Non-Destructive Detection and Resistive Cooling of Highly-Charged-Ion Ensembles for Precision Spectroscopy in the ARTEMIS Penning Trap

An important aspect of precision measurements in a Penning trap is the ability to cool the confined particles to cryogenic temperatures, which reduces the measurement uncertainty. The ARTEMIS Penning trap, located at the HiTrap facility at GSI, is designed to measure the g−factor of heavy to medium highly charged ions, such as 40Ar13+ and 209Bi82+, using microwave-laser double resonance spectroscopy on a ppb level of accuracy. The foreseen measurement scheme involves spectroscopy of a large number of confined particles in the form of an ensemble, typically of the order of 105 ions. This thesis presents the development and upgrades of the non-destructive detection system of ARTEMIS, which is also used for resistive ion cooling through dissipative interaction with the effective resistance of the detection system. A theoretical treatment of resistive cooling of an ion ensemble created in the creation trap of ARTEMIS was performed and test with different ion ensembles

A perspective analysis about the effects of dams - Evidence from Iran

The construction of dams is one of the main mechanisms undertaken by policy makers for managing the challenge of water scarcity in recent decades, but this strategy can lead to negative social, economic and environmental consequences. The purpose of this study was to investigate a perspective analysis about the effects of construction of the dam on the Sirvan River in Iran. A sample of 273 rural households was selected using Cochran’s formula by use of multi stage sampling technique. In the mentioned villages, 36 key-informants were selected and interviewed. The results showed that the residents of rural areas were dissatisfied with the construction of the dam. Daryan dam construction in the region, in the social dimension, reduced the components of social capital by nearly 20%; in the economic dimension, reduced the economic components by nearly 24%; but in the infrastructure dimension, has improved the infrastructure of rural areas by only 4%. The results of t-test also show that the effect of dam construction in both economic and social dimensions was significant from the viewpoint of villagers and key-informants. The research results show significant negative effects of dam construction on social capital, trust and social participation. The viewpoint of villagers and key informants Daryan dam construction reduced the area under cultivation and production of the villagers of the region. However, in terms of infrastructure indicators, it has not been able to create positive and significant effects on the well-being of the villagers in the region

The role of ethics in water, food and environmental security from the perspective of farmers: case study at Lordegan in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran

The overexploitation of natural resources leads to environmental degradation and negative impacts to present and future generations. Therefore, the efficient and rational use of the natural resources is vital because their regeneration involves very costs and time. The water issue is so important that it is not just technical data that need to be addressed to solve its crisis, but also social, moral and cultural data must be used. So far, agricultural water use ethics have been discussed as a topic related to field of environmental ethics. Water ethics should be considered as an applied ethics that is based on the recognition of water as a requirement for life. Water is the major limiting factor in agricultural production. Therefore, it is important to utilize it correctly, especially in agricultural activities. In the present study, the general objective was to analyze the principles (human dignity, mutual good, solidarity, supervision, and justice) of the water ethics in the viewpoint of farmers, in the Lordegan township in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran. The present research was performed using a descriptive-analytical method, with field information through questionnaires. The research sample consisted of 219 people selected using Cochran’s formula. The results of the research indicate that the farmers have a high average age (54 years). 32.9% of the respondents are illiterate and only 14.2% had a university degree. Farmers are well acquainted with and adhered to the principles of water ethics. But even though they know that harvesting water from underground aquifers is immoral, in practice more than half of them do so, indicating that long-term water scarcity will lead to ethical disrespect. The results of the research show that in times of water crisis, including climate change, support to farmers should be strengthened, especially in economic and income terms, so that their cultural and environmental gifts are not threatened.The overexploitation of natural resources leads to environmental degradation and negative impacts to present and future generations. Therefore, the efficient and rational use of the natural resources is vital because their regeneration involves very costs and time. The water issue is so important that it is not just technical data that need to be addressed to solve its crisis, but also social, moral and cultural data must be used. So far, agricultural water use ethics have been discussed as a topic related to field of environmental ethics. Water ethics should be considered as an applied ethics that is based on the recognition of water as a requirement for life. Water is the major limiting factor in agricultural production. Therefore, it is important to utilize it correctly, especially in agricultural activities. In the present study, the general objective was to analyze the principles (human dignity, mutual good, solidarity, supervision, and justice) of the water ethics in the viewpoint of farmers, in the Lordegan township in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran. The present research was performed using a descriptive-analytical method, with field information through questionnaires. The research sample consisted of 219 people selected using Cochran’s formula. The results of the research indicate that the farmers have a high average age (54 years). 32.9% of the respondents are illiterate and only 14.2% had a university degree. Farmers are well acquainted with and adhered to the principles of water ethics. But even though they know that harvesting water from underground aquifers is immoral, in practice more than half of them do so, indicating that long-term water scarcity will lead to ethical disrespect. The results of the research show that in times of water crisis, including climate change, support to farmers should be strengthened, especially in economic and income terms, so that their cultural and environmental gifts are not threatened

MTHFR Gene Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Migraine Attacks

Background and Aim:Migraine consisting of migraine with aura (MA) and migraine without aura (MO) is a painful neurovascular disorder affecting approximately 16% of the general population. A combination of genetic and environmental factors is involved in the pathogenesis of migraine. The MTHFR enzyme is involved in homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism and it has been reported that 1298 A to C and 677 C to T mutations   in the MTHFR gene are associated with an increased in plasma Hcy levels. Hcy is a highly reactive amino acid and causes endothelial injury. Because a plausible theory about vascular impairment in migraine, it is considered that mutations in MTHFR gene and folate metabolism are associated with migraine.Materials and Methods:In total, 75 patients with migraine (24 with MA and 51with MO) in accordance with the IHS criteria participated in this case-control study. Control group were 128 normal matched healthy subjecys who selected from same region without history of migraine or other neurologic disorder after interviewing and examining by a physician. Mean age at entry was 36.42±9.6 and 31.64±8.9 years old in migraine and control group respectively.  MTHFR polymorphisms were investigated by PCR-RFLP.Results:Genotypic results indicated that the prevalence of the MTHFR 677TT genotype in migraine subjects was higher than control (17.3% and 3.1% respectively, P<0.001).  Interestingly the risk of migraine was 6-fold higher in subjects possessing the MTHFR 677T homozygous variant (OR=6.5; CI95%: 2.03-20.76). No significant difference in the prevalence of MTHFR A1298C genotypes was observed in migraine group when compared to controls (P>0.001).Conclusion:It seems that MTHFR C677T is a potential genetic risk factor for migraine attacks, both in MA and MO subclasses in Iranian population. C677T and A1298C joint effect could amplify the potential influence of each SNPs.

Diagnostic Imaging Modalities for Skeletal Metastasis in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are usually highly malignant. Bone metastasis is less common in STS but it significantly affects patients` quality of life and also is indicator of poor prognosis. Different types of imaging modalities are available for diagnosis and follow-up of STS. Bone scintigraphy is a sensitive and cost effective method for screening bone metastases however it`s poor specificity must be covered by other imaging methods like computed tomography. More sophisticated methods are available including whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Equipment limitations and high costs are the main problems with ofthese methods

Evaluation of serum adenosine deaminase and its isoenzymes in patients with ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer worldwide. There are great relationships between the activities of adenosine deaminase (ADA), one of the enzymes in purine nucleotide pathway and carcinogenic process. In the present study the activities of the total ADA, ADA1 and ADA2 were measured in the sera of the patients with ovarian cancer. In this study, activities of tADA, ADA1 and ADA2 were assessed in sera of 30 patients with ovarian cancer and 30 normal control individuals, using a modified Ellis method in which only ADA2 activity was measured in the present of a specific inhibitor, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenine (EHNA). Our results showed that the tADA, ADA1, and ADA2 serum activities of patients were found to be significantly increased (P < 0.05) than those of healthy control group. Although, ADA and its isoenzymes were not the specific markers for diagnosis of ovarian cancer, measurement of their activities may be used as a diagnostic means in ovarian cancer as well as the other analytical procedures

Case study: persistent recovery of hand movement and tactile sensation in peripheral nerve injury using targeted transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation

Peripheral nerve injury can lead to chronic pain, paralysis, and loss of sensation, severely affecting quality of life. Spinal cord stimulation has been used in the clinic to provide pain relief arising from peripheral nerve injuries, however, its ability to restore function after peripheral nerve injury have not been explored. Neuromodulation of the spinal cord through transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), when paired with activity-based training, has shown promising results towards restoring volitional limb control in people with spinal cord injury. We show, for the first time, the effectiveness of targeted tSCS in restoring strength (407% increase from 1.79 ± 1.24 N to up to 7.3 ± 0.93 N) and significantly increasing hand dexterity in an individual with paralysis due to a peripheral nerve injury (PNI). Furthermore, this is the first study to document a persisting 3-point improvement during clinical assessment of tactile sensation in peripheral injury after receiving 6 weeks of tSCS. Lastly, the motor and sensory gains persisted for several months after stimulation was received, suggesting tSCS may lead to long-lasting benefits, even in PNI. Non-invasive spinal cord stimulation shows tremendous promise as a safe and effective therapeutic approach with broad applications in functional recovery after debilitating injuries

Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) in Iran and its neighboring countries, 1990–2015

BACKGROUND: Summary measures of health are essential in making estimates of health status that are comparable across time and place. They can be used for assessing the performance of health systems, informing effective policy making, and monitoring the progress of nations toward achievement of sustainable development goals. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) provides disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) as main summary measures of health. We assessed the trends of health status in Iran and 15 neighboring countries using these summary measures. METHODS: We used the results of GBD 2015 to present the levels and trends of DALYs, life expectancy (LE), and HALE in Iran and its 15 neighboring countries from 1990 to 2015. For each country, we assessed the ratio of observed levels of DALYs and HALE to those expected based on socio-demographic index (SDI), an indicator composed of measures of total fertility rate, income per capita, and average years of schooling. RESULTS: All-age numbers of DALYs reached over 19 million years in Iran in 2015. The all-age number of DALYs has remained stable during the past two decades in Iran, despite the decreasing trends in all-age and age-standardized rates. The all-cause DALY rates decreased from 47,200 in 1990 to 28,400 per 100,000 in 2015. The share of non-communicable diseases in DALYs increased in Iran (from 42% to 74%) and all of its neighbors between 1990 and 2015; the pattern of change is similar in almost all 16 countries. The DALY rates for NCDs and injuries in Iran were higher than global rates and the average rate in High Middle SDI countries, while those for communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders were much lower in Iran. Among men, cardiovascular diseases ranked first in all countries of the region except for Bahrain. Among women, they ranked first in 13 countries. Life expectancy and HALE show a consistent increase in all countries. Still, there are dissimilarities indicating a generally low LE and HALE in Afghanistan and Pakistan and high expectancy in Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Iran ranked 11th in terms of LE at birth and 12th in terms of HALE at birth in 1990 which improved to 9th for both metrics in 2015. Turkey and Iran had the highest increase in LE and HALE from 1990 to 2015 while the lowest increase was observed in Armenia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Iraq. CONCLUSIONS: The levels and trends in causes of DALYs, life expectancy, and HALE generally show similarities between the 16 countries, although differences exist. The differences observed between countries can be attributed to a myriad of determinants, including social, cultural, ethnic, religious, political, economic, and environmental factors as well as the performance of the health system. Investigating the differences between countries can inform more effective health policy and resource allocation. Concerted efforts at national and regional levels are required to tackle the emerging burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries in Iran and its neighbors