VLSI fault-tolerant systolic architectures.

This work presents systolic architectures for implementing finite rings and fields operations in VLSI. By decomposing these operations, at the bit level, a generic cell, consisting of a small ROM and ancillary circuitry, can be used to compute most of the commonly used digital signal processing algorithms. Various implementations for modular addition and multiplication, based on this cell, are given and compared to conventional single ROM techniques. The advantages of the new method, from the point of view of saving memory locations, silicon area, and increasing throughput are discussed. The application of the technique in the area of Digital Signal Processing has been investigated. Structures for implementing Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters, both bit serial and bit parallel, are presented. The design of fixed coefficient FIR filters implemented using Residue Number Systems (RNS) and binary are compared, and it is shown that the RNS approach requires less silicon area and operates at very high speeds. A novel distributed fault detection technique has been introduced. A small amount of extra hardware enables the cell to detect run time faults. It is shown that only one redundant modulus is required to correct errors when this distributed fault detection is used, as opposed to two moduli in conventional Redundant Residue Number Systems (RRNS). The issue of the testability of the fabricated designs has also been addressed, and a simple procedure for testing arrays of these generic cells is proposed which takes advantage of the contents of the ROMs and the capability of by-passing subsections of the array. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-04, Section: B, page: 1326. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1988

Evaluation of MARS for the spatial distribution modeling of carbon monoxide in an urban area

Spatial distribution modeling of CO in Tehran can lead to better air pollution management and control, and it is also suitable for exposure assessment and epidemiological studies. In this study MARS (Multi–variate Adaptive Regression Splines) is compared with typical interpolation techniques for spatial distribution modeling of hourly and daily CO concentrations in Tehran, Iran. The measured CO data in 2008 by 16 monitoring stations were used in this study. The Generalized Cross Validation (GCV) and Cross Validation techniques were utilized for the parameter optimization in the MARS and other techniques, respectively. Then the optimized techniques were compared based on the mean absolute of percentage error (MAPE). Although the Cokriging technique presented less MAPE than the Inverse Distance Weighting, Thin Plate Smooth Splines and Kriging techniques, MARS exhibited the least MAPE. In addition, the MARS modeling procedure is easy. Therefore, MARS has merit to be introduced as an appropriate method for spatial distribution modeling. The number of air pollution monitoring stations is very low (16 stations for 22 zones) and the distribution of stations is not suitable for spatial estimation, hence the level of errors was relatively high (more than 60%). Consequently, hourly and daily mapping of CO provides a limited picture of spatial patterns of CO in Tehran, but it is suitable for estimation of relative CO levels in different zones of Tehran. Hence, the map of mean annual CO concentration was generated by averaging daily CO distributions in 2008. It showed that the most polluted regions in Tehran are the central, eastern and southeastern parts, and mean annual CO concentration in these parts (zones 6, 12, 13, 14 and 15) is between 4.2 and 4.6 ppm

Comparison of the value of multidetector-row computed tomography in diagnosis of biliary obstruction reasons with the results obtained from invasive procedures

زمینه و هدف: تصویر برداری تشخیصی نقش اساسی در تشخیص غیر تهاجمی علل انسداد صفراوی و غربالگری بیماران با ریسک بالا را دارا می باشد. این مطالعه با هدف مقایسه ارزش سی تی اسکن مولتی اسلایس در تشخیص علل انسداد صفراوی با یافته های حاصل از روش های تهاجمی انجام شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی ـ تحلیلی به روش سرشماری، کلیه بیمارانی که از بهمن ماه 1388 تا خرداد ماه 1390، (50 بیمار)، دارای تشخیص انسداد صفراوی، بر مبنای یافته های کلینیکی و سونوگرافیک بودند، با روش سی تی اسکن مولتی اسلایس (MDCT) بررسی شدند و گزارش رادیولوژی آن ها با یافته های حاصل از سایر روش های تهاجمی شامل تکنیک کلانژیوگرافی معکوس از طریق آندوسکوپ (ERCP)،PTC (Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography) و یا جراحی مورد مقایسه قرار گرفت. یافته ها: یافته ها نشان داد که حساسیت، ویژگی و دقت سی تی اسکن مولتی اسلایس در تشخیص علل بدخیم انسداد صفراوی به ترتیب 100، 4/88 و 94، در تشخیص علل خوش خیم انسداد صفراوی به ترتیب 75، 100 و 96، در تشخیص سنگ صفراوی به ترتیب 4/94، 100 و 98 بود و رابطه معنی داری بین شدت اتساع مجاری صفراوی و خوش خیم بودن یا بدخیم بودن عامل انسدادی وجود داشت (001/0>P). نتیجه گیری: بر مبنای یافته های این مطالعه، سی تی اسکن مولتی اسلایس روشی سریع ،غیر تهاجمی و با دقت بالا در تشخیص علل انسداد صفراوی و افتراق عوامل انسدادی خوش خیم از عوامل بدخیم بوده و برنامه ریزی قبل از عمل جراحی مفید می باشد

In vitro antifungal activity of plant extracts on Saprolegnia parasitica from cutaneous lesions of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) eggs

Saprolegnia parasitica Coker is the main agent of saprolegniosis, one of the most important causes of economic losses in the rainbow trout farming industry in Iran. In this work, seven essential oils (2 species) and ethanol extracts (5 species) were tested against a strain of S. parasitica from cutaneous lesions of Oncorhynchus mykiss eggs, using a continuously agitated broth technique that allows both the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC > 50 %) and the minimum lethal concentration (MLC> 99.9 %) to be evaluated. The essential oils of Thymus daenensis and Thymus khuzestanicum (MIC > 50 % = 0.63 µl ml-1 and MLC> 99.9 % = 22 µl ml-1) and ethanol extracts of Tanacetum parthenium and Mentha longifolia (MIC > 50 % = 31.25 and 62.5 µg ml-1 and MLC> 99.9 % = 600 and 550 µg ml-1, respectively) showed higher inhibition against S. parasitica than the other extracts. In general, our study suggests that natural products derived from some medicinal plants have the potential to be used as health rainbow trout eggs

Designing Mu Robust Controller in Wind Turbine in Cold Weather Conditions

Due to wind turbine is in class of complex nonlinear system so the precise model of this plant is not accessible, therefore it can be categorized as an uncertain model. So, controlling of this system is a demanding topic. Many of schemes which presented for controlling of wind turbines investigate these systems in a good weather condition. However, many turbines work in severe weather condition. In this study, wind turbine is suggested in cold weather, and in ice on turbine blades which they are considered as uncertainties in the model. A robust controller is designed for the wind turbine, to control the pitch angle

Shanghai Declaration: promoting health in the 2030 program of the Sustainable Development

This article is Letter to the Editor and doesn't have abstract

The Effect of Magnesium Sulfate on Renal Colic Pain Relief; a Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction: Renal colic can be managed by preventing the contraction movements of ureter muscles. By reducing acetylcholine in the nerve terminals, magnesium sulfate could be effective in this regard. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of magnesium sulfate on acute renal colic pain relief. Method: The present study was a double-blind clinical trial in which the patients suffering from acute renal colic were randomly divided into 2 groups of who either received standard protocol (intravenous infusion of 0.1 mg/Kg morphine sulfate, 30 mg of Ketorolac, and 100 ml normal saline as placebo/15 minutes) or standard protocol plus 15 mg/Kg of intravenous magnesium sulfate 50%/100 ml normal saline/15 minutes. Severity of patients’ pain was measured by visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline, and 30 and 60 minutes after infusion. The collected data were analyzed using STATA statistical software. Results: 100 cases were randomly allocated to intervention or control group. The two groups were similar in baseline pain score and demographic characteristics. At 30 and 60 minutes, mean pain score was less in the intervention group compared to the control group. Moreover, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant regarding the additional amount of morphine, suggesting that the intervention group needed less additional morphine than the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Magnesium sulfate can be used as an adjunct drug in treatment of patients suffering from renal colic. It not only alleviates the pain in the patients, but also diminishes the need for pain medications

In situ synthesis of hydroxyapatite-grafted titanium nanotube composite

The present study is an investigation to demonstrate the effectiveness of insitu approach in the synthesis of hydroxyapatite-grafted titanium nanotube composite (HA-TNT). This method involves combining the process of HA sol–gel and rapid breakdown anodisation of titanium in a novel solution consisting of NaCl and N3PO4. This new synthesis approach produced a uniform dispersion of Anatase and Rutile phases of TiO2 nanotubes with minimal agglomeration in the matrix of crystalline HA. The characterisation of homogenised HA-TNT composite was investigated via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). FESEM and TEM images indicated the nanostructure of composite with TiO2 nanotube diameter of approximately 10 nm. XRD and EDS analyses confirmed the formation of HA crystalline with the Ca/P ratio of 1.58 and formation of Anatase and Rutile phase of TiO2 nanotubes

Moderate to low knowledge and Positive Attitude towards Medicinal Plants leads to High Consumption of these Plants during Pregnancy

Background: In recent years, the use of medicinal plants in developing countries has increased significantly. However, these plants can cause adverse effects on the mother and fetus. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of use, knowledge, and attitude towards the use of medicinal plants in pregnant women. Methods: This descriptive–analytical study was performed in 2020 on 290 pregnant women referring to Shahroud health center. The first part of the questionnaire included demographic information and the second part included information related to knowledge, attitude, behavior, reasons for using medicinal plants, source of information, etc. The significant level was set at 0.05. Results: 61% of the participants had used the medicinal plants at least once during pregnancy. Most pregnant women had moderate knowledge (50%) and a positive attitude (73.1%) towards the use of medicinal plants. Behavior was significantly associated with knowledge (Pvalue=0.011) and attitude (Pvalue=0.014). The most common problem during pregnancy that caused the use of medicinal plants was heartburn (43.4%) and the main reason for the use of these plants was the availability of them at home or taking from acquaintances (36.6%). 57.2% had obtained their information about medicinal plants from the family. Conclusions: Due to the relatively high frequency of the use of medicinal plants during pregnancy and low knowledge about it, informing and increasing knowledge about medicinal plants during pregnancy is very important. Keywords: Pregnancy, Pregnant women, Medicinal plants, knowledg

Decoy Cell Viruria in Kidney Transplant Patients. Does it correlate with Renal Function?

Objective: BK virus (BKV) infection after kidney transplantation has been a topic of great interest in the recent decade. Prospective screening studies have revealed that BKVN is principally an early complication of renal transplantation occurring within the first post-transplant year in most cases. The aim of the present study was to observe the incidence of decoy cell viruria in renal transplant recipients. Furthermore, correlation of decoy cell viruria with graft function was assessed. Methods: This analytic cross-sectional study was conducted in the Transplant Center of Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran between Jun 2014 and June 2015. Clinical screening for polyomavirus infection was done by means of urine cytological evaluation for decoy cells. Urine samples were analyzed in three steps including 2-4 months after transplantation, three and six months later. Results: Thirty-three patients (22 male and 11 female) received kidney transplant from living donors. The average of patients' age was 41.9 +/- 12.83 (range: 20-63 years). Peritoneal and hemodialysis were used for 15.6% and 84.4% of recipients. The occurrence of decoy cell viruria at the time of enrollment, 3 and 6 months later was found in 18.2%, 10.7% and zero, respectively. Conclusion: As urine cytology is easy to perform and of low cost, it is a useful tool for the investigation of active polyoma virus infection. Moreover, the findings advocate that the presence of decoy cells along with high creatinine is a better indicator of the virus presence