Identifying and overcoming barriers in launching sustainable energy projects in the industrial sector using multi-methodology

Mestrado em Engenharia e Gestão IndustrialThe aim of this essay has been to try out Soft Systems Methodology in development of a multidisciplinary framework to launch energy sustainability in Iranian industry sector. A petrochemical industry, one small sized company from the automobile industry and an energy service company are studied due to their diversity in conditions. The petrochemical industry is recognized to possibly have more gains in terms of improving energy consumption. Beyond SSM, the AHP model, MCIR framework, UML, and financial feasibility study methods are used in the development of CSEL framework. The AHP model applied in this study transforms qualitative data into quantitative decision making results. The MCIR framework classifies the barriers which have interrelated nature and identifies the gaps of energy sustainability in industry. NPV and SPB of financial analysis methods are applied in this framework and finally UML diagrams depict the information process in the latter subsystem of this framework.O objectivo desta tese é definir uma metodologia multidisciplinar, usando Soft Systems Methodology, com vista a analisar o sector da Indústria no Irão do ponto de vista de lançamento de novos projectos de sustentabilidade energética. Para a metodologia proposta uma indústria petroquímica, uma pequena empresa do ramo automóvel e uma empresa que faz consultoria em energia são analisadas. A indústria petroquímica surge como a que potencialmente terá maiores ganhos do ponto de vista de poupança energética. Para além de SSM, o modelo AHP, a framework MCIR, diagramas UML e um estudo de viabilidade financeira são usados para o desenvolvimento da metodologia proposta. O modelo AHP usado neste estudo permite trabalhar dados qualitativos de uma forma quantitativa. A framework MCIR classifica as barreiras interrelacionadas e identifica as necessidades de sustentabilidade energética na indústria. Métodos de análise financeira são usados na metodologia proposta e, por último, diagramas UML mostram o processo de informação

Correlation between endothelial dysfunction in normal coronary patients with slow flow and aortic ectasia: The first report

Background: Slow coronary flow (SCF) is slow dye progression in the coronary arteries during selective angiography, but there is no such study about greater visceral vessels. Studies have suggested that flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is impaired in SCF. Endothelial function can be assessed by FMD in the brachial artery as ischemia-induced vasodilation. Since inflammation is an underlying pathology in the inflammation of visceral vessels and probably SCF, we studied the correlation of aortic ectasia and SCF by means of FMD. Methods: Patients with normal coronary arteries and SCF formed the case group, and patients with normal coronary arteries and normal coronary flow formed the control group. We measured the diameter of the patients’ brachial artery at rest, after inflation of a sphygmomanometer on the forearm [endothelial-dependent vasodilation (EDV)], and after use of sublingual nitrate (endothelial-independent vasodilation) by sonography. We also measured the diameter of the aorta using sonography before administration of sublingual nitrate. Endothelial dysfunction was defined as EDV significantly less than standard EDV. Results: There were insignificant differences between age, gender, and frequency of cardiac risk factors within the case and control groups, but diabetes mellitus was significantly different between the two groups. The diameter of the aorta was insignificantly different between the case and control groups. The response of the brachial artery to the cuff test and sublingual nitrate were insignificantly different between the case and control groups. Endothelial dysfunction based on cuff test and sublingual nitrate administration was significantly more common in men than women, as the p values for cuff and sublingual nitrate were 0.033 and 0.051, respectively. Conclusions: It seems that there is no correlation between SCFP and aortic ectasia

Prehospital Emergency Medical Services Challenges in Disaster; a Qualitative Study

Introduction: Prehospital Emergency Medical Care (EMC) is a critical service in disaster management. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges of prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) during disaster response in Iran.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted from April 2015 to March 2017. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 23 experienced individuals in the field of disaster that were selected using purposeful sampling. Data were analyzed using content analysis approach.Results: Fifteen sub-themes and the following six themes emerged in the analysis: challenges related to people, challenges related to infrastructure, challenges related to information management systems, challenges related to staff, challenges related to managerial issues and challenges related to medical care.Conclusions: Iran’s prehospital EMS has been chaotic in past disasters. Improvement of this process needs infrastructure reform, planning, staff training and public education.

Pt-M (M = Au and Tl) Dative Bonds Using Bis(cyclometalated)platinum(II) Complexes

Symmetrical and unsymmetrical biscyclometalated platinum­(II) complexes [Pt­(ptpy)₂], <b>1</b>, and [Pt­(ptpy)­(bppy)], <b>2</b>, in which ptpy = deprotonated 2-(<i>p</i>-tolyl)­pyridine and bppy = deprotonated 2-(3-bromophenyl)­pyridine, have been prepared from the reaction between tris­(pentafluorophenyl)­borane, B­(C₆F₅)₃ and 1 equiv of monocyclometalated complexes [PtMe­(ptpy)­(ptpyH)], <b>B</b>, and [PtMe­(ptpy)­(bppyH)], <b>C</b>, respectively. The solid-state structures of <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The reaction of <b>1</b> with 1 equiv of TlPF₆ or [Au­(PPh₃)]­OTF resulted in the production of heteronuclear complexes [Pt­(ptpy)₂Tl]­PF₆, <b>3</b> and {Pt­(ptpy)₂[Au­(PPh₃)]}­OTF, <b>4</b>, respectively. X-ray diffraction data showed that in solid state, complex <b>4</b> exists as a mixture of supported and unsupported Pt^II–Au^I-bonded structures, whereas complex <b>3</b> consists of an infinite helical chain structure built up by unsupported Pt–Tl dative bonds. Absorption, emission, and NMR spectroscopy data showed that both Pt–Tl and Pt–Au bonds in <b>3</b> and <b>4</b> have dynamic behavior. The low-temperature ¹H, ³¹P­{¹H}, and exchange spectroscopy NMR of <b>4</b> revealed two dynamic behaviors involving the rupture of the Au–C_<i>ipso</i> bond as well as the dissociation–association of the [Au­(PPh₃)]⁺ and Pt­(ptpy)₂ fragments. All complexes displayed bright emission in the solid state, and their absorption and emission properties have been investigated both experimentally and by time-dependent density functional theory calculations

The Effect of Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression on Reducing Pain and Disability in Patients With Lumbar Disc Herniation

Introduction: As low back pain incidence is increasing, noninvasive modalities are gaining attention for their ability to achieve the best possible outcome with the least complications. Percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) is currently popular for this purpose. This study aims to evaluate the effect of PLDD on disability and pain reduction in patients with lumbar disc herniation.Methods: Thirty patients were enrolled in this study. Spinal nerve blocks were conducted by laser discectomy single stage injection of a needle into the disc space. The nucleus pulposus of herniated discs were irradiated with laser in order to vaporize a small part of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral discs and reduce the voluminosity of diseased discs. Patients were treated with 1000 J of 980 nm diode laser with 5 W energy. In order to measure the severity of pain, visual analog scale (VAS) and also ODI (Oswestry Disability Index) were used. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 12.Results: Thirty patients participated in this trial including 11 men and 19 women with a mean age (SD) of 40.8 (10.8) years. The mean patients VAS score and ODI level before and after discectomy showed statistically significant differences. The mean VAS and ODI scores showed no statistical difference between males and females (P &lt; 0.05) and percutaneous laser discectomy decreased the VAS and ODI at both groups of patients similarly.Conclusion: We found the use of PLDD reduces pain and disability in patients as a noninvasive procedure

Normal Computed Tomography and Radiographic Study of the Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses in Shal Sheep (Ovis arries)

Understanding anatomical structures from the past to the present has been one of the guidelines for advancing medical and veterinary science worldwide. The lack of comprehensive information on the anatomy of the paranasal sinuses and the Shal sheep nasal cavity (Ovis aries) encouraged us to write this article. Computed tomography (CT) scan is a method that shows different parts of the body without superimposition of adjacent structures. Radiographic imaging also gives very high-resolution images of bones to examine bone structures. Paranasal sinuses of Shal sheep were composed of frontal, maxillary, lacrimal, and palatine sinuses, and the nasal sinuses were composed of dorsal, and middle nasal sinuses, which were identified and labeled in keeping with cheek teeth as landmarks. The width of the frontal bone and length of the nasal cavity at the level of the 6th cheek tooth were 7 ± 0.3 and 13 ± 0.8 cm, respectively. The volumes of both the right and left sinuses were measured automatically, and the accurate location of sinuses, canals, nasal folds, conchae, and meatuses, and connections between different parts of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses were described. The volume of the frontal, maxillary, and palatine sinuses were 279.3 ± 16.4, 80.6 ± 2.6, and 13.5 ± 0.2 cm3, respectively. Frontal, maxillary, and lacrimal sinuses were observed like other ruminants. But the palatine sinus in this breed was not present in the Egyptian sheep, Saanen, and Markhz goats. Also, unlike Sanan and Markhz goats and like Egyptian sheep, ventral nasal sinus was not observed in this breed

The Effects of Oral Consumption of Selenium Nanoparticles on Chemotactic and Respiratory Burst Activities of Neutrophils in Comparison with Sodium Selenite in Sheep

The present study was designed to compare the effects of nano-selenium and of sodium selenite on the chemotactic and respiratory burst activities of neutrophils in sheep. Fifteen sheep were randomly divided into three groups. Groups 1 and 2 received selenium nanoparticles (1 mg/kg) or sodium selenite (1 mg/kg) orally, respectively, for ten consecutive days, and the third group was considered as the control. To determine the chemotactic and respiratory burst activities of the neutrophils, the leading front assay and the NBT test were used on heparinized blood samples that were collected at different intervals (days 0, 10th, 20th, and 30th). The results obtained showed that the chemotactic activities in groups 1 and 2 increased significantly on the 10th, 20th, and 30th day, compared to day 0, and on the 20th day in comparison with the 10th day, while in group 2, there was a significant decrease on the 30th day compared to the 20th day. The chemotactic activities in group 1 were significantly higher than in group 2 on the 10th day and in the control group on the 10th, 20th, and 30th day, but the chemotactic activities in group 2 were significantly higher than those in the control group only on the 20th day. On the 30th day into the experiment, the respiratory bursts in groups 1 and 2 were significantly stronger in comparison with those at day 0. Overall, nano-selenium increased the chemotactic and respiratory burst activities more significantly than sodium selenite, which is suggestive of a stronger stimulatory effect of the Se nanoparticles on intracellular activities

International Consortium on Mammographic Density:methodology and population diversity captured across 22 countries

Mammographic density (MD) is a quantitative trait, measurable in all women, and is among the strongest markers of breast cancer risk. The population-based epidemiology of MD has revealed genetic, lifestyle and societal/environmental determinants, but studies have largely been conducted in women with similar westernized lifestyles living in countries with high breast cancer incidence rates. To benefit from the heterogeneity in risk factors and their combinations worldwide, we created an International Consortium on Mammographic Density (ICMD) to pool individual-level epidemiological and MD data from general population studies worldwide. ICMD aims to characterize determinants of MD more precisely, and to evaluate whether they are consistent across populations worldwide. We included 11755 women, from 27 studies in 22 countries, on whom individual-level risk factor data were pooled and original mammographic images were re-read for ICMD to obtain standardized comparable MD data. In the present article, we present (i) the rationale for this consortium; (ii) characteristics of the studies and women included; and (iii) study methodology to obtain comparable MD data from original re-read films. We also highlight the risk factor heterogeneity captured by such an effort and, thus, the unique insight the pooled study promises to offer through wider exposure ranges, different confounding structures and enhanced power for sub-group analyses

Mammographic density and ageing:A collaborative pooled analysis of cross-sectional data from 22 countries worldwide

BACKGROUND: Mammographic density (MD) is one of the strongest breast cancer risk factors. Its age-related characteristics have been studied in women in western countries, but whether these associations apply to women worldwide is not known. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We examined cross-sectional differences in MD by age and menopausal status in over 11,000 breast-cancer-free women aged 35-85 years, from 40 ethnicity- and location-specific population groups across 22 countries in the International Consortium on Mammographic Density (ICMD). MD was read centrally using a quantitative method (Cumulus) and its square-root metrics were analysed using meta-analysis of group-level estimates and linear regression models of pooled data, adjusted for body mass index, reproductive factors, mammogram view, image type, and reader. In all, 4,534 women were premenopausal, and 6,481 postmenopausal, at the time of mammography. A large age-adjusted difference in percent MD (PD) between post- and premenopausal women was apparent (-0.46 cm [95% CI: -0.53, -0.39]) and appeared greater in women with lower breast cancer risk profiles; variation across population groups due to heterogeneity (I2) was 16.5%. Among premenopausal women, the √PD difference per 10-year increase in age was -0.24 cm (95% CI: -0.34, -0.14; I2 = 30%), reflecting a compositional change (lower dense area and higher non-dense area, with no difference in breast area). In postmenopausal women, the corresponding difference in √PD (-0.38 cm [95% CI: -0.44, -0.33]; I2 = 30%) was additionally driven by increasing breast area. The study is limited by different mammography systems and its cross-sectional rather than longitudinal nature. CONCLUSIONS: Declines in MD with increasing age are present premenopausally, continue postmenopausally, and are most pronounced over the menopausal transition. These effects were highly consistent across diverse groups of women worldwide, suggesting that they result from an intrinsic biological, likely hormonal, mechanism common to women. If cumulative breast density is a key determinant of breast cancer risk, younger ages may be the more critical periods for lifestyle modifications aimed at breast density and breast cancer risk reduction