An improved approach for cell traction force microscopy using a continuous hydrogel

In this thesis, a cell traction force microscopy method is developed for measuring traction forces of connective tissue cells. This method includes an improved methodology in traction force microscopy of live cells cultured on an elastic substrate. Tissue cells, such as skin and muscle cells respond to the mechanical stimuli of their microenvironment by adhering to their substrate and exerting forces on the proteins of the extracellular matrix (ECM). These forces are called cell traction forces. Fibroblasts are grown on polyacrylamide (PA) gels embedded with fluorescent beads and coated with different types of ECM ligands. Traction forces of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts are calculated from the measured deformations of PA gels by using a 3-D finite element method. The advantages of this method compared to the traditional methods of cell traction force microscopy (CTFM) are that this method takes into account the finite thickness of the substrate by applying a 3-D FEM analysis to reduce the errors of using an infinite half space approximation for a substrate with a finite thickness and that it uses a novel method for embedding the substrate with fluorescent markers that decreases the measurement uncertainties. In our approach fluorescent beads were embedded on the top of substrate instead of getting mixed with the gel. This decreases the effect of out-of-focus fluorescent beads on the measured deformation fields which enhances the accuracy of cell traction force measurements

Text Simplification and Generation Y: An Eye Tracking Study

While important information is often communicated via text, people read only a small fraction of textual content. Ignoring text is particularly prevalent among Generation Y, who prefer image-based communication and exhibit impatient viewing behavior. One way to improve the effectiveness of text-based communication for younger users is to construct textual information in a way that it can be understood with short glances, a hallmark of Generation Y’s impatient viewing behavior. To test this assertion, we used a set of plain language standards (PLS) to simplify a text passage from an actual website. The results of our eye tracking study showed that PLS were successful in improving textual communication for Generation Y users. The simplified text passage was processed with shorter glances, facilitated a more effective visual search behavior, and improved task performance significantly

Viewing Behavior in Complex Passages - An Exploratory Eye-tracking Study

There have been multiple studies focusing on how visual arrangements can impact the viewing behavior of online content, but little research has been done that evaluates the effect of complexity of textual information on viewing patterns. To fill this gap, we studied how users view longer textual passages and how text simplification could impact the viewing pattern for such passages. We extracted a relatively complex passage (18th-grade reading difficulty level) from GRE sample tests. We then simplified it to 12th grade reading difficulty level using a set of guidelines developed in prior studies. After that, we ran an eye-tracking experiment with 65 participants. Half participants were asked to read the original passage, and the rest were asked to read the simplified version. The results showed that text simplification substantially impacted the viewing behavior, notably it increased attention to the last parts of the passage

An optimal control approach for solving an inverse heat source problem applying shifted Legendre polynomials

This study addresses the inverse issue of identifying the space-dependent heat source of the heat equation, which is stated using the optimal con-trol framework. For the numerical solution of this class of problems, an approach based on shifted Legendre polynomials and the associated oper-ational matrix is presented. The approach turns the primary problem into the solution of a system of nonlinear algebraic equations. To do this, the temperature and heat source variables are enlarged in terms of the shifted Legendre polynomials with unknown coefficients employed in the objectivefunction, inverse problem, and initial and Neumann boundary conditions. When paired with their operational matrix, these basis functions provide a quadratic optimization problem with linear constraints, which is then solved using the Lagrange multipliers approach. To assess the method’s efficacy and precision, two examples are provided

Breast cancer-preventive behaviors: exploring Iranian women’s experiences

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer-preventive behaviors are critical for community and women’s health. Although many studies have addressed women’s knowledge and attitudes toward breast cancer, little information is available about their experiences of breast cancer preventive behaviors. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Iranian women regarding preventive behaviors. METHODS: This was a qualitative study. A sample of Iranian women aged 30 years and over was selected purposefully. Data collected through focus group and semi-structured audiotaped interviews and were analyzed by conventional content analysis. RESULTS: The following five main themes emerged from the analysis: attitude toward breast cancer and preventive behaviors, stress management, healthy lifestyle, perceived social support and individual/environmental barriers. The findings showed that women were highly motivated to preventive behaviors of breast cancer but faced considerable challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that increased awareness, positive attitudes, stronger motivational factors, and fewer barriers toward preventive behaviors are most important parameters that might encourage women to practice breast cancer-preventive behaviors

Spatiotemporal changes of forest fire in vegetation areas of Iran based on MODIS sensor

The increase in fire activity in many regions of Iran in recent decades has raised concerns about the short-term and long-term consequences. Forest and pasture fires will affect the quantity, quality, and health of natural ecosystems. The first step in controlling and preventing forest fires is monitoring. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate ​​fire areas and identify the spatial-temporal changes of these events in the vegetation areas of Iran. To achieve this goal, TERRA satellite MODIS sensor data including active fire products (MOD14A1) and burned areas (MCD64A1) for 20 years (2001-2020) have been used. The results showed that the maximum extent of fires in the vegetation areas of Iran is related to July, which covers about 4100 hectares. This month, a large part of the country's forests, especially in the northwestern parts of the Arasbaran vegetation area, has caught fire. In contrast, the minimum amount of fire areas in the vegetation areas of Iran is related to April, which was observed as two limited zones in the northwest and west of the country. Due to the maximum time of forest fires in the hot and dry months of the year, including June, July, August, and September in the western part of the country in the Zagros. The linear correlation between the burned areas and the areas with active fires in Iran showed that there is a significant relationship between these two satellite products. This connection shows that the burned areas in the vegetation areas of Iran are among the active centers of forest fires

Religious coping and quality of life in women with breast cancer

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the predictive role of religious coping in quality of life of breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: This multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, from October 2014 to May 2015. A total of 224 women with breast cancer completed measures of socio-demographic information, religious coping (brief RCOPE), and quality of life (FACT-B). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the t-test, ANOVA, and linear regression analysis. Results: The mean age was 47.1 (SD=9.07) years and the majority were married (81.3). The mean score for positive religious coping was 22.98 (SD=4.09) while it was 10.13 (SD=3.90) for negative religious coping. Multiple linear regression showed positive and negative religious coping as predictor variables explained a significant amount of variance in overall QOL score (R2=.22, P=.001) after controlling for socio-demographic, and clinical variables. Positive religious coping was associated with improved QOL (β=0.29; p=0.001). In contrast, negative religious coping was significantly associated with worse QOL (β=-0.26; p=0.005). Conclusions: The results indicated the used types of religious coping strategies are related to better or poorer QOL and highlight the importance of religious support in breast cancer care