Evaluation and review of educational programs and delivery of care services for the elderly, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK: A practical module for developing countries

The developing world is going grey. These countries need to establish new care services according to the standards of Healthcare Improvement. The present report emphasizes on important management components of the elderly care which can facilitate the initiating and continuing the good practice in context of multidisciplinary team. The principle focus of this assessment is on the team activities. Some of the important features of this team approach include increase in quality of services provided, mutual respect, empathy, increased sense of responsibility, and accurate follow-ups. The aim of the present report was evaluation and review of educational programs, delivery of care services for elderly patients admitted to Western General Hospital to provide a module for developing countries

Simultaneous optimal placement and sizing of DSTATCOM and parallel capacitors in distribution networks using multi-objective PSO

© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. The increase in electricity demands has increased the dimension and loading of today radial distribution feeders, which in turn would result in more losses and voltage drops. Such issues together with the demand for higher power quality has raised a need for modern power system management techniques such as using power electronic devices. Among, DSTATCOM is introduced as an effective solution for reactive power control in power distribution level. To make a better use of DSTATCOM in improving the network power quality, it should be sized and placed in accordance with parallel capacitors. A multi-objective optimization method is proposed in this paper to find the optimal location and size of DSTATCOM and parallel capacitors simultaneously. The cost of power losses, voltage profile and voltage stability are selected as objectives to be improved. The obtained results on the IEEE 33-node test system indicate that the proposed method satisfies the defined objectives and considerably improves the network operational characteristics

Multi-Objective Optimal Placement of Recloser and Sectionalizer in Electricity Distribution Feeders

© 2019 IEEE. Electricity distribution feeders, due to their geographical dispersion, are subjected to faults caused by adverse weather, vegetation growth, etc., resulting in long outages for customers. Overhead switching devices (i.e. reclosers, sectionalizers, disconnectors and etc.) are known as the most practical solutions to limit the outage area, and consequently increase the distribution system reliability. This paper presents a Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm for Optimal Placement of Recloser and Sectionalizer to minimize customers' outage cost and increase system reliability with an optimal investment. The algorithm determines the number and optimal locations of reclosers and sectionalizers to fulfill the objectives. The obtained results on the standard 85-node distribution feeder validate the effectiveness of the proposed method

Incidence of Suicide in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran

AbstractBackground:Suicide is a major problem world-wide. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of suicide in East Azerbaijan province, Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted from 2010 to 2011. We analysed some characteristics of the cases of suicide based on the health system database. Variables such as demographics, outcomes (fatal/nonfatal), and methods used were recorded. Data were analysed using Chi-square as well as T-test.Results: A total of 3,768 reported cases of suicide were analysed. More cases were reported by married than single people. The incidence rate of suicide was 101.3 per 100,000. Most of the attempted suicides occurred in younger people. Attempted suicide in women (63.7%) was higher than men (36.3%). The most frequent method of suicide in both sexes was drug overdose. There was a statistically significant relationship between suicide’s outcome and gender, job, marital status and education (p<0.001). The case fatality rate among males was significantly higher than females (OR=3.7, 95% CI: 2.5–5.8). Hanging (72.3%) and drug overdose (0.9%) had the highest and lowest case fatality rate, respectively. Drug overdose was slightly more frequent among women than men (91.3% versus 84.2%). The rate of poisoning increased gradually until the age-group 45-54 years. Drug overdose was more prevalent among single than married people.Conclusions: Due to the high incidence of completed suicide, it is recommended to establish counselling centres for mental ill-health, especially a suicide hotline with appropriate availability to all population

Prevalence of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and its antibiotic susceptibility pattern in healthcare workers at Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran

SummaryObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among healthcare workers (HCWs) at Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted from July to November 2006. Nasal swabs were taken from 600 randomly selected HCWs. The isolates were identified as S. aureus based on morphology, Gram stain, catalase test, coagulase test, and mannitol salt agar fermentation. To analyze sensitivity patterns of MRSA strains more precisely, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibiotics were determined by the E-test method. All methicillin-resistant isolates were examined for the existence of the mecA gene by total DNA extraction and PCR.ResultsThe prevalence of nasal carriage of methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) was 25.7% and of MRSA was 5.3%, with the highest nasal carriage of MRSA in surgical wards and the emergency department. There was no significant difference between the sexes (p=0.247), age (p=0.817), and years of healthcare service (p=0.15) with regard to the nasal carriage of MRSA and MSSA. In the univariate analysis, a statistically significant difference was only found for occupation (p=0.032) between the carriage of MSSA and MRSA. In the multivariate analysis, the occupation ‘nurse’ was independently associated with MRSA carriage (p=0.012, odds ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval 1.3–9.7). The highest resistance rate for both gentamicin and clindamycin (69%) was noted among the MRSA strains. None of the MRSA strains were resistant to mupirocin, linezolid, fusidic acid, or vancomycin. The existence of the mecA gene in all 32 methicillin-resistant isolates was observed by PCR.ConclusionsThis study revealed the prevalence of nasal carriage of S. aureus strains among HCWs to be lower than that found in other studies from Iran. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns also differed, perhaps as a result of the excessive use of antibiotics at our hospital. Only the occupation of nurse was an independent risk factor for MRSA carriage

Efecto sinérgico del enjuague bucal persica y del extracto etanólico iraní de propolis contra la formación de biofilm de patógenos orales (estudio in vitro)

This study was granted by Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and approved by Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Author Thank all staff of Biomedicine (Medical Biology) Research Institute.Aims: Several pathogens are responsible for oral diseases and dental plaque and their main mechanism is biofilm production. Natural products are point of interest for controlling these infections. persica mouthrinse, propolis and honey are some of these products with considerable antibacterial effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate synergy effect of these products on their antibiofilm and antibacterial effect. Material and Methods: Minimal Inhibitory effect and Minimial Biofilm inhibitory concentration of persica mouthrinse, propolis, honey solely and in combination was calculated against Streptococcus mutans ATCC35668, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 33591, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 , Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Results: Combination of persica and propolis had a better profile in biofilm's inhibition than honey. None of herbal combinations had synergistic effect against studied bacteria; MIC of the persica mouth had the best effect against Streptococcus mutans, which causes caries. Conclusions: There was no synergistic effect of persica and propolis and the best antimicrobial effect was observed on subminimum inhibitory concentration of persica mouthwash. Findings of the present study suggest use of other combination than honey, propolis and persica for improving antimicrobial activity of these components.Objetivos: Varios patógenos son responsables de enfermedades orales y la placa dental y su mecanismo principal es la producción de biofilm. Los productos naturales son puntos de interés para controlar estas infecciones. persica mouthrinse, propolis y miel son algunos de estos productos con considerables efectos antibacterianos. En este estudio, se buscó investigar el efecto sinérgico de estos productos sobre su antibiótico y efecto antibacteriano. Material y Métodos: Se calculó el efecto inhibidor mínimo y la concentración inhibitoria mínima de biofilm de enjuague bucal de persica, propóleos, miel únicamente y en combinación, contra Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, S. epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Resultados: La combinación de persica y propóleo tuvo un mejor perfil en la inhibición de la biopelícula que la miel. Ninguna de las combinaciones de hierbas tuvo efecto sinérgico contra las bacterias estudiadas; La Se calculó el efecto inhibidor mínimo de la boca de la persica tuvo el mejor efecto contra Streptococcus mutans, que causa la caries. Conclusiones: No hubo efectos sinérgicos de la persica y el propóleo y se observó el mejor efecto antimicrobiano en la concentración mínima inhibitoria de enjuague bucal de persica. Los hallazgos del presente estudio sugieren el uso de otra combinación que la miel, el propóleo y la persica para mejorar la actividad antimicrobiana de estos componentes

Early Results of Balloon Angioplasty of Native Coarctation of Aorta Under 2 Years Old

Objective: The balloon angioplasty is a controversial procedure for the treatment of coarctation of the aorta (COA). This study determines the results of balloon angioplasty of native COA in infants. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five subjects had undergone balloon angioplasty under drug-induced sedation using the retrograde technique through the femoral artery. In all the cases a Tyshak Mini balloon had been used. The patients had all been followed by thoracic echocardiography. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16. Results: Twenty-five patients under 2 years of age with native COA, had undergone balloon angioplasty.The median age and weight of the subjects were 55 (12-700) days and 4860 ± 192 g respectively. Mean stenotic site diameter was 2.31± 0.58 mm before procedure and 5.41 ± 1.09 mm after procedure (P < 0.001). Mean pressure gradient before and after procedure was 34.48 ± 15.39 mm Hg and 5.84 ± 3.79 mm Hg respectively (P < 0.001). Early minor and major complications were seen at 16% and 24% of the cases respectively. The only short come complication was recurrent COA in 3 cases (12%). The final outcome of patients was recovery in 20 subjects (80%). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study and reviewed studies, balloon angioplasty might be an alternative procedure in infants with native COA. However timely diagnosis and improvement in angioplasty techniques are necessary to improve the outcome

Correlation and sequential path analysis of oil yield and related characteristics in camelina under seasonal variations

The objectives of the current study were to determine the usefulness of sequential path analysis in camelina to obtain information about the relationship between yield and yield components and to evaluate their relative importance in camelina oil yield under summer and winter cultivation. A split-plot design, with two varieties as the main plot and four sowing times as the subplot, was carried out over two growing seasons (2017–2019) in Samsun, Turkey. Sequential path analysis revealed that, as first-order predictors, grain yield and oil content displayed the most significant and positive direct effects on oil yield in both summer and winter cultivation. The sequential path analysis of second-order variables over the first-order variable revealed that seed number per pod and pod number explained approximately 90% of the variation of the grain yield in summer cultivation and branch number explained approximately 67% of the variation grain yield in winter cultivation. These results indicated that grain yield, as a main predictor of oil yield, had different pathways to affect oil yield in the summer and winter seasons. A higher magnitude of seed number per pod compared to pod number in this study indicated that selecting for higher grain yield can be done indirectly using plants with lower pod number and higher seed number per pod in the summer season. Moreover, branch number was the only trait that had a direct negative effect on grain yield in the winter season, indicating that plants with lower branch number should be selected for higher grain yield. Different environmental factors, including the seasonal cultivation of camelina in this study, were found to be a key factor in improving oil yield and, hence, should be considered as criteria indices in camelina breeding programs in the future

Experimental investigation of shock-buffet criteria on a pitching airfoil

An experimental investigation of the shock-buffet phenomenon subject to unsteady pitching supercritical airfoil around its quarter chord has been conducted in a transonic wind tunnel. The model was equipped with pressure taps connected to the fast response pressure-transducers. Measurements were conducted at different free-stream Mach number from 0.61 to 0.76. The principle goal of this investigation was to experimentally discuss the shock-buffet criterion over a SC(2)-0410 supercritical pitching related to the hysteresis loops of total drag and trailing edge pressure, the behaviour of the shock wave foot location, the pressure distribution over the upper surface, and by implementing the wavelet analysis of the normal force. To ensure capturing the buffet phenomenon by utilizing these criteria, a pressure port has been drilled exactly at the trailing edge of the airfoil where its output was used to detect the buffet phenomenon for different conditions. Visual representation of the flow using the shadow graph flow visualization technique for different test cases is further used to illustrate the unsteady shock wave motion. A comparative analysis of experimental measurements shows that the conducted criteria confirm each other when the buffet phenomenon occurs at the position of the oscillating cycle

Evaluation the genetic diversity of advanced lentil genoty pesunder the drought stress and non-stress conditions

To evaluate genetic diversity of advanced lentil lines, screening quantitative indices of drought resistance, and identifying drought resistant lines, 11 varieties, one advanced lentil line and one selected genotype from Ardabil local mass in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications under both stress (rain-fed) and non-stress (irrigated) conditions in the Station of Agricultural and Natural Research of Ardabil. Based on yields obtained under irrigation (YP) and rain-fed (YS) conditions, several quantitative drought tolerance indices, like mean productivity (MP), tolerance index (TOL), geometric mean productivity (GMP), harmonic mean (HARM), stress susceptibility index (SSI) and stress tolerance index (STI) were used to evaluate the drought responses of these genotypes. Evaluation of quantitative indices of drought resistance and considering the means quantities and correlation coefficients between such indices, based on grain yield and under both rain-fed and irrigated conditions indicated that indices (MP), (HARM), (GMP) and (STI) are considered as the best indices of Lentil genotypes response with stress intensity of (SI = 0.29) under drought stress. In 3-D graph, it has been showed that with considering these indices and grain yield and under rain-fed and irrigated conditions, genotypes ILL 6031, ILL 9893 and ILL 8095 will be as the produced highest seed yields and drought resistant lines in group A. Multivariate Biplot graph indicated that genotypes ILL 6031, ILL 9893 and ILL 8095 were located next to the vectors of drought resistance indices, as: MP, HARM, GMP and STI. Distribution of the genotypes in the Biplot space indicated the presence of genetic diversity among the lines for drought stress. Diagrams obtained from cluster analysis based on above indices showed that the farthest genetic distance in related to drought resistant lines with highest seed yields (ILL 6031, ILL 9893 and ILL 8095) and drought susceptible lines and lowest seed yields (ILL 8173, ILL 9832, ILL 1878 and ILL 8146)