Patterns of physical activity and dietary habit in relation to weight status in adolescent girls

Healthy eating and physical activity habits formed during childhood can persist into adulthood and prevent or delay premature onset of a number of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was patterns of physical activity and dietary habit in relation to weight status in adolescent girls. In a cross sectional study, using two stage cluster sampling 256 adolescent girls were randomly selected from 8 Semnan secondary schools. Weigh and height were measured and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. In adolescents, anthropometric indices were defined based on the CDC 2000 cut-off points for age and gender-specific BMI. Data of energy and nutrient intake was collected with the 24-hour dietary recall and food record questionnaires. The food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate daily food consumption. Physical activity was determined using Baecke questionnaire. Data analyzed indicated that daily fat intake (p=0.003, r=+0.18), energy percent of fat (p=0.04, r=+0.01) and fast food frequency (p=0.026, r=+0.139) had significant relationship with BMI percentile. There was a significant relationship between snack frequency and weight status in high school adolescent girls (p=0.023). Data analyzed indicated that physical activity had significant relationship with weight status in adolescent girls (p= 0.0001). The findings suggest that make physical activity enjoyable and improvement food habit among adolescent girls are necessary to induct

Planning of Sustainable Development Based on Civil Rights in Torkaman Port

Undoubtedly, discussion about stability and sustainable development is meaningless without paying attention to cities and urbanization. Cities are considered as major factors of creating instability in the world. Therefore, according to inherent complexity of cities and various dimensions of their effectiveness, recognition of major and key factors for the sake of achieving to stability of cities seems necessary. The purpose of research is to acquire relatively exact description of condition of urban sustainable development from citizens’ rights point of view. This research is practical from the viewpoint of purpose and descriptive-measurable from the viewpoint of type, which has been done by scope method. Statistical society is all citizens of Torkaman city (48736) that used urban spaces which are effective on stability and instability of city. Sample volume is 381 individuals according to Cochran formula that are selected and studied accidentally. Findings of research show that civil rights identifiers with effectiveness of 0.62 and political identifiers with effectiveness of 0.18 had the most and the least effect on sustainable development of Torkaman port city

Planning of Sustainable Development Based on Civil Rights in Torkaman Port

Undoubtedly, discussion about stability and sustainable development is meaningless without paying attention to cities and urbanization. Cities are considered as major factors of creating instability in the world. Therefore, according to inherent complexity of cities and various dimensions of their effectiveness, recognition of major and key factors for the sake of achieving to stability of cities seems necessary. The purpose of research is to acquire relatively exact description of condition of urban sustainable development from citizens’ rights point of view. This research is practical from the viewpoint of purpose and descriptive-measurable from the viewpoint of type, which has been done by scope method. Statistical society is all citizens of Torkaman city (48736) that used urban spaces which are effective on stability and instability of city. Sample volume is 381 individuals according to Cochran formula that are selected and studied accidentally. Findings of research show that civil rights identifiers with effectiveness of 0.62 and political identifiers with effectiveness of 0.18 had the most and the least effect on sustainable development of Torkaman port city

The scientific-intellectual aims of Akhavan-Al-Safa (Brethren of Purity)

Aims and objectives are the pivotal tenets of any educational system and without them the educational methods and principles would not get anywhere. The purpose of the current study is the investigation and determination of the scientific and intellectuals aims of Akhavan-Al-Safa. The research method used in this paper is descriptive and analytical. To find an answer to this aim, the relevant papers, treatise, and books were studied. The results show that they considered for themselves an educational duty and a role much like that of the prophets; they had set their intellectual and scientific aims within the center of their activities for removing the superstitions and ambiguities from the religion and for correcting the community. Aims such as the finding and reviving of the talents, seeking knowledge, eclecticism and best selection, enlightenment and awareness and also free-thinking have been but some of the mediating aims of the afore-mentioned area in achieving the ultimate end and integrity. One of the practical outcomes left behind by them can be seen within the 51 papers covering all the knowledge of the time. Their comprehensiveness has been influenced by their intellectual origins and sources in the areas of theology and philosophy and the scientific and cultural conditions of that era. Keywords: Akhavan-Al-Safa, scientific objectives, intellectual objective

Nutritional status and dietary intake among adolescent girls

Nutritional status during adolescence plays an important role in human lifecycle. The aim of this study was Nutritional status and dietary intake among adolescent girls. In a cross sectional study, using two stage cluster sampling 256 adolescent girls were randomly selected from 8 Semnan secondary schools. Weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. In adolescents, anthropometric indices were defined based on the CDC 2000 cut-off points for age and gender-specific BMI. Data of energy and nutrient intake was collected with the 24-hour dietary recall and food record questionnaires. The results showed that the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese was 5.7%, 77.7%, 11.7%, and 4.7% in Semnan adolescent girls, respectively.  In comparison with DRI recommended values, the intake of energy and some micronutrients such as vitamin B12, folate, calcium, zinc, and fiber was insufficient among adolescent girls in Semnan. Malnutrition (underweight and overweight) is higher than the expected rate. Findings of our study showed that micronutrients deficiency among adolescent girls is a major problem among adolescent girls in Semnan and prevention measures are necessary to induct

The association between plant and animal protein intake and quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis

BackgroundHemodialysis (HD) patients often experience a significant reduction in quality of life (QOL). The source of dietary protein intake may influence the renal function and complications of HD patients. The present study assessed the relationship between plant and animal protein intake and QOL in HD patients.Methods264 adult patients under dialysis for at least three months were included in this cross-sectional study. Dietary intakes were collected using a valid and reliable 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) over the past year. Total, animal, and plant proteins were calculated for each patient. To evaluate QOL, Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF 1/3) was used. Anthropometric measures were assessed according to standard protocols.ResultsIn this study, the average age of participants was 58.62 ± 15.26 years old; most (73.5%) were men. The mean of total, plant, and animal proteins intake were 66.40 ± 34.29 g/d, 34.60 ± 18.24 g/d, and 31.80 ± 22.21 g/d. Furthermore, the mean score of QOL was 59.29 ± 18.68. After adjustment for potential confounders, a significant positive association was found between total dietary protein intake and QOL (β = 0.12; p = 0.03). Moreover, there was a significant association between plant-based protein intake and QOL (β = 0.26; p < 0.001). However, the association between animal protein intake and QOL was insignificant (β = 0.03; p = 0.60).ConclusionHigher total and plant proteins intake were associated with better QOL in HD patients. Further studies, particularly prospective ones, are needed to corroborate these associations

A cost utility and cost effectiveness analysis of different oral antiviral medications in patients with HBeAg-Negative chronic hepatitis B in Iran: an economic microsimulation decision model

Background: Although hepatitis B infection is the major cause of chronic liver disease in Iran, no studies have employed economic evaluations of the medications used to treat Iranian patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Therefore, the cost-effectiveness of the different treatment options for this disease in Iran is unknown. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the cost utility and cost-effectiveness of medication strategies tailored to local conditions in patients with HB e antigen (HBeAg)-negative CHB infection in Iran. Methods: An economic evaluation of the cost utility of the following five oral medication strategies was conducted: adefovir (ADV), lamivudine (LAM), ADV + LAM, entecavir (ETV), and tenofovir (TDF). A Markov microsimulation model was used to estimate the clinical and economic outcomes over the course of the patient’s lifetime and based on a societal perspective. Medical and nonmedical direct costs and indirect costs were included in the study and life-years gained (LYG) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) were determined as measures of effectiveness. The results are presented in terms of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per QALY or LYG. The model consisted of nine stages of the disease. The transition probabilities for the movement between the different stages were based on clinical evidence and international expert opinion. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) was used to measure the effects of uncertainty in the model parameters. Results: The results revealed that the TDF treatment strategy was more effective and less costly than the other options. In addition, TDF had the highest QALY and LYG in the HBeAg-negative CHB patients, with 13.58 and 21.26 (discounted) in all comparisons. The PSA proved the robustness of the model results. The cost-effectiveness acceptability curves showed that TDF was the most cost-effective treatment in 59% - 78% of the simulations of HBeAg-negative patients, with WTP thresholds less than $14010 (maximum WTP per QALY). Conclusions: The use of TDF in patients with HBeAg-negative CHB seemed to be a highly cost-effective strategy. Compared with the other available medication options, TDF was the most cost-saving strategy. Thus, TDF may be the best option as a first-line medication. Patients can also be switched from other medications to TDF

Synergistic efficiency of zinc oxide/montmorillonite nanocomposites and a new derived saponin in liquid/liquid/solid interface-included systems: Application in nanotechnology-assisted enhanced oil recovery

Oil production faces challenges such as limited oil production from carbonate reservoirs, high oil production costs, and environmental issues. Chemical flooding as an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method (CEOR) can increase oil production by the use of chemical additives such as surfactants into the reservoirs. Surfactants can increase oil recovery by interfacial tension (IFT) reduction and alteration of the rock wettability from oil-wet to water-wet. The synthesis of chemicals such as synthetic surfactants is usually costly and harmful to the environment. To solve these problems, many researchers have oriented on the use of natural surfactants instead of synthetic ones within the CEOR process. A new approach to increase the efficiency of CEOR is the synergizing of the chemical additives with nanoparticles as a hybrid fluid, which is known as the nanotechnology-assisted EOR method. In this research, a natural surfactant derived from Cyclamen persicum (CP) plant was extracted, and its performance was optimized with the zinc oxide/montmorillonite (ZnO/MMT) nanocomposite in a synergistic usage. At the optimum concentration of the surfactant, the measurements of the IFT and the contact angle show 57.78 and 61.58 % optimizations, respectively. Also, in the presence of NaCl, the performance of CP is improved. IFT and contact angle measurements were also conducted for ZnO/MMT nanofluids and CP-ZnO/MMT as hybrid nanofluids. Results indicate that ZnO/MMT nanocomposites can alter the wettability of the carbonate rock to the water-wet state. Also, the CP-ZnO/MMT hybrid nanofluid shows a good potential in both IFT reduction and altering wettability from oil-wet to water-wet. Finally, to investigate the effects of solutions on increasing oil recovery factor (RF), the optimum concentrations of the surfactant, nanocomposite, and hybrid solutions were selected for dynamic core flooding experiments, and improvements showed oil RF increases of 8.2, 6, and 13 %, respectively

Experimental investigation of the effect of Vitagnus plant extract on enhanced oil recovery process using interfacial tension (IFT) reduction and wettability alteration mechanisms

© 2020, The Author(s). Surfactant flooding is a chemical enhanced oil recovery (cEOR) process wherein anionic, cationic, non-ionic, and amphoteric surfactants are injected into oil reservoirs to produce more hydrocarbon. These chemical and industrial agents might cause some economic and environmental challenges. Recently, injection of natural surfactants, as new environmentally friendly EOR agents, for improving oil recovery has been proposed by researchers. In this study, the extract of Vitagnus, a natural surfactant, was used to minimize the interfacial tension (IFT) and alter the rock wettability towards the strong water-wet system, thereby improving the oil recovery from the carbonate rock The conductivity, pH, and turbidity measurements were undertaken to identify the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the surfactant solutions prepared by mixing 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, and 7000 ppm of the Vitagnus extract and distilled water. The obtained experimental results reveal that the optimum CMC value of the used surfactant was 3000 ppm. At this CMC value, the IFT reduced from 29.5 to 5.28 mN/m, and the contact angle of the oil droplet on the surface of the carbonate rock decreased from 114° to 29°. Accordingly, during the tertiary process, oil recovery was improved from 44% to 54.6% OOIP (original oil in place) by injecting 2.25 PVs of the VIT3000 surfactant containing 3000 ppm of the plant extract

Reliability and validity of the Persian version of Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait-Reduced (FCQ-T-r) in overweight and obese women

Introduction: Food Craving Questionnaire (FCQ) is a popular tool in assessing food craving which consisted of a trait (FCQ-T) and state (FCQ-S). The aim of the current study was to provide reliability and validity of the Persian version of FCQ-Trait-reduced (FCQ-T-r 15-items) in overweight and obese women. Material and methods: The subjects were 168 overweight and obese women who were consented to participate. The subjects completed the FCQ-T-r and subsequently, anthropometric, body composition and psychometric assessments performed to assess the inter-correlations and concurrent validity. The confirmatory factor analysis was done to derive the potential factors and internal consistency of the questionnaire was assessed. Two weeks later, FCQ-T-r repeated for 126 subjects to assess test-retest reliability. Results: The confirmatory factor analysis of by varimax rotation, show that three principal components were loaded on expected factors. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.90. (0.91, 0.78, and 0.71, for factors). The test–retest analysis shows an acceptable level of reliability ( P=0.001) and Pearson correlation coefficient  of 0.92 between the two administrations. In split-half reliability analysis the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the part 1 was 0.80 and for the part 2 was 0.86. The correlation coefficient between part 1 and part 2 was 0.81. Conclusion: This preliminary study provides evidences in favor of reliability and validity of the Persian version of the FCQ-T-r. In general, the results showed a high level of internal consistency for FCQ-T-r, and none of the 15 items had to be deleted to improve α