Organizing the Phenomenon of Distance Education in the Field of Architecture

Architecture includes a wide range of courses from only theoretical courses to only practical ones. Applying distance education for transferring the learning from teacher to student requires deliberation and exact programming. In this research, we have compared the level of learning of students in traditional education system with that of the students in distance education system in architecture field. For this purpose, students a course arbitrary choose traditional or distance education system for given course materials. Selection of studied course materials among specialized ones considering the level of action of its presentation will be illustrated in the text. This study is a semi-experimental research. The population which has been studied includes the students of architecture in associate and bachelor level program of the University of Mohaggeg in Ardebil during the academic years of 2007-8 and 2006-7.  The collected data is the result of the qualitative –quantitative assessment of these students in their academic courses and comparison of their level of learning with one another. The result of this research focuses on the success of distance education system in theory vs. the relative lack of success in practical courses. These conditions, different plan for practical courses in distance education system takes

CenoDerm vs. fascia lata for the prevention of dorsal nasal irregularities in rhinoplasty

Introduction: Dorsal nasal irregularity is a complication of rhinoplasty surgery, mostly seen in patients with thin skin. Acellular dermis (CenoDerm) and homologous fascia lata covering the nasal bone cartilage structure have been used to achieve a smooth surface. In this study, we aimed to investigate clinical outcomes using these two materials. Materials and Methods: After a standard rhinoplasty procedure, a layer of the acellular dermis or homologous fascia lata was placed in the pocket of the dorsum. Patients were evaluated for clinical outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. Results Forty-two of 68 patients completed the follow-up period. Patient satisfaction was higher in the homologous fascia lata group. Similarly, nasal dorsum inspection and palpation results were better in the homologous fascia lata group compared with the CenoDerm group but was significant in palpation (P=0.00). There was no complete absorption in the homologous fascia lata group 6 months after surgery (P= 0.04 vs. CenoDerm) but no significant difference was observed at 12 months. Conclusion: Homologous fascia lata is better than acellular dermis in preventing dorsal nasal irregularity after rhinoplasty in thin-skinned patients

CenoDerm vs. fascia lata for the prevention of dorsal nasal irregularities in rhinoplasty

Introduction: Dorsal nasal irregularity is a complication of rhinoplasty surgery, mostly seen in patients with thin skin. Acellular dermis (CenoDerm) and homologous fascia lata covering the nasal bone cartilage structure have been used to achieve a smooth surface. In this study, we aimed to investigate clinical outcomes using these two materials. Materials and Methods: After a standard rhinoplasty procedure, a layer of the acellular dermis or homologous fascia lata was placed in the pocket of the dorsum. Patients were evaluated for clinical outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. Results Forty-two of 68 patients completed the follow-up period. Patient satisfaction was higher in the homologous fascia lata group. Similarly, nasal dorsum inspection and palpation results were better in the homologous fascia lata group compared with the CenoDerm group but was significant in palpation (P=0.00). There was no complete absorption in the homologous fascia lata group 6 months after surgery (P= 0.04 vs. CenoDerm) but no significant difference was observed at 12 months. Conclusion: Homologous fascia lata is better than acellular dermis in preventing dorsal nasal irregularity after rhinoplasty in thin-skinned patients

Changes in body mass index and lipid profile in psoriatic patients after treatment with standard protocol of infliximab

Psoriasis is a chronic and inflammatory dermatologic disease. Psoriasis may predispose to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor in mediating this risk is controversial. Regarding frequent use of infliximab in psoriasis, and the hypothesis that anti TNF-α treatment may increase Body Mass Index (BMI) and alter lipid profile in these patients, the aim of this study was to assess changes in BMI and Lipid Profile and level of leptin in Psoriatic Patients under Treatment of Standard Protocol of Infliximab in a 24 week period. This study was accomplished as a before-after study. Twenty-seven psoriatic patients were included, and standard infliximab therapy was applied. All patients underwent 3 times of blood collection and in each session; LDL, HDL, Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, Leptin, and PASI score were measured at the start of the study and at the 12th and 24th week of follow-up. Twenty-five patients consisted of 18 (72) male and 7 (28) female subjects were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 36.91±13.31 years. PASI score demonstrated significant decrease after 24 weeks; however, BMI and HDL and leptin showed a significant increase during treatment. Significant negative correlation was seen between Leptin and PASI score changes (r=0.331, P=0.042). HDL and BMI had the most correlations with leptin (positive correlation) and PASI score (negative correlation). Results demonstrated a dramatic decrease in PASI, increase in BMI and HDL and increased in leptin; somewhat correlated to each other. These results suggest that patients taking infliximab should take more care of their weight and lipid profile, while on treatment. © 2016 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Principles of university open spaces design based on vitality model and promotion of training

Background and Objectives:Today, the issue of teaching and learning patterns and group activities is one of the issues of interest in areas related to education in universities. How to achieve teaching-learning patterns has gained a special place among experts. In recent years, due to the increasing growth and scope of changes in educational methods, adapting the learning environment to all aspects of learner needs, has been the focus of education professionals. Because the physical environment, due to its structure, can strengthen or weaken the interactions and subsequent learning process, it is believed that new approaches are required for movement, teamwork and student dynamism. Therefore, defining the needs and how to organize the context in which such learning can emerge is of particular importance. Considering the effect that academic spaces can have on the audience and users of these spaces, the present study aims to provide guidelines for designing open university spaces based on increasing the vitality and social interactions among users and improving the level of education among them. The present research tries to identify the factors affecting the promotion of vitality and social interactions from the users' perspective, drawing the correlation between these factors in an analytical model. In the current study, both quantitative and qualitative research methods have been used. Method and Materials: After formulating the contents of the content table and the questionnaire, the sample size based on Klein's views reached 341 according to the number of questionnaires. Therefore, students from architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and civil engineering at Iranian universities were randomly selected by cluster sampling. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 22 using R factor analysis. The model was developed by Amos. Findings: The results of this research indicated that social, physical, designing and psychological dimensions of the environment are influential. Conclusion: According to the results of previous studies and the present study, the existence of social, physical, design and environmental traits in the collective spaces of the university, can facilitate the necessary conditions to increase vitality, sociability and group activities. In this way, the existence of a spatial trait in open university public spaces, by increasing the possibility of vitality, facilitates the process of creativity and innovation for researchers and leads to socialization. Also, increasing the desire to do group and group activities and the possibility of solving problems in groups leads to improving the level of education among users. A review of this research reveals the fact that human behavior, collisions, and the use of space can be influenced by space and spatial communication, and ultimately lead to social vitality in collective centers

Inactivation of the nucl. Accumbens Core Exerts No Effect on Nicotine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference

Effects of transient inhibition of the core part of the nucl. accumbens (NAcC) by lidocaine on nicotine-induced conditioned place preference in male Wistar rats were examined. Lidocaine (2%) was injected into the NAcC of nicotine-conditioned animals before each nicotine i.p. injection. On the test day, behavior of the animals in a two-compartment apparatus was recorded during 10 min. Results revealed that i.p. injections of nicotine (1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg) induced place preference. Transient lidocaine-induced inhibition of one or both sides of the NAcC did not change place preference but changed the numbers of compartment crossings, rearings, and sniffings. Inhibition of the left part and both parts of the structure reduced sniffing and increased place preference; inhibition of the right part of the nucleus increased the intensity of this phenomena.Вивчали впливи тимчасової інактивації серцевинної частини nucl. accumbens (NAcC) за допомогою лідокаїну на індуковану нікотином умовнорефлекторну преференцію місця у самців щурів. Лідокаїн (2 %) ін’єкували в NAcC кондиційованих уведеннями нікотину тварин за 5 хв перед кожною тест-ін’єкцією нікотину. У день тестування поведінка тварин у двокомпартментному пристрої реєструвалася протягом 10 хв. Внутрішньоочеревинні ін’єкції нікотину (1.0 або 1.5 мг/кг) індукували виражену преференцію місця. Унілатеральна або білатеральна тимчасова інактивація NAcC не призводила до змін преференції, але зменшувала кількість стійок та перетинів межі компартментів. Гальмування лівої половини або обох частин NAcC зменшувало кількість епізодів принюхування та збільшувало інтенсивність преференції місця, тоді як гальмування тільки правої частини ядра посилювало принюхування та зменшувало рівень преференції. Отже, наші результати підтвердили, що як ліва, так і права частини NAcC залучені у формування нікотинової преференції місця, але їх ролі можуть бути відмінними

Research trends in combinatorial optimization

Acknowledgments This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities through the project COGDRIVE (DPI2017-86915-C3-3-R). In this context, we would also like to thank the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Mapping geographical inequalities in childhood diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000–17 : analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), one in ten deaths in children younger than 5 years is attributable to diarrhoea. The substantial between-country variation in both diarrhoea incidence and mortality is attributable to interventions that protect children, prevent infection, and treat disease. Identifying subnational regions with the highest burden and mapping associated risk factors can aid in reducing preventable childhood diarrhoea. Methods We used Bayesian model-based geostatistics and a geolocated dataset comprising 15 072 746 children younger than 5 years from 466 surveys in 94 LMICs, in combination with findings of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017, to estimate posterior distributions of diarrhoea prevalence, incidence, and mortality from 2000 to 2017. From these data, we estimated the burden of diarrhoea at varying subnational levels (termed units) by spatially aggregating draws, and we investigated the drivers of subnational patterns by creating aggregated risk factor estimates. Findings The greatest declines in diarrhoeal mortality were seen in south and southeast Asia and South America, where 54·0% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 38·1–65·8), 17·4% (7·7–28·4), and 59·5% (34·2–86·9) of units, respectively, recorded decreases in deaths from diarrhoea greater than 10%. Although children in much of Africa remain at high risk of death due to diarrhoea, regions with the most deaths were outside Africa, with the highest mortality units located in Pakistan. Indonesia showed the greatest within-country geographical inequality; some regions had mortality rates nearly four times the average country rate. Reductions in mortality were correlated to improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) or reductions in child growth failure (CGF). Similarly, most high-risk areas had poor WASH, high CGF, or low oral rehydration therapy coverage. Interpretation By co-analysing geospatial trends in diarrhoeal burden and its key risk factors, we could assess candidate drivers of subnational death reduction. Further, by doing a counterfactual analysis of the remaining disease burden using key risk factors, we identified potential intervention strategies for vulnerable populations. In view of the demands for limited resources in LMICs, accurately quantifying the burden of diarrhoea and its drivers is important for precision public health

Anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2018

Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000–2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) across 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), stratify anemia by severity and aggregate results to policy-relevant administrative and national levels. Additionally, we provide subnational disparity analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of anemia prevalence inequalities within these countries and predict progress toward the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) to reduce anemia by half by 2030. Our results demonstrate widespread moderate improvements in overall anemia prevalence but identify only three LMICs with a high probability of achieving the WHO GNT by 2030 at a national scale, and no LMIC is expected to achieve the target in all their subnational administrative units. Our maps show where large within-country disparities occur, as well as areas likely to fall short of the WHO GNT, offering precision public health tools so that adequate resource allocation and subsequent interventions can be targeted to the most vulnerable populations.Peer reviewe