Using artificial neural networks and strain gauges for the determination of static loads on a thin square fully constrained composite marine panel subjected to a large central displacement

Current methods of estimating the behaviour of marine composite structures under pressure due to slamming as a result of high waves are based on trial and error or oversimplification. Normally under these conditions the nonlinearities of these structures are often neglected and in order to compensate, an overestimated safety factor is employed. These conservative approaches can result in heavier and overdesigned structures. In this paper a new semi-empirical method is proposed that overcomes some of these problems. This work involved the use of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) combined with strain gauge data to enable real-time in-service load monitoring of large marine structural panels. Such a tool has other important applications such as monitoring slamming or other transient hydrostatic loads that can ultimately affect their fatigue life. To develop this system a Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) composite panel was used due to its potential for providing a nonlinear response to pressure or slamming loads. It was found the ANN was able to predict normal loads applied at different locations on the panel accurately. This method is also capable of predicting loads on the marine structure in real-time

Penetration Depth of Sodium Hypochlorite in Dentinal Tubules after Conventional Irrigation, Passive Ultrasonic Agitation and Nd:YAG Laser Activated Irrigation

Introduction: The penetration depth of irrigating solutions in dentinal tubules is limited; consequently, bacteria can remain inside dentinal tubules after the cleaning and shaping of the root canal system. Therefore, new irrigation systems are required to increase the penetration depth of irrigating solutions in dentinal tubules.Methods: A comparative study regarding the penetration depth of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution in dentinal tubules using four methods, (1) conventional irrigation (CI), (2) smear layer removal plus conventional irrigation (gold standard), (3) passive ultrasonic agitation (PUA) and (4) Nd:YAG laser activated irrigation (LAI), took place on 144 extracted mandibular teeth with a single root canal. After decoronation with a diamond disc and working length determination, the apical foramen was sealed with wax. The canals were prepared up to #35 Mtwo rotary file and 5.25% NaOCl was used for irrigation during preparation. To study the penetration depth of NaOCl, smear layer was eliminated in all samples. Dentinal tubules were stained with crystal violet and after longitudinal sectioning of teeth, the two halves were reassembled and root canal preparation was performed up to #40 Mtwo rotary file. Then the samples were distributed into four experimental groups. Depth of the bleached zone was evaluated by stereomicroscope (20X). Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test.Results: The highest and lowest average for NaOCl penetration depth in all three coronal, middle and apical sections belonged to CI + smear layer removal and CI. A statistically significant difference was seen when comparing the penetration depth of CI + smear layer removal group to CI and PUA groups in coronal and middle third, in which the average NaOCl penetration depth of the gold standard group was higher (P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was seen between CI + smear layer removal group and the other three groups including CI, PUA and LAI in apical third, in which the average NaOCl penetration depth in the gold standard group was higher (P < 0.001).Conclusion: The standard protocol for smear layer removal led to more effective smear layer elimination and deeper penetration depth of irrigation solutions. PUA and LAI groups exhibited less smear layer elimination and penetration depth of irrigation solutions. Therefore, CI+smear layer removal should still be considered as the gold standard

Baseline executive functions and receiving cognitive rehabilitation can predict treatment response in people with opioid use disorder

TR and AF have received supports from the Cognitive Science and Technologies Council (CSTC) of Iran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) for the ongoing Clinical Trial with NECOREDA.Background Impaired cognitive functions, particularly executive function, predicts poor treatment success in people with substance use disorders. The current study investigated the effect of receiving adjunct cognitive rehabilitation and baseline executive function (EF) measures on treatment response among people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Method The analysis sample consisted of 113 participants with OUD who were discharged from a compulsory court-mandated methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and followed for 3 months. We used the Backward digit span/Auditory verbal learning, Stroop, and Trail making tests to assess the three measures of EF, including working memory, inhibition, and shifting, respectively. Treatment response was operationalized as (1) treatment retention and (2) the number of positive urine tests for morphine during 3-month follow-up periods. The study used Cox's proportional hazards model and linear mixed model to identify predictive factors. Results Lower Stroop interference scores predicted increased length of stay in treatment (χ2 = 33.15, P < 0.001). The linear mixed model showed that scores on auditory verbal learning test and group intervention predicted the number of positive urine tests during a 3-month follow-up. Conclusion Working memory and inhibitory control, as well as receiving cognitive rehabilitation, could be potentially considered as predictors of treatment response for newly MMT admitted patients with OUD. Assessment of EF before treatment initiation may inform treatment providers about patient's cognitive deficits that may interfere with therapeutic interventions.PostprintPeer reviewe

Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) Programme, phase I (cardiovascular system)

Purpose: The main objective of the Bushehr Elderly Health Programme, in its first phase, is to investigate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and their association with major adverse cardiovascular events. Participants: Between March 2013 and October 2014, a total of 3000 men and women aged ≥60 years, residing in Bushehr, Iran, participated in this prospective cohort study ( participation rate=90.2%). Findings to date: Baseline data on risk factors, including demographic and socioeconomic status, smoking and medical history, were collected through a modified WHO MONICA questionnaire. Vital signs and anthropometric measures, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, weight, height, and waist and hip circumference, were also measured. 12-lead electrocardiography and echocardiography were conducted on all participants, and total of 10 cc venous blood was taken, and sera was separated and stored at –80°C for possible future use. Preliminary data analyses showed a noticeably higher prevalence of risk factors among older women compared to that in men. Future plans: Risk factor assessments will be repeated every 5 years, and the participants will be followed during the study to measure the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events. Moreover, the second phase, which includes investigation of bone health and cognition in the elderly, was started in September 2015. Data are available at the Persian Gulf Biomedical Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran, for any collaboratio

Additively Manufactured Multi-Morphology Bone-like Porous Scaffolds: Experiments and Micro-Computed Tomography-Finite Element Modeling Approaches

Tissue engineering, whose aim is to repair or replace damaged tissues by combining the principle of biomaterials and cell transplantation, is one of the most important and interdisciplinary fields of regenerative medicine. Despite remarkable progress, there are still some limitations in the tissue engineering field, among which designing and manufacturing suitable scaffolds. With the advent of additive manufacturing (AM), a breakthrough happened in the production of complex geometries. In this vein, AM has enhanced the field of bioprinting in generating biomimicking organs or artificial tissues possessing the required porous graded structure. In this study, triply periodic minimal surface structures, suitable to manufacture scaffolds mimicking bone’s heterogeneous nature, have been studied experimentally and numerically; the influence of the printing direction and printing material has been investigated. Various multi-morphology scaffolds, including gyroid, diamond, and I-WP, with different transitional zone, have been 3D printed and tested under compression; further, a micro-computed tomography (μCT) analysis has been employed to obtain the real geometry of printed scaffolds. Finite element analyses have been also performed and compared with experimental results. Finally, the scaffolds’ behavior under complex loading has been investigated based on the combination of μCT and finite element modeling

Decomposing disparity in adult individual’s mental health in Tehran among lower and higher economic groups; an Oaxaca- Blinder analysis on urban HEART Survey- round 2

Background: Mental health is one of the main aspects of social well-being. Tehran -capital of Iran- is metropolitan, where the mental health status of citizens is not prioritized effectively. Objectives: The purpose of this study was identifying contributors of mental health inequality between lower and higher economic groups in Tehran through Oaxaca- Blinder method. Methods: The study was conducted by the data of Tehran’s Urban Heart Survey- Round 2 (2012). Through a three- stage stratified and clustered sampling method, 34,700 were selected  as samples. The mental health status was measured by the General Health Questionnaire 28- items (GHQ- 28) and the quantity of the inequality in mental health was measured by corrected concentration index. The Fairlie’s decomposition approach was performed in STATA 14.Results: The corrected concentration index were: -0.0967 and -0.1004 by Erreyger’s and Wagstaff’s approaches. Being of the Iranian origin, disability conditions, employment status and smoking were identified as the main contributors of inequality in mental health among lower and higher economic groups.Conclusion: Thus, re-organizing strategies and plans on promoting the socio- economic status of non-Iranian residents, improving employment opportunities, developing well-designed environment for disabled individuals and supporting plans to reduce smoking is recommended to the urban policy makers. Keywords: Mental health, decomposing inequality, urban heart survey, Tehran

How Iranian people perceived the COVID-19 crisis? Explored findings from a qualitative study: current concerns, ethics and global solidarity

Abstract Objectives: This nation-wide project aimed to investigate the common perceptions and concerns regarding COVID-19 outbreak in Iran.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Iran from February to March 2020 via an online open-ended questionnaire. The participants were also selected using convenience and snowball sampling methods. As well, the data collection process continued until data saturation was achieved. Thematic content analysis was utilized to analysis the transcribed texts. &nbsp; Results: The statements retrieved also represented the most challenging psychological stress experienced by the participants. Four themes were accordingly recognized based on the content analysis including stressful conditions, health concerns, social and political concerns, and economic concerns. Throughout the study, a major proportion of the participants commented that psychological disorders such as fear, anxiety, stress, and ennui were their main challenges regarding this pandemic. Furthermore, lack of social responsibility, worries about high-risk and susceptible groups, decreased economic power of the public, financial hardships for low-income groups, shortage of healthcare facilities, and adverse effects of disinfectants were expressed as the main concerns.&nbsp; &nbsp; Conclusions: As a whole, it is evident that people have confronted with several challenges and need help together with effective policies and strategies during and after this pandemic to reduce their current concerns. The study findings provided a favorable ground to develop and adopt the required policies in Iran and other countries. It was concluded that creating local, national, and global solidarity in such epidemics is an inevitable necessity.&nbsp

Effect of oral tizanidine on prolongation of intrathecal lidocaine

Objective: In order to prolong the duration of intrathecal lidocaine, various drugs are used along with it. Due to the promising effects of tizanidine on central nervous system, it can be assumed that tizanidine can have a positive effect on increasing the anesthesia duration too. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of oral tizanidine on the duration of lidocaine spinal anesthesia. Methods: This double blind clinical trial was conducted on 40 male patients waiting for elective leg surgery with the age range of 20-60 years in one of the educational hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran. We used simple random sampling and our participants were assigned into 2 groups (placebo and oral tizanidine receivers). Spinal anesthesia with 1 mg/kg of hyperbaric lidocaine 5% was performed in both groups. In tizanidine group, patients received 4 mg of oral tizanidine one hour before spinal anesthesia. Sensory block was examined by pin prick test and all anesthetic duration including start block until reduction of sensory level was calculated at 2 lower dermatomes. Results: Findings showed that oral tizanidine compared to placebo can cause a 10-15 minute increase in patients’ lidocaine spinal anesthesia. Therefore, the average anesthesia time for tizanidine group increased meaningfully (P = 0.03). In addition, tizanidine can sedate patients during surgery (P = 0.00) or in recovery (P = 0.003). Conclusion: Based on the results, tizanidine increased the duration of lidocaine so oral tizanidine can be used to prolong the duration of lidocaine spinal anesthesia

Social Work Guidelines for Street Children with Substance Use Disorders

This study was designed with the purpose of providing organized instructions on how to improve the psychological, medical, and social circumstances of street children with concurrent substance use disorders. Due to the special vulnerabilities of these children, customized guidelines are required in order to maximize the treatment outcomes. Systemic review of literature was applied on a large number of national and international journal articles available on the phenomenon of substance use among street children. The literature review was followed by a qualitative study using in-depth interviews in order to record and analyze the experience of experts working in this field. The preliminary draft was reviewed by the experts and final modifications were applied. The ultimate guideline presents practical recommendations for different stages of providing service for the target population including case finding, motivational interventions, assessment, care and intervention planning, and follow-ups. Street children face various physical, psychological, and social complications. Substance use disorders can exacerbate their circumstances and add to the complexity of their problems. The current guideline is an initial step to better understanding and treating street children who use drugs. Further research is required to investigate the effectiveness and long term results of this guideline .considering the fact that Iran is one of the many countries dealing with this phenomenon, adjustments should be made for application in different cultures