Development of Porous Asymmetric Polyamide–Imide Torlon® Membranes for Physical CO2 Absorption and Separation

Porous flat-sheet polyamide–imide (PAI) membranes were prepared via a phase inversion method to evaluate CO2 absorption performance in the gas-liquid membrane contactors. Different amounts of polyethylene glycol (PEG-600) were introduced into the polymer solution to investigate the structure and performance of resulted membranes. The membranes were characterized in terms of gas permeation, contact angle measurement and CO2 absorption flux. By introducing 6 wt.% PEG into the polymer dope, N2 permeance of the membrane was significantly improved from 482 to 1320 GPU. Mean while, the effect of PEG on the measured water contact angle was in significant. From CO2 absorption test, the developed membrane presented about 90% higher CO2flux compared to the plain membrane at water flow rate of 70 ml/min. In conclusion, by introducing a polymeric non-solvent additive into the polymer dope, it is possible to enhance surface porosity (permeability) of PAI membranes, which is a key factor for CO2 absorption test

Problematic smartphone use and sleep disturbance: the roles of metacognitions, desire thinking, and emotion regulation

Background: The association between problematic Smartphone use (PSU) and sleep disturbance is evidenced in the literature, but more research is required to investigate the potential factors that may influence the effect of PSU on sleep disturbance. Given the considerable prevalence of PSU (9.3 to 36.7%) and sleep disturbance (55.2%) in Iran, the current study sought to examine an interactional model to test whether metacognitions about Smartphone use, desire thinking (verbal perseveration and imaginal prefiguration), and emotion regulation (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal) could have a moderating effect on the above-mentioned association. Method: This present study is a cross-sectional, observational study that was conducted between June and September 2022 in a convenience sample of Iranians (n = 603, Female = 419, Age = 24.61 ± 8). Results: Despite the significant association between metacognitions about the Smartphone use, PSU, and sleep disturbance, metacognitions failed to predict sleep disturbance above PSU. A slope analysis showed, however, that a high (not low or moderate) levels of imaginal prefiguration strengthen the association between PSU and sleep disturbance, while a high (not low or moderate) level of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression dampen the PSU-sleep disturbance association. We also found that verbal perseveration and expressive suppression were unique predictors of sleep disturbance, while imaginal prefiguration and reappraisal only predicted sleep disturbance if they interacted with PSU. Conclusion: Theoretically, findings suggest that enhancing cognitive reappraisal (by 1 SD) and reducing imaginal prefiguration (by 1 SD), might protect against sleep disturbance by reducing its association with PSU. Limitations and future directions are discussed

Improving Emergency Response Using Wearable Wireless Sensor Networks and Structural Health Monitoring Systems

Structural collapse and damage which have been occurred during past decades have caused severe failures especially in strategic infrastructures and public buildings. A natural disaster may cause a large number of injuries and deaths expecially in public building which are usually crowded, therefore in order to improve their resilience it is necessary to decrease their probability of failure and improve their emergency response in rescuing the people inside. Since timing is important during an emergency, if the rescue teams search for victims faster, the nummber of survivors can increase. This paper presents a novel practical method to improve the emergency response of rescuers after a disaster using a structural health monitoring system (SHM) and a Wearable Sensor Networks (WSN). The proposed system includes fixed SHM nodes which measure structural related parameters like vibration, humidity, etc. It also includes mobile nodes which are wearable wristbands worn by people to collect data including approximate location of victims and health status. This system provides the rescue teams with data related to the damaged parts of the buildings, number of people who have been trapped inside the building, their location by means of indoor localization, and their vital status. These data which are collected and analyzed in real-time, are being used for building damage level assessment, but also to help rescuers to locate victims faster and save more lives. The fixed and mobile nodes construct a wireless sensor network which stays functional even during power outage by means of rechargeable batteries. Through this system, it is possible to assess the structural health of the building and also improve the emergency response of rescuers by optimizing their time when a disaster occurs

The Association between Religious Belief and Drug Adherence Mediated by Religious Coping in Patients with Mental Disorders

Introduction: Adherence to drug regimen is an important factor in the treatment of patients with mental disorders. In some studies, religious beliefs have been shown to be effective for treatment adherence. This study aimed to investigate the association between religious beliefs and adherence to the medication regimen mediated by religious coping in patients with mental disorders. Methods: In this cross‑sectional study, 164 patients with mental disorders were selected through convenient sampling from educational centers in Qazvin city. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, March Drug Adherence Questionnaire, Santaklara’s Religious Faithfulness questionnaire, and Pargament Religious Coping questionnaire. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mean age of the patients was 38.87 ± 14.42 years. The mean duration of the disease was 5.71 ± 5.78 years. The mean of the religious belief score was 30.90 ± 5.96, the mean of the negative religious coping score was 2.17 ± 2.94, and the mean of positive religious coping score was 6.83 ± 4.69. There was a significant positive correlation between religious beliefs, adherence to medication regimen, and positive religious coping. There was a significant negative correlation between religious beliefs, adherence to medication regimen, and negative religious coping. Conclusion: There was a significant positive correlation between religious beliefs and adherence to medication regimen in patients with mental disorders. Religious beliefs were directly associated with positive religious coping, and adherence to medication regimen was indirectly associated with negative religious confrontation

COMPARISON OF SECOND-DEGREE BURNS HEALING TIME IN TWO METHODS OF DRESSING WITH FUNDERMOL HERBAL OINTMENT AND% 1 SILVER SULFADIAZINE OINTMENT‏

BACKGROUND: Burn wounds are one of the health problems in modern societies that are associated with irreparable harms and many side problems for patients and their families. Infection due to burn wounds is the main cause of death in such patients. One of the methods to prevent infection of burn wounds is topical antibiotic ointments. This study aimed to investigate and identify effective ointments to treat burn wounds. For this purpose, the effects of two types of ointment, fundermol and 1% silver sulfadiazine cream on second degree burn wounds were compared. METHODS: This was a clinical trial study conducted in 2008. Using convenient and continuous sampling method, 50 patients referred to Imam Mousa Kazem Burn Injury Clinic in Isfahan, Iran with 2nd degree burn wounds in 1% to 10% surface area were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of treatment with fundermol and sulfadiazine and the dressing was changed once a day. The healing time for burn wounds in each patient was recorded in a checklist and data were analyzed by independent t-test via SPSS software. RESULTS: The healing time of burn wounds in the group treated with fundermol was shorter than that in the group treated with sulfadiazine (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that fundermol ointment accelerates burn wound healing. Therefore, fundermol can be introduced as a good replacement for current treatments of burn wounds

Vitrification versus controlled-rate freezing in cryopreservation of human ovarian tissue

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Comparing Quality of Life of Elderly Menopause Living in Urban and Rural Areas

Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the quality of life of elderly menopause living in urban/rural areas of Abadeh, Iran. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 312 urban and 68 rural elderly population using the two-stage (systematic random classification) and objective-based sampling methods. Data were collected by Leiden-Padua questionnaire for assessment of quality of life in elderly menopause. SPSS software (version 21) and descriptive-analytical tests were used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that the overall quality of life was 37.5 and 34.2 in rural and urban areas, respectively, and no statistically significant difference was observed between them. However, there was statistically significant difference in the mean score of depression and anxiety, cognitive function, social function, life satisfaction, and sexual activity in urban and rural elderly menopause (P < 0.001). Conclusions: It seems necessary to pay more attention to the elderly menopause to improve their quality of life and consider proper planning for their empowerment and coping skills training

Molecular Detection of Mycoplasma synoviae from Backyard and Commercial Turkeys in Some Parts of Iran

M. synoviae (MS) is an economically important pathogen and the major cause of airsacculitis and infectious synovitis in turkeys. Infection with this pathogen may remain asymptomatic but can render infected birds susceptible to secondary infections. This study was carried out for the molecular detection of MS infection in commercial and backyard turkey flocks in Tehran, Semnan, Isfahan, Qazvin, Zanjan, East Azerbaijan, Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces of Iran. Sixty-hundred tracheal, choanal cleft or/and infraorbital sinus samples were collected from 18 commercial and 31 backyard turkey flocks. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was performed by using primers specific for detecting the 16S rRNA and vlhA genes of MS. The results showed that 51.61% of backyard and 33.33% of commercial farms were MS-positive. These findings suggested the molecular presence of MS, especially in northern and central regions of Iran. Further, the frequency of MS-positive samples was significantly lower in commercial farms than backyard farms (