Improving the thermal stability and fire safety of PVC formworks

This study examines the impact of materials and compositions on the fire design considerations of plastic formworks, focusing on the influence of building materials on the fire resistance of buildings, the safety of occupants, and the environment. The study investigates the chemical properties of formworks, including heat resistance, UV resistance, and smoke suppressant properties, which are essential for developing and optimizing formwork products. The research covers three key areas for improving thermal behaviour of PVC: (a) the development and evaluation of new metal complexes with dipentaerythritol, (b) cementitious compositions as a novel class of thermal stabilizers, and (c) the development and evaluation of a new synergistic thermo stabilizer based on sodium hexametaphosphate. To investigate the thermal degradation procedures of each additive for fire retardancy workability, the study utilizes advanced techniques such as thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The results demonstrate that hydrated cementitious materials are more effective in stabilizing PVC than metal chelates of dipentaerythritol or synergistic stabilizers based on sodium hexametaphosphate. Moreover, the study found that zinc, as a metal complex with dipentaerythritol, is more effective than traditional stabilizers. The research on cementitious compositions also revealed their highly economical, environmentally friendly, and compatible nature, making them an attractive option for use in the PVC formwork construction industry. The study also highlights the positive impact of calcium metaborate and sodium hexametaphosphate in improving the thermal behaviour of PVC. The study emphasizes the significance of fire-resistant materials in ensuring the safety of occupants and the environment, and the need for innovative solutions to enhance their effectiveness. In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of materials and compositions in the fire design considerations of plastic formworks. The study's findings can imply the development of more effective and sustainable fire-resistant materials and promote safer buildings

An Evaluative and Comparative Study of an ESP Book: The Case of Medical Studies

Textbooks as one of the most important components of curriculum provide teachers and students with required support and guidance on the focus and purpose of a course. In this regard, involves are usually uncertain whether a selected textbook fits a particular setting or not; therefore, textbook evaluation can provide fruitful information to smooth uncertainties out. This study is aimed at evaluating an ESP textbook entitled English for the Students of Medicine (SAMT Publications). For doing so, a total of 50 students and 5 instructors respectively studying and teaching at Ardebil University of Medical Sciences took part in the study. This is a checklist-based evaluative and comparative study and Textbook Evaluation Questionnaire (Miekley, 2005) was employed as a tool for data collection which addresses six criteria for evaluation. Based on the findings, significant differences were found between the students and instructors’ perception concerning some criteria. To put it in other words, the participants displayed both distinctive and common perceptions on various aspects of the issue under investigation. It is important to underscore that the book was found out to be fairly useful in line with pursuing the objectives of the course in spite of having some demerits. The results of this study might lend insight into the challenges faced by instructors, learners, and syllabus designers

Excellent Thinking and Its Position among EFL Learners

The major goal of education, according to the educationalist Matthew Lipman (2003), is to culture students to become thoughtful by attaining excellent thinking power; i.e., critical, creative, and caring thinking ability. The purpose of this study was to examine the current status of excellent thinking among EFL students. Using accessible sampling, 41 EFL students at Shiraz University, Iran read two passages of various types and were asked to make a number of essay-type questions on each one. The results indicated that the majority of the questions were trivial reading comprehension ones with no sign of excellent thinking. The findings may imply that despite the significance of cultivating excellent thinking within students, no/scant attention is paid to this issue and EFL students have not still gained the necessary skills of excellent thinking

Developmental screening of children with congenital hypothyroidism using Ages & Stages Questionnaires test.

 Abstract:Objectives: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common causes of mental retardation in children. This study investigated the developmental status of children with CH screened by Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) measurement scores.Materials & Methods: In this retrospective study, neurodevelopmental status of 78 children diagnosed with CH who being followed up at the outpatient Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic of Besat Hospital, Hamadan, Iran, was evaluated by ASQ method. Data on age, sex, birth body weight, height and head circumference, residency location, parental education level, primary venous TSH and T4 level, diagnosis age, treatment start age and initial levothyroxine dosage were extracted from medical records .Data analyzed using statistical software SPSS v16. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Of the 78 patients (34=43.6% female), 32 patients (41%) had developmental disorder. 56 cases (71.8%) were living in urban areas. In terms of type of developmental impairment, global delay: 13 patients (40.6%), problem solving: 11 patients (34.3%), communication: 5 patients (15.6%), fine motor: 2 patients (6.2%) and personal-social: 1 patient (3.1%) were detected. The average of diagnosis and treatment age was 25.65 days in patients with developmental impairment and 17.99 days in those without delay. ASQ results had significant statistical correlation with initial dose of levothyroxine (p=0.017), hypothyroidism diagnosis age (p=0.002) and age of treatment initiation (p=0.018).Conclusions: Early diagnosis and treatment along with initial L-thyroxin dose were most important factor of ASQ scores of children with CH. Higher amounts of the LT4 is required at onset

Frequency of Mycoplasma genitalium among Patients with Bacterial Vaginosis by PCR in comparison with Culturing Method

Introduction: Mycoplasma genitalium is a vaginosis pathogen bacterium to which conventional clinical microbiology techniques cannot be applied due to difficulties in cultivation and slow growth incubation. The aim of this study was  to detect the frequency of this bacteriaamong vaginosis infected women and compare it with healthy individuals using PCR and culture methods. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, we conducted a study among 150 patients with bacterial vaginosis and compared the frequency with 45 healthy women with no vaginal infections collected from Imam Zaman Hospital, Robat karim city in May up to September, 1392 (2013). To detect the cases infected with Mycoplasma genitalium, we used culture technique and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as well. Then, the sensitivity and specificity were calculated. The data was analyzed using the computer software SPSS for windows (version 19), using Cross Tab and Chi square. PResults: The results indicated that among the infected cases, 107%) 71.8) samples were positive using PCR but only 73(49.3) of samples were growing in culture. The sensitivity for culture method was reported to be 49% only while, using PCR method came to 71%. In healthy individuals, 100% of samples were negative in culture which shows specify of 100% of this technique. The specificity of PCR method was 89%. Discussion and conclusion: The findings showed that PCR is a more reliable technique to detect Mycoplasma genitalium compared to culturing method. It is also suggested that presence of this organism is strongly associated with bacterial vaginosis in female

Clinical Characteristics of Fatal Cases of COVID-19 in Tabriz, Iran: An Analysis of 111 Patients

Introduction: The rapid worldwide spread, in addition to the morbidity and mortality associated with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have raised concern throughout the world. Identifying the characteristics of patients who died of COVID-19 is essential to implement preventive measures. Objective: We aimed at investigating these characteristics among the Iranian population in Tabriz. Methods: In this case series, we analyzed clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and imaging findings of 111 patients with a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who died during hospitalization. The studied patients had been admitted to the hospital between February 2020 and May 2020. Results: The median age of patients was 73 years (IQR, 62-82 years) and approximately 70% of them were male. The median oxygen saturation on admission was 88% (IQR, 80-92%) and dyspnea, cough, and fever were the most common presenting symptoms. Among comorbidities, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases were more frequently observed among patients who had a fatal outcome. While ground-glass opacity was the most commonly reported finding on chest computed tomography, 5% of the patients had no abnormal finding on imaging. Chloroquine was the most frequently used medication for treatment. Conclusion: Our results showed that the majority of COVID-19 deaths occurred in male elderly with decreased levels of oxygen saturation and elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase and erythrocyte sedimentation rate on admission

Mental Health Literacy and its Relationship with Positive Mental Health in Iranian Adolescents

Background: Adolescents’ mental health can have significant effects on their well-being; Inadequate Mental Health Literacy (MHL) is also a global concern. The present study investigated Mental Health Literacy and its relationship with positive mental health in Iranian adolescents.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in Saveh, a city in the center of Iran, between April 15, 2023 to May 25, 2023. A total number of 400 adolescents in 8 schools were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Mental health literacy and positive mental health were measured using the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (KAMHS) and the 14-item Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) questionnaire. The parameters linked to mental health literacy were found using a hierarchical multiple linear regression model. SPSS version 22 was used to analyze the data.Results: The study results revealed that approximately half of the participants (52.5%) had moderate mental health. The mean and standard deviation of mental health literacy scores were 89 and 8.7, respectively. Gender (P=0.041), father’s level of education (P=0.043), mother’s level of education (P=0.031), father’s employment status (P=0.023), family income (P=0.035), familiarity with those with mental illness (P=0.01), and mental health status (P=0.005) were associated with mental health literacy. Also, results indicated significant differences in MHL (P=0.01) and good mental health behaviors (P=0.04), avoidance coping (P=0.03), and knowledge (P<0.001).Conclusions: It is essential to implement suitable educational programs to improve the mental health status and mental health literacy of adolescents. The mental health status of individuals can act as a catalyst in promoting mental health literacy

Voluminous Laryngeal Schwannoma Treated with Endoscopic Laser Approach

Laryngeal schwannomas are rare benign encapsulated neurogenic tumors that represent less than 1.5% of all benign laryngeal tumors. We report a case of voluminous laryngeal schwannoma that was incidentally found during endotracheal intubation for thyroidectomy in a 43-year-old woman with clinical findings, features of radiologic and histopathologic examinations. The tumor was removed by CO2 laser during microlaryngoscopy. In this case report, we present a challenging approach that can be used in diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal schwannomas. Complete removal of the tumor should be considered as the initial approach to minimize morbidity

Serum levels of IL-32 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and its relationship with TNF-α and IL-6

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important public health worldwide. The main underlying mechanism of T2DM is insulin resistance which is associated with chronic inflammation. Interleukin-32 (IL-32) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine which has been implicated in pro-inflammatory responses of several human diseases. Previous studies have reported higher levels of IL-32 in inflammatory disease and obesity. The present study aimed to evaluate the serum concentrations of IL-32 in patients with T2DM and its association with cardio-metabolic parameters. This study was undertaken on 93 patients with TDM and 74 healthy controls. T2DM was diagnosed based on ADA criteria. Serum levels of IL-32, adiponectin, TNF-α, and IL-6 were measured by ELISA technique. Our findings revealed independent elevated levels of IL-32 in T2DM group (1061 (841.9–1601) pg/mL) compared to the control (630.4 (331.1–830.9) pg/mL). Furthermore, it was associated with increased risk of T2DM incidence. IL-32 indicated a positive correlation with body mass index, fasting blood glucose, TNF-α, and IL-6 in patients with T2DM. Furthermore, linear regression showed independent association between IL-32 and IL-6 plus TNF-α in patients’ group. The results of the present study revealed higher levels of IL-32 in T2DM patients which have been associated with inflammatory markers. These results suggest the possible role of IL-32 in chronic inflammation in patients wit