughness and fracture mechanisms. Acoustic emission is one of the methods applied to investigate fracture mechanics and how microcracks grow in rock samples. This method can help to identify different parts of stress versus strain curves. Using this method, the current research aims to study the effect of anisotropy angles on fracture toughness and fracture mechanisms of rock samples. To study the designated parameters, the Cracked Chevron Notched Brazilian Disc (CCNBD) method was selected. Blocks of slate, as an anisotropic rock, were prepared from the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone in Iran. The sample sizes were 54 mm and 74 mm in diameter and 24 mm and 37 mm in thickness, respectively, and their anisotropy angles were 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°. The tests were carried out in accordance with the method suggested by the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM). Two acoustic sensors were mounted on the specimens to log acoustic waves and determine the acoustic parameters (rise angle and average frequency) for fracture mechanism analysis. About 10 tests were carried out for each angle of anisotropy. Based on the obtained results, it was inferred that anisotropy affects the strength and fracture toughness of rock samples. By increasing the anisotropy angle from 0° to 30°, the strength and fracture toughness decreased. Exceeding this range of angle, with an increase in the anisotropy angle, the strength and fracture toughness increased as well.Anizotropija u stijenama jedan je od najvažnijih parametara u istraživanju fraktura. Ispitivanje zvučnim valovima metoda je koja se upotrebljava za proučavanje nastanka i rasta mikrofraktura. Tako se mogu prepoznati vrste stresa i naprezanja. U ovome radu istražen je utjecaj kuta anizotropije na čvrstoću i postanak fraktura uporabom metode Cracked Chevron Notched Brazilian Disc (CCNBD). Ispitani su uzorci slejta kao tipske anizotropne stijene, uzeti u zoni SanandajSirjan u Iranu. Veličina uzoraka bila je promjera 54 i 74 mm te debljine 24 i 37 mm. Za ispitivanje su odabrani anizotropni kutovi 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° i 90°. Testovi su načinjeni s preporukama Međunarodnoga društva za mehaniku stijena (International Society for Rock Mechanics – ISRM). Zvučni prijamnici postavljeni su na uzorke te je obavljena zvučna karotaža (povećanjem kuta snimanja i prosječne frekvencije). Za svaki kut promatranja anizotropije načinjeno je 10 testiranja. Opaženo je kako se učinci anizotropije odražavaju u čvrstoći fraktura. Povećanjem kuta s 0 na 30o čvrstoća se smanjila. Daljnje povećanje vrijednosti toga kuta dovelo je do ponovnoga rasta čvrstoće

Joint prediction of occurrence of heart block and death in patient with myocardial infarction with artificial neural network model

When it is desired to examine occurrence of two events simultaneously, it is common to use bivariate statistical models such as bivariate logistic regression. Due to the limitations of classical methods in real situations, other methods such as artificial neural networks (ANN) are concerned. The aim of this study was comparing the predictive accuracy of bivariate logistic regression and artificial neural network models in diagnosis of death occurrence and heart block in myocardial infarction patients. Material and Methods: In this study, data was taken from a census in a cross-sectional study in which 263 patients with myocardial infarction cases who admitted to Hajar hospital heart care in 2013 to 2014. Gender, type of stroke, history of diabetes, previous history of hypertension, lipid disorders, history of heart disease, cardiac output fraction, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting and non-fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density cholesterol, smoking, type of treatment, the troponin enzymes and insurant type were considered as explanatory variables and occurrence of death and heart block were used as dependent variables. Bivariate logistic regression and neural network model was fitted. Both models were predicted and the accuracy of them were compared. Models were fitted by MATLAB2013a and Zelig in R3.2.2. Results: Predictive accuracy of bivariate logistic regression model was 77.7% for the training and 78.48% for the test data. In ANN model, LM and OSS algorithms had best performance with 83.69% and 83.15% predictive accuracy for training data and 84.81% and 83.54% for testing data, respectively. Conclusion: This research showed that the neural network method is more accurate than bivariate logistic regression to joint predicting the occurrence of death and heart block in patients with myocardial infarctio

Demographics of Fall-Related trauma among the Elderly Presenting to Emergency Department; a Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Falling is reported to be the most common cause of mortality due to trauma in individuals over the age of 75 years. The present study is designed with the aim of determining the demographics of fall-related trauma among the elderly presenting to emergency department (ED). Methods: The present prospective cross-sectional study was carried out on all elderly patients ≥ 60 years old presenting to ED of a major referral trauma center in North West of Iran during 1 year. Demographic data, location and height of falling, duration of hospitalization, trauma severity and in-hospital outcome of the patients were gathered and reported via descriptive statistics. Results: 228 patients with the mean age of 70.96 ± 5.2 years were studied (53.9% female). Most patients were in the 66-70 years age range (32.6%) and had a history of hypertension (22.3%), who had visited following a fall inside the house (69.3%), due to slipping (73.7%), and from a height equal to or less than 2m (71.9%). 6 (2.6%) patients died in the hospital. Mean trauma severity of patients based on ISS, RTS, and TRISS were 10.65 ± 3.95 (3-19), 7.84 ±.21 (1.4-14.5) and 1.66 ±1.31 (-1.49-3.82), respectively. Regarding need for hospitalization, only ISS shows a significant difference between outpatients and inpatients (p = 0.023). Patients who died had a significantly higher trauma severity based on ISS (p &lt; 0.0001) and RTS (p &lt; 0.0001). Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, slipping and syncope are the most common causes of  falling in the studied elderly that had mostly happened inside the house and from a height less than 2m. Therefore, most patients were in the mild to moderate range of trauma severity. ISS and RTS were significantly higher in the 6 (2.6%) patients who died

How much Fisher information is contained in record values and their concomitants in the presence of inter-record times?

It is shown that, although the distribution of inter-record time does not depend on the parent distribution, Fisher information increases when inter-record times are included. The general results concern different classes of bivariate distributions and propose a comparison study of the Fisher information. This study is done in situations in which the univariate counterpart of the underlying bivariate family belongs to a general continuous parametric family and its wellknown subclasses such as location-scale and shape families, exponential family and proportional (reversed) hazard model. We derived some explicit formulas for the additional information of record time given records and their concomitants (bivariate records) for some classes of bivariate distributions. Some common distributions are considered as examples for illustrations and are classified according to this criterion. A simulation study and a real data example from bivariate normal distribution are considered to study the relative efficiencies of estimator based on bivariate record values and inter-record times with respect to the corresponding estimator based on iid sample of the same size and bivariate records only

3D Numerical Investigation of Ground Settlements Induced by Construction of Istanbul Twin Metro Tunnels with Special Focus on Tunnel Spacing

One of the most important considerations of tunneling in urban areas is controlling the amount of surface settlement that occurs during construction stages. The goal of this paper is to investigate the effect of spacing of Istanbul Twin Metro Tunnels on the surface settlement excavated by NATM method in YENIKAPI-UNKAPANI metro line. For this purpose, the focus has been placed on the effect of longitudinal and transversal spacing between tunnels supported by an umbrella arch protecting method. (FLAC3D) was implemented to simulate the excavation sequence. According to the analysis, the amount of settlement by numerical approach was about 23.5&nbsp;mm which was in good agreement with the field monitoring results that was 26.5&nbsp;mm. Moreover, the interaction between twin tunnels by the increase in spacing between twin tunnels in the direction perpendicular to tunnel axis decreases and becomes less effective at the location about 3&nbsp;times of the tunnel diameter. Similarly, the interaction between twin tunnels in the direction parallel to tunnel axis decreases as the spacing increases. In other words, by increasing the distance between tunnel faces in longitudinal direction at a distance about 3&nbsp;times of the tunnel diameter, there is still interaction between tunnels and it doesn’t disappear completely. Therefore, it is recommended to keep this distance at about more than 2.5&nbsp;times of tunnel diameter so that settlement can stay within acceptable range