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The g-C3N4 which is well known as a polymeric non-metal semiconductor, has been fabricated by thermal polymerization. It has also been used in catalytic applications including, photo-catalysis, removal and degradation of pollutants in water, Friedel-Crafts reactions, oxygen reduction reaction and etc. It has drawn noticeable research attention due to its economical and affordable fabrication, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, good thermal and electrical conductivity, high hardness, Corrosion resistance, and fireproofing properties. Therefore, the g-C3N4 has found non-catalytic applications including composites, cutting tools, improving surface properties, light emitting devices, optical sensors, and solar cells. In the current review, the novel and non-catalytic applications of g-C3N4 have been highlighted.

Background. The aim of periodontal treatment is to remove bacterial plaque and dental calculus by hand and power-driven instruments. However, the comparison of the effectiveness of these instruments has always been controversial. Therefore, this in vivo study investigated and compared the effects of hand and ultrasonic piezoelectric instruments on the roughness of dental surfaces under an atomic force microscope (AFM). Methods. In this study, 35 periodontally hopeless teeth were selected and randomly divided into four groups (n=7). The control group consisted of teeth that had to be extracted for orthodontic or prosthetic treatment (n=7). In group one, scaling and root planing were performed using hand instruments. In other groups, scaling and root planing were performed using piezoelectric ultrasonic instruments with low to high power, respectively. Then the scaled teeth were extracted for analysis under an atomic force microscope. Results. This study showed that root roughness significantly differed between different experimental groups (P

This study analyzed the problem-solving and advice-seeking networks of hospital managers working in hospitals affiliated to a university of medical sciences in Iran. This was a mixed-method study and was conducted in two stages. Initially, by conducting a qualitative study, key actors related to the hospital’s managers’ problem-solving and information/advice-seeking networks were identified and the next stage was conducted using social network analysis to identify powerful actors in the network. A questionnaire was used to collect data related to network analysis. Network properties were analyzed using density, degree centrality, and betweenness centrality. When hospital managers need help to solve work-related problems, they usually ask the university’s budget experts, followed by the University’s budget manager, the University’s financial manager, and the University’s deputy of management development and resources. In the financial advice-seeking network, the most common target of managers was the University’s financial manager, University’s budget manager, and University’s budget experts. This means that hospital managers usually seek financial advice from these people. Hospital Managers need to have a better understanding of invisible relationships because these relationships improve or may worsen collaboration and enable knowledge sharing in the organization and thus influence the decision-making process of managers.

Nanoporous BiVO4 thin films were deposited using reactive magnetronsputtering in Ar and O2 atmosphere, on various substrates,employing pulsed direct-current (DC) power supplies applied tometallic Bi and V targets for rapid deposition. The procedure wasfollowed by a post-annealing treatment in air to crystallize thephotoactive monoclinic scheelite structure. The influence of totalpressure and substrate on the crystal structure, morphology,microstructure, optical and photocatalytic properties of the filmswas investigated. The crystallization of monoclinic scheelitestructure deposited on fused silica substrate starts at 250 °C andthe films are stable up to 600 °C. The morphology of the films israther dense, despite at the high sputtering pressure (>2 Pa),with embedded nanopores. Among the thin films deposited on fusedsilica, the one deposited at 4.5 Pa exhibits the highest porosity(52%), with the lowest bandgap (2.44 eV) and it shows the highestphotocatalytic activity in the degradation of Rhodamine-B (26%after 7 h) under visible light irradiation. The film deposited onthe silicon substrate exhibits the highest photoactivity (53% after7 h). Lack of hypsochromic shift in the UV−Vis temporal absorptionspectra shows the dominance of the chromophore cleavage pathway inthe photodecomposition.

Background: Governance is one of the critical functions of the health system. Good governance of the health system leads to better performance and outcomes. Evaluation is the first step to improving health system governance. Therefore, this research aimed to identify evaluation tools for health system governance. Methods: In the current scoping review, we searched all documents related to health system governance evaluation indexed in Medline, EMBASE, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct databases, and Google Scholar search engines to 2022, extracted, and assessed. Finally, documents were selected and analyzed by thematic analysis. Results: Thirty tools were found to evaluate health system governance. Among the proposed tools, 11 specific tools have been designed just for health system governance evaluation, while others have governance as a component of health system evaluation. Health system governance’s significant components are health policy-making, strategic planning, organizing, stewardship, and control. Indicators such as accountability, participation, transparency, equity, efficiency, accountability, corruption control, effectiveness, ethic, the rule of law, and sustainability could be used to evaluate the health system governance. Conclusion: Different tools have been used to evaluate governance worldwide, and each governance evaluation tool has different components suitable for governance evaluation. However, these tools cannot fully evaluate governance and have shortcomings. A comprehensive evaluation of governance and sharing lessons denrael will affect the health system's capacity and ability to provide quality, safe and effective health services. It will lead to the stability of the health system.

ZusammenfassungOsteoidosteome und Osteoblastome sind gutartige knochenbildende Tumore, die in den ersten beiden Lebensdekaden nicht selten die Ursache von schmerzhaften Läsionen der Wirbelsäule mit schmerzbedingter skoliotischer Deformierung sind. Beide Entitäten sind sich histologisch sehr ähnlich, lassen sich jedoch durch Röntgen bzw. computertomographische Darstellung anhand ihrer Größe und morphologischen Merkmale gut differenzieren. Die Osteoblastome können durch ihre Größenzunahme und osteodestruktives Verhalten die Wirbelsäule destabilisieren oder zu neurologischen Ausfälle führen. Die Schmerzen sprechen häufig gut auf die Nicht Steroidale AntiRheumatika (NSAR), insbesondere auf Azetylsalezylsäure, an. Schmerzpersistenz und Nebenwirkungen von NSAR sowie mögliche Instabilitäten erfordern aber häufig eine interventionelle Therapie mit chirurgisch vollständiger Resektion selten in Kombination mit Stabilisierung oder perkutane Radiofrequenzablation, die je nach morphologischen Gesichtspunkten angewendet werden können.

Introduction : Risk management is a frequent and step-by-step process that helps system managers improve decision-making in times of risk. During this process, the risk of errors is reduced, and Opportunities for improvement are increased. Given the increasing importance of patient safety and the role of risk management in reducing medical errors and treatment costs, this study was conducted to identify the executive framework of active risk management in the operating room of hospitals from the perspective of experts and administrative staff. Method This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted with a targeted sampling method and included 20 experts and executive staff as the study sample. Data were collected using a researcher-developed semi-structured interview and were analyzed using the framework analysis method. Results The results showed that active risk management consists of four components, including types of risks, principles, processes, and risk management framework in the operating room with 27 main themes based on the standard classification for types of risks (the Eight Risk Domains of Enterprise), principles, processes, and framework) principles, framework, and risk management process from ISO 3100( and 115 sub-themes. Conclusion By identifying different types of risks, analyzing and reporting them continuously, implementing the principles and framework of clinical risk management, creating an open and fair safety culture to achieve patient safety, creating programs and policies for error reporting, continuous training, skill development, institutionalizing methods to prevent errors, and requiring employees to implement the risk management process fully, a suitable model of clinical risk management can be implemented in hospitals’ operating rooms.

In this study, the precipitation concentration index (PCI), the seasonal PCI (SPCI), the precipitation concentration degree (PCD), and the precipitation concentration period (PCP) were analyzed using monthly precipitation data from Serbia during the period from 1946 to 2019. The spatial distribution of annual PCI showed a uniform-to-moderate precipitation concentration over the country. The SPCI maps showed a uniform distribution of precipitation over the whole region in spring and winter and a uniform-to-moderate seasonal precipitation concentration from west to east in summer and autumn. The correlation decay distance (CDD) was calculated for each station to show the spatial variability of precipitation and to provide complementary information for precipitation concentration analysis. The obtained map showed a decreasing gradient from southwest to the north of Serbia. According to the obtained PCD maps for two sub-periods (1946–1989 and 1990–2019), it was realized that the precipitation concentration of the southern part was decreasing over time. The pattern of PCD is in line with the pattern of annual PCI and a significant positive correlation of 0.65 is observed between the PCD and annual PCI. Comparing the maps produced by the CDD and PCD, it can be concluded that the region with lower spatial variability of precipitation has the highest precipitation concentration and vice versa. The topography of the region also showed a direct relation with the spatial variability of precipitation and an indirect relation with the precipitation concentration. Hence, the higher the elevation, the higher the spatial variability of precipitation and the lower the precipitation concentration. The highest correlations are also observed between the PCD for the second sub-period and latitude, and the summer PCI and longitude at 0.75 and 0.73, respectively.

We apply the Ritz method to approximate the solution of optimal control problems through the use of polynomials. The constraints of the problem take the form of differential equations of fractional order accompanied by the boundary and initial conditions. The ultimate goal of the algorithm is to set up a system of equations whose number matches the unknowns. Computing the unknowns enables us to approximate the solution of the objective function in the form of polynomials.

International audience; The p-type Ge-doped (0, 1, 4 and 7 at.%) Mg

In this paper, the corrosion behavior of Al-B4C nanocomposites made by stir casting is investigated. The corrosive environments included 0.1 M HCl, 0.6 M NaCl, 0.03 M H3BO3, and 2 M NaOH solutions. Both the optical microscopy and the field emission scanning electron microscopy methods were used for the microstructural investigation. The X-ray diffraction and the energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques were utilized to detect phases. Tafel polarization results showed that the corrosion rate for the Al-B4C nanocomposites reduced by about 94.0 -99.7% in comparison with the aluminum alloy in 0.1 M HCl and 0.6 M NaCl solutions; however, this decrease was 20.4 - 57.1% in 0.03 M H3BO3 solution. Moreover, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results demonstrated that for nanocomposites the total increase in the charge transfer resistance increased to 80.7% compared to the aluminum alloy in 0.1 M HCl solution after 72 h. The Al-B4C nanocomposite that was stirred for 6 mins at 8000C exhibited higher corrosion resistance than other samples after 72 h in 0.6M NaCl. However, the sample suggested for all utilized corrosive solutions was the nanocomposite made at 750 0C and stirred for 6 mins, based on the lower crystallite size of a-Al phase.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of sintering conditions on the phase composition, microstructure, and physico-mechanical properties of the bauxite-based low-cement refractory castables. For this purpose, the specimens were sintered at various temperatures (1350-1450 °C) and heating rates (3-10 °C/min). Results showed that the sintering conditions have a remarkable effect on the physico-mechanical properties of the refractory castables. The mechanical strength was considerably increased by increasing the heating rate from 3 to 10 °C/min which was attributed to lower amounts of porosity and higher amount of the platy crystals of CA6 phase. The lower porosity of the specimens sintered at lower temperature with 10 °C/min of heating rate also resulted in the higher mechanical strength. The results obtained in this study showed a negative linear relationship between the cold crushing strength and porosity of the specimens with a high degree of measurement conformity.

In this study, bulk and thin films of the Pr and Ce co-doped yttrium iron garnet, Pr0.5CexY2.5-xFe5O12, with various contents of Ce, x=0.25, 0.5 and 0.75, were synthesized and investigated. The solid-state method was used to synthesize the bulk samples and the films were deposited by the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) method. The phase and structure analysis of the samples were investigated by the XRD, SEM, and AFM techniques. The results show that the bulk samples contain the secondary phases of cerium oxide (CeO2) and iron oxide (Fe2O3). After deposition, a single garnet phase is formed in the (444) orientation on GGG (111) substrate. The investigation of the magnetic properties was undertaken by VSM. The results of the VSM manifested the positive impression of the additives on the saturation magnetization from 33.47 e m u g in the un-doped sample to 37.07 e m u g in the sample containing 0.25 mol of Ce. The saturation magnetization plunged to 25.39 e m u g in a sample involving 0.75 mol of Ce due to the forming of the secondary phases. In order to find the co-dopant effect on the magneto-optical properties, the Faraday rotation of the films was measured. The Faraday rotation of the samples was found to be 0.74, 0.82 and 1.24 d e g μ m for x= 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75, respectively. Comparing the results with the literature manifests the synergistic effect of the two additives.

The policies of health systems are inspired by ethical priorities. A critical review of policies can reveal the ethical theories/justice schools behind them. This study aimed to identify the ethical theory(ies) underpinning the Iranian health system governance over the past 50 years. This was a qualitative study conducted in two stages during 2019. First, we identified and constructed the key concepts and distinctive notions of prominent ethical theories/justice schools. Then, we spotted and selected 24 strategic laws and policy documents in the Iranian health system governance during the past 50 years and analyzed their content to surmise their underlying ethical theory. The results showed that the dominant theory affecting the policies of the Iranian health system governance over the past 50 years was egalitarian liberalism and then objective utilitarianism and relativist communitarianism. Retrospective empirical application of ethical theories to health system governance is methodologically doable, and this application reveals the mood or priorities of the politics. Also, highlighting the underpinning ethical theories of health system governance as well as the gap between ambitions versus realization are insightful and may prospectively empower and strengthen egalitarianism

Background: Measuring the efficiency of hospitals due to the high proportion of budget allocated to them on the one hand, and the need to ensure the best practices regarding the use of scarce resources on the other hand, is of particular importance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the technical efficiency of the affiliated hospitals of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences by using a combination of Principal Component Analysis and (PCA) & Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Methods: This was an analytical and cross-sectional study measuring the technical efficiency of all 8 hospitals affiliated to Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. The required information was collected from the medical records unit of each hospital. For better differentiation between efficient and inefficient units, and the increase of research accuracy and further differentiation between hospitals in terms of efficiency, at first, 17 indicators were selected to assess and adjust these parameters to 3 components proportional to the number of the hospitals by using PCA and SPSS 16 software. After doing the PCA, 7 studied input variables became 7 principal components among which the first input component reflecting the 83 % of scattering data was selected as principal input component, and for being more influenced by human resource variables, it was named as a human resource index. Furthermore, among the output variables, the first 2 output components, which represented 76% of the variance of the data, were selected as the 2 principal components of the output for the study, which were mostly affected by these variables, respectively, the number of admissions and length of stay. Then, the modified input and output components were entered into the software Windeap 2.1 and the technical efficiency of hospitals and their rank were calculated by assuming constant and variable efficiency with respect to the scale. In order to evaluate the effect of using the combined method instead of the conventional method of efficiency measurement, the results of the PCA - DEA method were compared with the results of the conventional DEA method. Results: The result of DEA on the selected components showed the capacity to upgrade the Technical Efficiency (TE) of hospitals is 15 % (TE: 0.852). Moreover, out of 8 hospitals, 1 hospital was increasing return to scale, 3 decreasing returns to scale and 4 constant returns to scale. The technical efficiency of 3 hospitals was 1 (TE = 1), 2 hospitals had the technical efficiency between 0.80 to 1 (1 > TE > 0.80) and that in 3 hospitals was less than 0.80 (TE < 0.80). The scale efficiency for 50 % of hospitals and the management efficiency for 62/5 % of them were equal 1. Conclusion: The average of total technical efficiency, management efficiency and scale efficiency were calculated to be 0.999, 1 and 0.999, respectively based on the usual comprehensive analysis method; while using the combined method, the average total technical efficiency, management efficiency and scale efficiency were 0.852, 0.947 and 0.902 respectively. The results confirm that the use of PCA method, due to its important role in reducing alignments, increases research accuracy and better differentiates between hospitals in terms of efficiency.

To better plan how to solve the water-related issues directly connected with the variability in precipitation, it is necessary to understand trend changes in precipitation. The innovative trend analysis (ITA) method and the Mann–Kendall (MK) test were used to analyze historical precipitation changes at 28 synoptic stations for the period 1946–2019 in Serbia. The stability of the trends is determined using the partial MK trend test. The monotonic characteristic of the trend components is also checked by classifying the time series into three value groups and applying the ITA method. Results of both models (ITA and MK) showed that the southwestern part of Serbia that is a mountainous region has the greatest increasing trend over the country. An increasing gradient from east to west in precipitation trend is observed. The spatial pattern of precipitation trend for the total time series showed that the southeastern and southwestern parts have the lowest (negative) and highest (positive) trends, respectively. Only two stations, Negotin and Vranje, showed instability in the calculated trends. The monotonic analysis indicated that half of stations (14 stations) have monotonic trend components, while the trend components of the other half are non-monotonic. The trends for three stations, including Zrenjanin, Kikinda, and Valjevo are recognized to be non-significant by the ITA method; while the MK test determined more stations with no significant trend. So, the ITA method is found to be more sensitive in finding hidden trends than the MK trend test.

Background: Informal payments are one of the major obstacles to health system reform in many developing countries, and its elimination is on the agenda of health system policymakers in many countries, including Iran. This study was conducted to identify the causes of informal payments in the Iranian health system.Methods: This was a qualitative and exploratory study. The study population included health care providers and health care recipients. Data were collected using open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews. Convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to select the providers. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data.Results: In the present study, 6 participants were physicians, 4 were hospital managers or CEOs, 4 were treatment or technical managers, 2 were nurses and 12 were patients or their companions. Reasons for informal payments divided in 4 themes include Economic factors, Socio-cultural factors, Service delivery challenges and Legal-political factors.Conclusions: In the Iranian health system, there is a great effort in order to reduce and eliminate the informal payments phenomenon, especially with the implementation of the health system transformation plan. Knowing the causes of this phenomenon can help reduce or eliminate it.

Background Informal payments are one of the major obstacles to health system reform in many developing countries, and its elimination is on the agenda of health system policymakers in many countries, including Iran. This study was conducted to identify the causes of informal payments in the Iranian health system. Methods This was a qualitative and exploratory study. The study environment included the Ministry of Health, physicians' offices, medical universities, and hospitals and health centers. The study population included health care providers (physicians and hospital staff, managers, supervisors, and nurses) and health care recipients (patients or patients who had a history of dealing with informal payments). Data were collected using open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews. Snowball sampling method was used to select managers, chief executive officers (CEOs) and nurses. Convenience sampling was used to select physicians due to their lack of participation and cooperation. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results Reasons for informal payments were divided into 4 themes including: Economic factors (improper tariff valuation of services; failure to increase tariffs proportionate to inflation; lack of comprehensive participation of stakeholders in determining tariffs; tariff inconsistency in the public, private and charity sectors; etc.); socio-cultural factors (decreased social capital of the medical community among the people; improving the quality of life; incorrect comparison of providers' income levels with the income of doctors in other countries; existence of a culture of gratitude and appreciation; health as a priority for society; pride of service recipients; pride of service providers; etc.); service delivery challenges (high professional skills of the doctor; use of modern medical equipment; the monopoly of some doctors, etc.) and legal-political factors (inadequate monitoring by upstream organizations; lack of strict rules; difficulty of proving informal payments; presence of stakeholders in management and policy making processes). Conclusions Knowing the causes of informal payments can help reduce or eliminate it. The results of this study identified the causes of informal payments in the Iranian health system. Accurate knowledge of the needs and motivations of both health care providers and recipients can be effective in accurately identifying and eliminating this phenomenon.

In the current work, high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites were fabricated via Friction Stir Processing (FSP). A two-phase Fe-Fe3O4 powder was used as the reinforcing agents. The extremely low cost powder was obtained from shot-blasting of as-forged low carbon steel components. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to phase analysis and evaluation of the purity of the as-received powder. The size distribution of the powder was determined by Laser Particle Size Analysis (LPSA). Also, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was employed to investigate the particles morphology. The processing used a cylindrical tool to impose the severe plastic deformation and material stirring in order to improve the mechanical properties and particles distribution. The tribological and mechanical properties of the fabricated samples were examined. According to the results, both the friction coefficient and specific wear rate of FSPed samples reduced remarkably. The hardness and tensile strength of the FSPed composites were higher than the FSPed HDPE samples; however, their elongations were lower.

Background Esophageal cancer causes considerable costs for health systems. Appropriate treatment options for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) can reduce medical costs and provide more improved outcomes for health systems and patients. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of treatment interventions for patients with ESCC according to the Iranian health system. Material and methods A five-state Markov model with a 15-year time horizon was performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of treatment interventions based on stage for ESCC patients. Costs ($US 2021) and outcomes were calculated from the Iranian health system, with a discount rate of 3%. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the potential effects of uncertain variables on the model results. Results In stage I, the Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) treatment yielded the lowest total costs and highest total QALY for a total of $1473 per QALY, making it the dominant strategy compared with esophagectomy and EMR followed by ablation. In stages II and III, chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery dominated esophagectomy. CRT followed by surgery was also cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $2172.8 per QALY compared to CRT. Conclusion From the Iranian health system’s perspective, EMR was the dominant strategy versus esophagectomy and EMR followed by ablation for ESCC patients in stage I. The CRT followed by surgery was a cost-effective intervention compared to CRT and esophagectomy in stages II and III.

Studies on economic burden demonstrate the impacts of some diseases and provide invaluable information for specifying priorities and resource needs when designing cancer control strategies. The current study aimed to estimate the cost of esophageal carcinoma (EC) in Iran in 2018.This study was conducted on the prevalence approach to estimate the economic burden of EC in Iran from a social perspective. The direct cost was estimated by summing the diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, terminal care, and transport costs. Additionally, a human capital approach was adopted to estimate productivity losses. Various resources were used for data collection, including the GLOBOCAN 2018 report, and the medical record in the Cancer Institute of Iran. Also, data such as exchange rates, employment, and housekeeping rates were extracted from the Central Bank of Iran Statistics.The economic burden of EC in Iran was $69.2 million in 2018, of which $38.7 million is caused by indirect costs and $30.5 million by direct costs. The mortality cost accounted for 49% of the economic burden, followed by 34% direct medical cost, 10% direct non-medical cost, and 7% morbidity cost.Mortality and medical cost appeared to be the main contributor to the economic burden. Therefore, policy-makers are recommended to adopt early detection and effective treatment as a highly cost-effective strategy for controlling costs.

Herein, intrinsic p-type conductivity of NiO films were enhanced by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technology, where more charged Ni3+ ions are created during the deposition process. The formation of Ni3+ ions are advantageous for strengthening the p-type conductivity of NiO films. As the pulse off-time increases from 0 μs to 3000 μs, Ni3+ concentration improves greatly, indicating the amount of Ni vacancies as well as the hole concentration significantly enhances. It confirms that HiPIMS is a preferential technology for preparing NiO films with high p-type conductivity. Especially, when pulse off-time reaches 3000 μs, a high carrier concentration of 2.86 × 1021 cm−3 and a relatively low electrical resistivity about 0.07 Ω·cm are achieved.

Patient-level utility data are needed for cost-utility analysis; in oncology, however, the data are commonly gathered using disease-specific questionnaires that are often not appropriate. Present study aimed to derive an algorithm which can map the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) scales and the Colorectal Cancer-Specific Quality Of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-CR29) scales onto the EuroQoL 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) values in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Using the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) model, a cross-sectional dataset of 252 patients with CRC were gathered from three academic centers of cancer treatment in Tehran in 2017. The predicted R2 (Pred R2) and adjusted R2 (Adj R2) are used to evaluate model goodness of fit. Additionally, mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), Spearman’s correlation coefficients (ρ), and intraclass correlation (ICC) are applied to assess predictive ability of models. The tenfold cross-validation procedure was applied for validation models. According to the results of our study, the model C4 from EORTC QLQ-C30 was the best predictive model (Pred R2 = 66.57%, Adj R2 = 67.67%, RMSE = 0.10173, MAE = 0.07840). Also, the model R4 from QLQ-CR29 performed the best for EQ-5D-5L (Adj R2 = 48.42%, Pred R2 = 45.54%, MAE = 0.10051, RMSE = 0.12997). The mapping algorithm successfully mapped the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29 scales onto the EQ-5D-5L values; therefore, it enables policymakers to convert cancer-specific questionnaires scores to the preference-based scores.

Bituminous binders have significant effect on the overall performance of the asphalt mixtures, although binders are not the main component of the asphalt mixture (4–6% by weight). This paper presents an overview of research efforts undertaken to evaluate the sensitivity of asphalt mixture performance to the change of the binder suppliers in the State of Arizona. The binders used in the asphalt mixture have identical Performance Grade (PG). However, the binders were from different suppliers. The laboratory testing program included the dynamic modulus and the repeated load/flow number tests. Asphalt mixtures were collected from four sections on a project constructed in northern Arizona. This project was unique in that all four asphalt concrete mixtures had the same aggregate structure and source but used PG 76-16 binders obtained from four different suppliers. Based on the test results, the tests were sensitive to variations in the properties of the same PG binders obtained from different suppliers. This was also confirmed through statistical analysis and comparison with the binder test data. In order to assess the sensitivity of the four asphalt binders on the pavement performance, the binder and mixture data were input into the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) and design simulations were run to compare rutting and fatigue cracking associated with each of the four PG76-16 binders included in this study. Significant statistical differences in both distress mechanisms were also observed for the different mixtures with changing only the binder supplier.

The role of slope stability in design, implementation and prediction of risk is very significant. From an economic point of view, higher slope angles would result in reduction of stripping ratio, return time of investment, and increase of the minable mineral reserves. The presence of natural disasters such as earthquakes is very important for the sustainability of open and underground structures. Earthquake is one of the major factors affecting the instability of natural and artificial slopes. Often, instabilities occurred in slopes due to earthquake cause large amounts of material collapse into open pit mines, and thus halt the mine production. Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine is one of the most important and biggest active mines of Iran which has an important contribution to copper production in the world. Presence of many faults and extreme weathering accompanied by the fact that the mine is located in a seismically active zone, confirms the requirement of slope dynamic stability analysis in addition to static analysis. In this paper, the finite difference method is used for the stability analysis of rock mass under static and earthquake loadings. The static analysis is performed and modelling results are presented in terms of safety factor and displacement history of important locations of the wall. Slope dynamic stability analysis under seismic loads is implemented based on time response method. In order to apply earthquake loading, the 2003 Bam earthquake record is utilized. The conclusions obtained by the time response analysis are displayed in the form of vertical and horizontal displacements histories of criticed locations within the slope. The results of analysis confirm the overall stability of slope. The displacements obtained by the time response analysis method are convergent and within the permitted range, such that there is no oscillation after the earthquake load is applied over the time. Finally, a sensitivity analysis for some input parameters including wall slope angle, underground water table, cohesion and internal friction angle of the rock mass is performed to examine and assess the impact of these parameters on the wall displacements field.

ZnO/In2O3 composite nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning method and effects of process parameters on the distribution and mean diameter of synthesized NFs were investigated. Electrospinning process followed by post calcination was performed at two different temperatures to optimize the synthesis condition of ZnO and In2O3 NFs. Thermal Analysis was done on electrospun fibrocomposites to find calcination temperatures. Electrospinning parameters (Tip to Collector Distance (TCD), feeding rate, and applied voltage), which led to a uniform distribution and thinnest NFs, were used for synthesizing ZnO/In2O3 composite in the co-electrospinning process. Structural, morphological, and chemical studies were also carried out on the NFs. TCD increment led to the improvement of diameter distribution and homogeneity of synthesized NFs. Low voltages (below 20 kV) resulted in thinner fibers without appearing any remarkable beads defect and the optimum feeding rate was found to be 1 ml/h. For further application of NFs in gas sensors, well distributed thinnest fibers were obtained.

SnO2 thin films were prepared by conventional and Glancing Angle Deposition reactive sputtering, and their gas sensing properties were investigated. The porosity of the as-prepared films was widely assessed using optical methods, and the sensing performances of these active layers were correlated with the evolution of surface and film porosity as a function of deposition conditions and annealing treatment. The sensor made of inclined columns grown at high sputtering pressure (6 × 10−3 mbar) and annealed at 500 °C in air exhibited the best response to benzene, with a limit of detection of 30 ppb. In addition, successful BTEX (i.e., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) discrimination was achieved by combining the sensing signals of four nanostructured tin-oxide-based gas sensors.

Background: Access to and utilization of eye care services may improve vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) of older people. This study aimed to evaluate the VRQoL of older adults and its associations with access to and utilization of eye care services. Methods: This is a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in Tehran, Iran, on 566 older people in 2018. The NEI-25 VFQ was used to measure the VRQoL. Multilevel Linear Regression analysis used to test the study hypotheses. Results: The average score of the VRQoL was 80 out of 100. About 61% of the participants did not utilize the annual routine eye examination and the mean score of overall access to eye care was 85 out of 115. Having a higher physical, socio-cultural and overall access were significantly associated with higher VRQoL, but those with regular utilization had no better VRQoL status compared to non-users. Conclusion: Access to eye care services showed to be very important in improvement of the VRQoL, whereas higher utilization was not found to be associated with better VRQoL statue of older people, as there might have a reverse causality with using more eye services with higher Visual impairment.

The importance of maintaining and restoring health has always made human beings seek health care. Lack of proper access to health care, price and quality differences, as well as other factors among different countries have led to the formation of a long-standing industry called health tourism. Outbreak of coronavirus throughout the world has shocked and affected most countries. In this regard, the health tourism market of Islamic Republic of Iran was no an exception and was affected by this crisis. To meet this challenge, stakeholders of the health tourism market should determine their recession during this period, strengthen their weaknesses, and use the available opportunities. In this study, we intended to investigate effect of the coronavirus prevalence on the health tourism market of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The spatial variability of annual precipitation and precipitation concentration has been analyzed in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province using data from 42 stations between 1981 and 2012. For this purpose, the correlation decay distance (CDD) and the coefficient of variation of annual precipitation have been computed at each station to show the inter-annual variability of precipitation. Results showed an increasing gradient from the southwest to the northeast in inter-annual precipitation variability. The degree of seasonality of precipitation and the year-to-year precipitation concentration variability were also investigated using the precipitation concentration index (PCI) and the coefficient of variation of PCI, respectively. The spatial distributions of intra-annual precipitation variability (or precipitation concentration) and inter-annual precipitation concentration showed a decreasing gradient from the southeast to the northwest. The T-mode principal component analysis (PCA) in association with cluster analysis (CA) was used to delineate homogeneous precipitation sub-zones for simplifying the spatial structure of precipitation variability over the region during the considered period. Results suggest three distinct sub-regions, including the northeastern part (the driest sub-region with the highest precipitation variability), the central and southern parts (the sub-region with the highest degree of seasonality of precipitation), and the northwestern part (the rainiest sub-region with the lowest inter-annual and intra-annual precipitation variability).

Using an alternative approach, we investigate critical behavior and phase transition of higher dimensional charged black holes in an anti--de Sitter background and in the presence of conformally invariant Power-Maxwell electrodynamics. In this approach, we keep the cosmological constant (pressure) as a fixed thermodynamic quantity and instead allow the charge of the black hole to vary. We disclose that one can realize the critical behavior for the system in ${\mathbit{Q}}_{p}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Psi}}$ plane and deduce all the critical exponents of the system as well as calculate the critical point $({T}_{c},{\mathbit{Q}}_{{p}_{c}},{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Psi}}}_{c})$, where ${\mathbit{Q}}_{p}={Q}^{2p/(2p\ensuremath{-}1)}$, $p$ is the power parameter of the Power-Maxwell Lagrangian, and $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Psi}}$ is the conjugate of ${\mathbit{Q}}_{p}$. We observe that the critical exponents are independent of the details of the model and have the same values as Van der Waals liquid-gas system. We thus complete the analogy of these types of black holes with Van der Waals liquid-gas system. We also write down the equation of state as ${\mathbit{Q}}_{p}={\mathbit{Q}}_{p}(T,\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Psi}})$ and construct a Smarr relation based on this new phase space as $M=M(S,P,{\mathbit{Q}}_{p})$. We obtain the Gibbs free energy of the system and find a swallowtail behavior in Gibbs diagrams, which is a characteristic of the first-order phase transition. Finally, we explain the microscopic behavior of the black hole by using thermodynamic geometry. We observe a gap in the scalar curvature $R$ that occurs between small and large black holes. The maximum value of this gap increases with increasing the dimension of the spacetime. It is seen that the interaction among the internal constituents of the black hole, as a thermodynamical system, is intrinsically a strong repulsive interaction.

Background: Ensuring that nurses report errors and disclose related outcomes to patients is a movement toward creating a culture of transparency. Different factors might contribute to the tendency to under-report or to disclose. This study aim to investigate the barriers of the reporting and disclosing of medical errors via nurses’ perceptions.Methods: A mixed methods study were used to identify barriers of error reporting and disclosing. For the aim of this study, a total of 491 nurses participated in the quantitative phase and 22 nurses in the qualitative phase, Iran, 2018. The data for the quantitative phase was collected based on a questionnaire and were next analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics. Through a scenario-based method, the qualitative data were gathered and analyzed based on content analysis approach.Results: The results showed that the most important perceived barriers with the highest impacts coincided with educational(64%), motivational(64%), and managerial factors (62%) and the univariate analysis showed a significant correlation between error-reporting mechanisms, education, and consequences of reporting errors domains and independent variables(p < 0.05). Based on SEM analysis, the most important perceived barriers were educational and motivational domains (ES:1.33, SE:0.16). Interview results were classified into three categories: error perception, error reporting, and error disclosure. In fact, 55% of the interviewed nurses identified the existence of at least one error in scenarios and 66% of participants stated that they had reported errors. Overall 83% of the participants recruited had negative attitude toward full disclosing the errors to patients.Conclusions: Our results highlight the multifactorial aspects in error reporting and disclosing. Lack of knowledge about error and its reporting, inappropriate feedback and weakness in supportive actions represent the inhibitors of reporting and disclosing errors. Actually, a guideline should be formulated on error disclosure to increase transparency and improve communication with patients.

Background Phenylketonuria (PKU) Screening is a public health measure aimed at identifying the early cases and managing the affected infants and trying to reduce infant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to analyze the policies of the PKU national screening program in Iran. Methods PKU screening program policies were analyzed according to the policy triangle model. Document review and 38 semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Document review data were analyzed using content analysis and interview data were analyzed using framework analysis. Results The findings of the study were categorized according to the content (structure and organization, rules, bylaws and guidelines), process (agenda setting, formation, implementation, and evaluation of screening policies and programs), the policy context (political and executive factors, economic and financial factors, social and cultural factors), and the stakeholders(Genetics office, Network Development Bureau, Population and Family Health Bureau, Health Reference Laboratory, Pediatric Health Department, Health Vice-Chancellor of Medical Sciences, Health Ministry Deputy of Health, PKU Selected Hospitals, Pastor Institute, Food and Drug Administration and Research Centers. Welfare Organization, the Health Insurance Agency, the PKU Patient Support Association, the Post Company, and the Registry). Conclusions The policy triangle framework helped to explain the different components of the PKU screening program.

We study quasi-matter bounce cosmology in light of Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) angular anisotropy measurements along with the BICEP2/Keck Array data. We propose a new primordial scalar power spectrum by considering a linear approximation of the equation of state $w\cong w_0+\kappa(\eta-\eta_0)$ for quasi-matter field in the contracting phase of the universe. Using this new primordial scalar power spectrum, we constrain the zeroth-order approximation of the equation of state $w_0= -\,0.00340\pm 0.00044$ and first-order correction $10^{4} \zeta= -1.67^{+1.50}_{-0.83}$ at the $1\sigma$ confidence level by Planck temperature and polarization in combination with the BICEP2/Keck Array data in which $\zeta = 12\kappa/k_*$ with pivot scale $k_*$. The spectral index of scalar perturbations is determined to be $n_{\rm Bs}=0.9623\pm0.0055$ which lies 7$\sigma$ away from the scale-invariant primordial spectrum. We find scale dependency for $n_{\rm s}$ at the $1\sigma$ confidence level and a tighter constraint on the running of the spectral index compared to $\Lambda$CDM+$\alpha_s$ cosmology. The running of the spectral index in quasi-matter bounce cosmology is $\alpha_{\rm Bs}= \pi \zeta /2 c_{\rm s} = -\hspace{.5mm}0.0021 \pm 0.0016$ which is nonzero at the $1.3\sigma$ level, whereas in $\Lambda$CDM+$\alpha_{\rm s}$ it is nonzero at the $0.8\sigma$ level for Planck temperature and polarization data. The sound speed of density fluctuations of the quasi-matter field at the crossing time is $c_{\rm s} = 0.097^{+0.037}_{-0.023}$, which is not a very small value in the contracting phase., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures

Introduction: Economic evaluation of healthcare interventions usually needs accurate data on utility and health-related quality-of-life scores. The aim of this study is to map QLQ-C30 scale score onto EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D utility values in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods: EQ-5D-5L, SF-6D, and QLQ-C30 were completed by 252 patients with CRC who were referred to three cancer centers in Tehran between May and September 2017. Moreover, OLS, Tobit, and CLAD models were used to predict EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D values. The goodness of fit of models was evaluated using Pred R2 and Adj R2. In addition, their predictive performance was assessed by MAE, RMSE, ICC, MID, and Spearman’s correlation coefficients between observed and predicted EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D values. Models were validated using a 10-fold cross-validation method. Results: Considering the goodness of fit and predictive ability of models, the OLS Model 2 performed best for EQ-5D-5L (Adj R2 = 58.09%, Pred R2 = 58.93%, MAE = 0.0932, RMSE = 0.129) and the OLS Model 3 performed best for SF-6D (Adj R2 = 54.90%, Pred R2 = 55.62%, MAE = 0.0485, RMSE = 0.0634). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that algorithms developed based on OLS Models 1 and 2 are the best for predicted EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D values, respectively.

الهدف: أجرينا مراجعة منهجية وقيمنا جودة تقارير تحديد الأولويات في البحوث الصحية في جمهورية إيران الإسلامية. طرق البحث: بحثنا في قواعد البيانات باللغتين الإنجليزية والفارسية من يناير/كانون الثاني إلى يوليو/تموز 2016 لاستخراج التقارير (التي يعود تاريخها حتى ديسمبر/كانون الأول 2015) حول تحديد الأولويات في البحوث الصحية في جمهورية إيران الإسلامية. أنشأنا قائمة تساعد في استخراج البيانات من الدراسات المحددة. ودرسنا المقالات بالتفصيل وأجرينا تحليلا للمحتوى. وسجلنا العناصر ذات الصلة وحللناها باستخدام برنامج ميكروسوفت - إكسل. النتائج: حددنا 36 مقالة. وشملت 8 مقالات جميع أصحاب المصلحة الرئيسيين. وقد استخدم ما يقرب من نصف المقالات معايير صالحة للترتيب. وتبين لنا أن الشفافية متحققة في 13 مقالة. وقد لاحظنا أنه تم تجاهل القواعد واللوائح المعمول بها في الأصل في 26 مقالة. بينما روعيت خطة التنفيذ في 9 مقالات، وتم توضيح تحليل السياق في 3 مقالات فقط. الاستنتاج: إن تطوير حزم معيارية لتحديد الأولويات وتدريب الباحثين وتحسين قدرة المنظمات قد يحسن من جودة دراسات تحديد الأولويات في المستقبل. مراجعة منهجية لدراسات تحديد الأولويات في البحوث الصحية في جمهورية إيران الإسلامية. عباس بدخستان، محمد عرب، آرش رشيديان، مهين قلي بور، إلهام محبي، كاظم زنده دل. الخلفية: أجريت عدة دراسات حول تحديد الأولويات في البحوث في بلدان مختلفة، بما في ذلك جمهورية إيران الإسلامية. Background: Several research priority-setting studies have been conducted in different countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran. Aims: We conducted a systematic review and evaluated the quality of the priority-setting reports about health research in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Methods: English and Farsi databases were searched from January to July 2016 to extract reports (up to December 2015) about priority setting in health research in the Islamic Republic of Iran. We constructed a checklist to extract data from the identified studies. Articles were studied in detail and content analysis was carried out. Relevant items were scored and analysed using Microsoft Excel. Results: We identified 36 articles. Eight articles involved all the main stakeholders. About half the articles used valid criteria for ranking. Transparency was fulfilled in 13 articles. Upstream rules and regulations were ignored in 26 articles. An implementation plan was considered in 9 articles and context analysis was demonstrated in only 3. Conclusions: Developing standard packages for priority setting, training of researchers and improving the capacity of organizations may improve the quality of priority-setting studies in the future. Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2018. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo). Analyse systematique des etudes concernant l’etablissement des priorites en matiere de recherche en sante en Republique islamique d’Iran. Contexte: Plusieurs etudes sur l’etablissement des priorites ont ete menees dans differents pays, notamment en Republique islamique d’Iran. Objectif: Nous avons effectue une analyse systematique et avons evalue la qualite des rapports concernant l’etablissement des priorites en matiere de recherche en sante en Republique islamique d’Iran. Methodes: Des recherches ont ete effectuees dans les bases de donnees en anglais et en farsi entre janvier et juillet 2016 afin de trouver des rapports (jusqu’a decembre 2015) concernant l’etablissement des priorites en matiere de recherche en sante en Republique islamique d’Iran. Nous avons etabli une liste de controle pour les criteres en vue de l’extraction des donnees des etudes identifiees. Les articles ont ete examines en detail et une analyse de contenu a ete effectuee. Les points pertinents ont ete notes et analyses a l’aide de Microsoft Excel. Resultats: Nous avons identifie 36 articles. Huit articles impliquaient l’ensemble des principales parties prenantes. Pres de la moitie des articles utilisaient des criteres de classification valides. Treize (13) articles faisaient preuve de transparence ; 26 articles ignoraient les regles et reglementations en vigueur. Un plan d’application etait suivi dans 9 articles et seuls 3 mettaient en avant une analyse du contexte. Conclusion: L’elaboration d’ensembles de normes en matiere d’etablissement des priorites, la formation des chercheurs et l’amelioration de la capacite des organisations pourraient avoir des repercussions positives sur la qualite des prochaines etudes concernant l’etablissement des priorites.

Tungsten oxide thin films are grown by DC reactive magnetron sputtering combining glancing angle deposition (GLAD) and reactive gas pulsing process (RGPP). Inclined, zigzag and spiral columnar architectures are produced with various oxygen injections during the growth. The dodecane and ozone sensing properties of these tungsten oxide nanostructured active layers are comparatively studied with that of films deposited by conventional sputtering process. Microstructure, morphologies and electrical behaviors are characterized as a function of the growing conditions. As-deposited films systematically exhibit an amorphous crystal structure with a porous microstructure, which depends on the GLAD architecture. Annealing at 300 °C in air for 12 h leads to a polycrystalline structure keeping voided networks. Dodecane and ozone sensing performances are the most significant for inclined columnar architectures but they also depend on the RGPP sputtering conditions. As a result, the GLAD + RGPP combination proves to be a relevant strategy for the fabricating tungsten oxide nanostructured films as active layers with an attractive potential for gas sensors.

International audience; Tungsten oxide thin films were prepared by DC magnetron sputtering. The reactive gas pulsing processwas implemented to modify tungsten and oxygen concentrations in the films. A rectangular pulsingsignal was used with a pulsing period fixed at P ¼ 16 s, whereas the duty cycle a was systematicallychanged from a ¼ 0e100% of P. The chemical composition of the films showed a gradual increase ofoxygen-to-tungsten concentrations ratio from 0 to more than 3.0 as a function of the duty cycle. Filmsbecame poorly crystallized and even amorphous with an increase of the oxygen content. Similarly, atypical columnar structure was observed for pure or oxygen-rich tungsten films, which vanished whenthe duty cycle was higher than a few % of P. The optical transmittance in the visible range of WOx filmsdeposited on glass also showed a progressive change from absorbent to transparent as the duty cycle wasincreased. Electronic transport properties including conductivity, carrier mobility and concentration alsodemonstrated the controlled and regular evolution of the electrical properties from metallic to insulatorwhen the duty cycle and thus oxygen concentration in the films changed from pure tungsten to overstoichiometricWO3 compound.