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As a field image enhancement has evolved due to an inherent human want for better image quality. Traditional methods apply linear scaling functions operating on image attributes such as contrast and brightness whereas it is often necessary to amplify specific localized elements as edges in images. This need has resulted in a search for better methods in efforts to boost these local characters in as much as the general image is concerned. Thus, this paper aims to propose an edge- and texture-aware image enhancement framework based on full-depth Gabor filters and morphological operation that can overcome the above drawbacks and gain the desired image texture complexities and brightness. Hence the method proposed in this work aims at preserving edge and texture at the same time to get an image that looks natural and has improved aesthetics. This bank of filters is mostly useful to obtain small details of texture and sharpness. An inverse gamma transform is then applied to the image to reduce gamma distortions in the image, while another process known as depth-of-defocus is to determine the edges of the texture image. These are the detected edges used in the coarse refinement stage. Morphological operations are employed to populate and repaint the elaborate structures of this image to fit up. An experimental analysis of the proposed method is carried out by conducting experiments on several structures of images including images with different textured content, different levels of brightness, and noise. This result is generalized with the help of quantitative measures and qualitative analysis on PSNR, SSIM, FSIM, and GMSD parameters.

In this research, the objective is to prepare cytotoxically less active biocompatible aminated nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) decorated Ag-ZnO nanocomposite particles. For this, raw rice (Oryza sativa) straw is employed as a primary source of cellulose. The raw rice straw collected from local agricultural field is first exposed to alkali treatment and subsequent bleaching to remove non-cellulosic components. Acid hydrolysis with 60 % (v/v) H2SO4 produced tiny spherical (147 nm) as well as few needle-shape (96 nm) particles with the highest crystalline index (77 %). The ultra-small particles, termed as nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), are amine functionalized before decorating binary Ag-ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) following an in-situ green co-reduction protocol. The crystallinity and valence states of Ag-ZnO NPs in the nanocomposite, named as NCCNH2@Ag-ZnO, are well maintained. A comparative study of antimicrobial activity and cell viability (against brine shrimp eggs i.e., Artemia salina) among Ag-ZnO NPs, NCC@Ag-ZnO and NCCNH2@Ag-ZnO nanocomposites is carried out. Due to the presence of multiple coordination sites on NCCNH2, the stable network of NCCNH2@Ag-ZnO nanocomposite particles showed the minimum antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity. Hence, the NCCNH2@Ag-ZnO nanocomposite would be relatively safe for use in wound healing/dressing materials, disinfectants and food packaging.

Social networking is virtual areas where individuals can create their virtual profiles and make friends with common interests. With the integration of social media into individuals’ everyday lives, it has the potential to affect many parts of human behavior. The purpose of the present study was to investigate mediating role of perceived social support in the relationship between social competences with virtual social networks addiction in students. This was descriptive-correlation research. The statistical population was female students in Karaj in year 2023. A sample of 400 students were selected with convenience method. Data collection tools include the social networking addiction scale of Griffiths, social competence questionnaire of Gómez-Ortiz, et al. and social support scale of Zimet, et al. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equations modeling. The results showed significant direct effect of social competence and social support on virtual social networks addiction. Also, the results showed that perceived social support had a mediating role in relationship between social competences with virtual social networks addiction. Based on the results of this research, it is suggested that the relationship between these variables should be taken into consideration in interventions to social networks addiction.

In recent years, CFRP is the most popular material in strengthening RC members (columns, beams, slabs…etc.) as well as the textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) was also used as an alternative method for strengthening RC columns. The present study includes fifteen circular RC columns: One control column, ten columns strengthened by one or two layers of CFRP using EBR or EBROG methods, two columns was strengthened by textile-reinforced epoxy on grooves and last two columns were strengthened by textile reinforced mortar without grooves. The parameters of this investigation are type of strengthening technique (EBR, EBROG and TRM), number of CFRP layers, and the grooves configuration. The results showed that the columns strengthened longitudinally with one or two layers of CFRP strips using EBR technique enhanced the load-carrying capacity by 2 and 7.13%, respectively, when compared with control column. However, the load carrying capacity of RC columns strengthened by EBROG increased by the range of 11.65% to 71.4%. in comparison with control column. Finally, TRM strengthening method enhanced the load carrying capacity by about 21% to 58.5%. Also, the results showed that the EBROG and TRM approaches were improved the stiffness and ductility of the columns in comparison with EBR method.

An attempt is made to use biochar (BC), a carbon rich low-cost green material, as a platform to house conducting polymer for fabricating stable graphite electrodes for application in next generation supercapacitor devices. Here, BC is first prepared from sucrose solution using a simple hydrothermal method. The seeded chemical oxidative copolymerization of aniline and pyrrole is then carried out at identical comonomer weight ratio using BC as seed particles. Two different BC to mixed monomer (w/w) ratios (1:0.7 and 1:1) have been used and the prepared composites are named as BC/P(Ani-Py)1:0.7 and BC/P(Ani-Py)1:1 respectively. Independent of composition, both BC seed and composite particles are spherical. The smooth homogeneous surface of BC turned heterogeneous after composite formation. The average size of BC seed particles is 2.56 µm and those of composites prepared at weight ratios of 1:0.7 and 1:1.0 are 2.72 and 2.90 µm respectively. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charging discharging (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are used to evaluate the electrochemical properties. Comparatively, the BC/P(Ani-Py)1:1 composite modified graphite electrode exhibited the highest capacitance value (274.27 F g−1 at a current density of 1.0 A/g) and is capable of acting as a supercapacitor electrode. A long-term cycling test of the BC/P(Ani-Py)1:1 modified electrode at a current density of 5.0 A/g displayed a capacitance retention of 96.6 % after 1000 cycles of charge and discharge, indicating a very good cycle stability.

The process of self-awareness and awareness of the surrounding world for Muslim scholars has been categorized into divisions such as experiential and acquired awareness. However, the ontology of awareness, meaning the discussion of whether awareness is immaterial or material, as well as the material or immaterial nature of the origin and end of awareness, has been a particularly challenging topic among Muslim theologians. Some Muslim scholars, denying the existence of a factor beyond the human body for his movement and life, considered both awareness and the process of awareness formation in humans and the factor shaping awareness in humans to be within the same body. They engaged in critiquing the perspectives and foundations of philosophers, especially Ibn Sina, on this matter and, utilizing specific principles in their philosophical physicalistic psychology, regarded awareness as a material entity. In this discussion, after examining the foundations of this group of Muslim theologians regarding the material nature of awareness and their criticisms of considering awareness as immaterial, we will focus on the philosophical and epistemological consequences arising from their materialistic view of awareness in their thought.

Abstract Introduction Given the importance of promoting self-care and quality of life for discharged elderly patients after acute Myocardial Infarction(MI), It is necessitated we conduct interventions to promote these items. This study was conducted to determine the effect of mHealth-Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on the inner Strength and resilience of elderly patients with MI after discharge from the hospital. Methods The present study was a randomized controlled trial that was conducted on 56 Elderly patients with myocardial infarction were discharged from the heart departments. In the intervention group after the patient’s discharge, the patients were contacted twice a week for one month and the necessary training and support were given online. To gather data, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the inner strength scale (ISS), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were completed pre- and post-intervention. The data analysis was done by SPSS16. Results This study showed the mean resilience and inner strength scores before and after the intervention in the control group had no statistically significant difference(P˃0.05). There was a significant increase in the mean resilience and inner strength scores in the intervention group after the intervention (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion The results of this study showed that mHealth as a kind of telenursing nursing has a significant effect on both variables of inner strength and resilience of post-discharge elderly patients after acute myocardial infarction. This means that using mHealth for these patients could increase the inner strength and resilience of the elderly discharged after myocardial infarction. Therefore, through using this method, elderly patients’ self-care ability and quality of life could be increased.

Background: Adherence to treatment as a public health issue is critical in the treatment of chronic illnesses. therapies Studies have reported on the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy to improvement adherence to treatment, also, motivational interviewing by empowering effect on this behavior. However, compares the effect these in women with breast cancer has been overlooked. Aims: the aim of this syudy is to compare the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy & motivational interviewing on adherence to treatment in women with breast cancer. Methods: Research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post- test, three-month follow-up with control group. The statistical population consist of all patients (30-50) suffering from breast cancer and applied to Firoozgar Hospital located in Tehran City in 1401 years and operate by mastectomy surgery. Sampling method was Convenience Sampling. 45 available patients selected (fifteen in each experimental group) and replaced randomly in experimental group1 (acceptance and commitment therapy) and experimental group2 (motivational interviewing). Fifteen other patients placed in control group and did not receive any training. The adherence to treatment Inventory (Modanloo, 2013) was administered pre-test, post-test and follow-up. Packages were the training packages were ACT package (Dall et al, 2017) and motivational interviewing package (Miller & Rollnick, 2012). Both applied on experimental groups (sixty minutes each session) weekly and the control group did not receive any training. The data analyzed by mixed analysis variance. Results: Results showed that both of ACT & motivational interviewing were affected the same on increasing to adherence to treatment (p

Background: The covid-19 causes a lot of distress in patients due to its prevalence and the uncertainty of the treatment result, which may even cause a person to experience trauma. Several studies have shown the role of coping styles and self-esteem in recovery from illness. However, there was a research gap in the study of the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between coping styles and post-traumatic growth in patients with corona. Aims: The aim is to prediction post-traumatic growth based on coping styles with mediated by self-esteem in recovered corona patients. Methods: The procedure of this research was descriptive and correlation. The statistical population of this study were all recovered patients with corona disease in Sari city in the second half of 2022. We selected 250 patients (18-55 years) based on Green formula. Method of sampling was convenience. The instruments of this study were post-traumatic growth questionnaire of Tedeschi & Calhoun (1996), self-esteem Cooper Smith test (1967), coping styles Parker & Endler (1990). The collective data was analyzed by structural equation modeling and path analysis. Results: The results show that there ara positive and significant relationship between problem-focused coping style, negative and significant relationship between emotion-focused and avoidant- focused styles and post-traumatic growth in recovered corona patients. Also the data showed that self-esteem mediates the relationship between coping styles and post-traumatic growth positive significantly in recovered corona patients (p

Introduction: Governance is in fact a process based on the interaction between the official organizations and institutions of the city administration on the one hand and non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations on the other hand. The optimal urban governance system is based on seven principles: participation, legitimacy, accountability, consensus building, efficiency and effectiveness, transparency and justice.Data and Method: This research is a survey type with a descriptive-analytical approach with the aim of practical adjustment and information in the field using a researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population is the citizens of the Ghir city and the sample size is estimated 384 people based on Cochran's formula. One-way ANOVA and one-sample t-test were used for analysis. For this purpose، in this study، we have tried to examine indicators such as participation, responsibility, effectiveness, rule of law، transparency, central justice, consensus orientation and accountability. To measure each of the variables in the questionnaire, a 5-point Likert scale was used.Results: It shows that the average of all indicators of good governance from the perspective of citizens with a value of 2.66 out of 3 is in an unfavorable situation, which indicates the ineffective method of managers in the urban area and therefore to increase citizen participation in management Is that city officials provide the ground for citizen participation.Conclusion: Indicates the dissatisfaction of citizens that in this regar, city officials should provide the basis for increasing satisfaction with life in the city by using the opinions of people in the field of management and policies.

Introduction: All the results obtained from medical research are reliable when they are examined using correct statistical tests along with checking the assumptions of the test and the accuracy of factors such as sample size, randomization, and standard measurement tools. Therefore, the present study was performed with aim to identify the extent of the articles' compliance with the essay writing standards and the correct use of statistical methods in the results reporting. Methods: In this descriptive study, from all Persian-language journals that had a scientific-research score in 2021, 300 articles were selected with a multi-stage sampling method. Then, the study questionnaire was designed and was completed each article after assessing its validity and reliability. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 18) and Two-sample t-test. P

The prevalence of erectile dysfunction is on the rise. Patients are turning to herbal drugs as an alternative to allopathic therapy or are drawn towards natural alternatives. However, there are concerns about the safety of these medications. An effort was made to determine the level of two commonly used water-soluble preservatives, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in 54 finished energy-stimulating herbal preparations. Maceration-assisted UV- Vis spectrometry was adopted for determining the analytes in bulk and finished formulations. Concern about harmful effects on human health has been raised after 5% of samples were found to be risky for oral ingestion of sodium benzoate. If ingested exceeding the prescribed daily dose, the high concentration of potassium sorbate in some formulations raises concerns regarding daily consumption. To assess the preservative levels in herbal medicines, more laboratory-based studies are required.

This investigation aimed to determine the efficacy of neurofeedback intervention on stress and anxiety symptoms in migraine patients. The research method was quasi-experimental and descriptive, with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design, as well as experimental and control groups. The statistical cohort included all migraine patients who consulted psychological clinics in Tehran in 2018 and 2019. Thirty patients with scores one standard deviation above the mean were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups from different institutions in Tehran province. Participants completed the Stress Resources and Stress Symptoms Questionnaire (SRSSQ) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI for the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. After 20 sessions of neurofeedback, the present study’s data were analyzed using the mixed design analysis of variance method and BioGraph Infiniti version 6 software. At the 0.01 significance level, it reduced physical symptoms (P

in Sarein city, which is done using Hofstede culture model and Padma service quality model. The statistical population of this study includes all domestic tourists who entered the city of Sarein in the period of June and early July of 2018. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data and out of 400 distributed questionnaires, 372 people answered the questionnaires. Structural equations and LISREL software were used for data analysis. The results show that the relationship between pleasure-seeking/self-control and perceived quality of health tourism services The globalization of healthcare has led to the emergence of a new form of tourism known as health tourism. Given the special importance of tourism and especially health tourism and the resulting economic benefits, the quality factor can be important and fundamental. Among the factors that can affect the quality of health tourism services are cultural values. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of cultural values ​​on the perceived quality of health tourism services is significant and positive. Also, a positive and significant relationship between long-term/ short-term orientation, degree of ambiguity acceptance, power distance, masculinity/ feminism and individualism/collectivism with the perceived quality of health tourism services was confirmed.

Background: Body image refers to how an individual sees their own body and how attractive they feel themselves. Studies have reported on the effect of mindfulness training to improvement body image, also, self-care by empowering effect on this behavior. However, compares the effect these trainings in women with breast cancer has been overlooked. Aims: the aim of this syudy to compare the efficacy of mindfulness training & self-care training on body image in women with breast cancer. Methods: Research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post- test, three-month follow-up with control group. The statistical population consist of all patients (30-50) suffering from breast cancer and applied to cancer research center Taleqani Hospital located in Tehran City in 1400 years and operate by mastectomy surgery. Sampling method was Convenience Sampling. 45 available patients selected (fifteen in each experimental group) and replaced randomly in experimental group1 (mindfulness training) and experimental group2 (self-care training). Fifteen other patients placed in control group and did not receive any training. The body image Inventory (Fisher, 1970) was administered pre-test, post-test and follow-up. The training packages were mindfulness training package (cabatzin, 2015) and self-care training package (Clark ET all, 2014). Both traininges applied on experimental groups (ninety minutes each session) weekly and the control group did not receive any training. The data analyzed by mixed analysis variance. Results: Results showed that both of mindfulness training & self-care training were affected the same on increasing to body image (p

Citrus assamensis, commonly known as Adajamir, is an underutilized fruit with distinctive sensory and nutritional properties. The limited amount of research on this particular citrus type was recognized as one of the research gaps for this study. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the impacts of sonication, pasteurization, and thermosonication techniques on the quality and sensory attributes of Adajamir juice. A randomized experimental design was used in the study, wherein the juice underwent three different treatments. The results indicate that there were no significant changes in pH or titratable acidity following all treatments. Yet, notable differences in juice color were observed. The use of sonication and thermosonication resulted in an increase in β-carotenoid levels. Additionally, total phenolic content and antioxidant activities were observed to increase. All three treatments led to a reduction in ascorbic acid levels relative to the control. However, the complete elimination of microbial growth was observed during the thermal treatment. Compared to other approaches, sonication has been shown to be notably more efficacious in enhancing both the flavor and aroma. Sonication has been observed to improve the perceived bitterness to a certain degree. These findings support the potential of sonication as an alternative preservation method for Adajamir juice, offering enhanced quality and sensory acceptance.

One of the most important challenges facing urban management is informal housing. This phenomenon is one of the adverse consequences of urbanization in the contemporary world, which is especially formed as a result of rapid industrialization and regional inequalities, and due to the deprivation and lack of informal settlements in urban living facilities compared to other Urban areas have made them the focus of acute urban issues and problems and against sustainable human development. The current situation of informal settlements shows that the plans, forecasts and measures taken to address the problems of this phenomenon, especially in the metropolis of Tabriz, have not been so effective that the expansion of informal settlements in this city is a reason for this claim. For this purpose, in this study, an attempt has been made to systematically identify and analyze the key drivers affecting the formation and expansion of informal settlements in the Tabriz metropolis. The research method in the present study is mixed (quantitative-qualitative) with analytical-exploratory nature. The intersection of the components is formed. In the next step, the matrix is ​​analyzed using Micmac software. The results of the dispersion of variables in the axis of influence and the influence of factors in Mikmak software indicate the instability of the system in the study area and accordingly, five categories of variables were identified. Finally, due to the high score of direct and indirect influence of factors, eighteen main factors were identified as key drivers in the formation and expansion of informal settlement in the region. Among the studied drivers, the variables of the economic sector had the greatest impact on the formation and expansion of informal settlement in the study area.

Abstract Background One of the effective factors on BF (Breastfeeding) continuation is Breastfeeding self-efficacy (BFSE). This study was conducted to determine the relationship between Health Literacy (HL) and BFSE in lactating mothers referring to primary health care centers. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on lactating mothers referring to primary health care centers in 2022. Multi-stage cluster sampling was done with 160 samples. The data were collected using demographic questionnaire, Persian shortened form of the BSES is a self-reported instrument for measuring a mother's Breastfeeding self-efficacy and Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA). Data were analyzed using ANOVA, independent t-test, correlation test and liner regression by SPSS version 16, with a significance level of 5%. Results There was a significant positive correlation between the HL score and its four domains( Reading, Behaviour and decision making, Accessing, and Understanding) except for the appraisal domain with BFSE score. The variables of use of formula, HL, duration of breastfeeding, and education were considered predictors of BFSE. Conclusion In general, the results indicate a possible relationship between BFSE and mothers' HL. Therefore, improving mother's HL can have a positive effect on promoting infants’ nutrition.

In recent decades, urban spaces have come under pressure for a variety of reasons, including declining economic development rates, demographic change, industrial restructuring, and declining real estate markets, and the issue of urban decline and blight has become a global phenomenon. Therefore, identifying the factors affecting the spread of urban blighted and strategic planning in order to deal with the spread of this phenomenon and the realization of sustainable development is an inevitable necessity. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the blighting of urban spaces in Tabriz metropolis. The research method is a combination of quantitative-qualitative approaches with applied purpose and descriptive-analytical nature and in order to analyze the data, structural equations based on variance with Smart-pls partial least squares method have been used. The statistical population of the study also includes experts, managers and city officials and academic elites (about 1400 people) and the sample size was determined using special rules of the partial least squares method and the modified Cochran model of 344 people. Findings show that the most effective in the formation of urban blighting in Tabriz metropolis is related to the variables of technocratic management system and shifting resources and facilities to high-income deciles of society, non-segregation of interventions in various urban contexts (new, old, worn and informal), tissue wear and obsolescence of equipment and transformation in economic centers with scores of 0.791, 0.744, 0.728 and 0.639, respectively. Also, the results indicate that developments such as population movements and changes in economic centers in recent decades have caused the formation of spatial imbalances in different dimensions and the blighting of some city spaces.

Researchers have been focused on evaluating topographic maps in order to identify property and infrastructure and address issues relating to property disputes and its ramifications for a given country. However, over time, the requirements for map production have changed and evolved, and there is a need for an increased level of quality and standard in the map making process. Several cities in Iraq, including Baghdad (capital), do not comply with the existing standards set by the Department of Survey Mapping in Iraq (DSMI). One of the main concerns and issues is with the quality of mapping which is mainly due to inaccurate digitizing procedures. Therefore, the aim of this study is to produce seamless topographic maps using vector data to overcome the problem of no-overlapping that often occurs in producing maps. However, there is another issue regarding edge matching and the lack of standards being met according to the MS1759 procedure. To address this issue, ArcGIS 10.3 software is used as a tool to process data, analyze the index maps, and to produce seamless geospatial data using seamless methods. The database is set up using the characteristics and code properties from the MS1759 standard. The orthophoto image is used as the base map in which the series of maps used is MY Series and its area is of Baghdad. The results indicated that seamless topology is far easier to handle than the base cartography. It also demonstrated that using this method aids in analyzing the data in a far more detailed manner than existing techniques. Overall, the study concludes that seamless topographic map has a better GIS ready quality and the produced map is far more qualitative than the existing map of the Baghdad.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and importance of life skills components in social studies textbooks. The research method is content analysis and the units of analysis were sentences and images. The statistical population was all the textbooks of social education in the elementary school in 2021, in which the whole society was considered as a sample. The research tool is a researcher-made checklist and data was analyzed via MAXQDA software. After determining the frequency of indicators, for the comparing the frequencies, Chi-square and Shannon's Entropy method was used. The results revealed that the highest frequency of the life skills components observed in the sixth grade with 1048 cases, the second rank belongs to the fifth grade with 908 cases, and the last rank belongs to the fourth grade with 401 items. The results of chi-square test confirmed the significant differences in frequencies. Also, the results of Shannon's Entropy analysis indicated that the highest coefficient of importance is related to the component of creative thinking and the lowest is related to self-awareness. Overall, the findings have useful implications for designing school-based interventions in teaching life skills.

Antibodies and humoral memory are key components of the adaptive immune system. We consider and computationally model mechanisms by which humoral memory present at baseline might increase rather than decrease infection load; we refer to this effect as EI-HM (enhancement of infection by humoral memory). We first consider antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) in which antibody enhances the growth of the pathogen, typically a virus, and typically at intermediate 'Goldilocks' levels of antibody. Our ADE model reproduces ADE in vitro and enhancement of infection in vivo from passive antibody transfer. But notably the simplest implementation of our ADE model never results in EI-HM. Adding complexity, by making the cross-reactive antibody much less neutralizing than the de novo generated antibody or by including a sufficiently strong non-antibody immune response, allows for ADE-mediated EI-HM. We next consider the possibility that cross-reactive memory causes EI-HM by crowding out a possibly superior de novo immune response. We show that, even without ADE, EI-HM can occur when the cross-reactive response is both less potent and 'directly' (i.e. independently of infection load) suppressive with regard to the de novo response. In this case adding a non-antibody immune response to our computational model greatly reduces or completely eliminates EI-HM, which suggests that 'crowding out' is unlikely to cause substantial EI-HM. Hence, our results provide examples in which simple models give qualitatively opposite results compared to models with plausible complexity. Our results may be helpful in interpreting and reconciling disparate experimental findings, especially from dengue, and for vaccination.

Aim:We think that the nasopharyngeal swab sample should be taken bilaterally to improve the sensitivity of the real-time-reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test since there may be pathologies that cause nasal obstruction, such as nasal septum deviation (NSD). In this context, we investigated the effect of the nasopharyngeal swab sampling method and the presence of nasal obstruction on the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).Methods:This prospective clinical study was conducted from March 2021 to January 2022. Forty-four hospitalized patients with NSD were included in the study group, and 44 hospitalized patients without NSD were included in the control group. The results of the RT-PCR test studied with a unilateral nasopharyngeal swab sample taken during hospitalization and the RT-PCR test studied with a bilateral nasopharyngeal swab sample taken on the 2nd day of hospitalization and the visual analog scale (VAS) scores showing the patients’ pain during the first sampling were determined.Results:In the first test, 23 (52.3%) patients in the study group and 32 (72.7%) patients in the control group were evaluated as SARS-CoV-2 positive. The first test sensitivity was significantly higher in the control group (p=0.048). The VAS score was significantly higher in the study group (p=0.00008). In the second test, 35 (79.5%) patients in the study group and 37 (84.1%) patients in the control group were evaluated as SARS-CoV-2 positive. The sensitivity increases in the study group and in the population were statistically significant (p=0.007 and p=0.004, respectively). The consistency of the first and second test results increased in patients without NSD and in patients with low VAS scores [odds ratio (OR)=3.779; p=0.001, OR=2.572; p=0.005, respectively].Conclusion:Nasopharyngeal swab sampling may be affected by nasal congestion and the sampling method. To avoid this, it may be more appropriate to take a nasopharyngeal swab sample through the bilateral nasal cavity.

Background: Self-efficacy and resilience are among the most important concepts related to psychological capital that consists of various dimensions and considering the multidimensional nature of peace education, examining its impact on increasing self-efficacy and resilience is the main issue of the present study. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of peace education on self-efficacy and resilience of junior high school students. Methods: The present study was conducted as a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest design and considering three experimental and control groups with a two-month follow-up. The statistical population of the study consists of first grade high school students in District 3 of Tehran. 60 samples were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method. The data collection tool was a psychological capital questionnaire that was used to test the two items of self-efficacy and resilience. After performing the pre-test, the experimental group received peace training in 8 sessions of 120 minutes in 8 consecutive weeks and the control group did not receive any training in this field. At the end of the experimental group, post-test and after two months, follow-up test was performed. Mixed analysis of variance in SPSS-22 software was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that the effect of peace education on the components of self-efficacy and resiliency, is significant at the level of 0.01. Also, peace education compared to the control group has led to an increase in the mean scores of the components of self-efficacy and resiliency in the post-test and follow-up stages. Conclusion: Due to the significant effect of peace education on students' self-efficacy and resiliency, this method can be used in their academic success.

This paper aims to produce an optimization methodology for a truss for minimal stress on critical sections using Machine learning models. This is done by varying the height and length of the truss span and applying live loads on different joints. The optimization of the truss is done through feed forward with back propagation artificial neural network model, The optimized truss is modelled and analysed using finite element and stiffness software. The paper presents the results and identifies the best dimensions for the truss design with a safety factor.

Background: Action for personal growth is a complex structure that consists of various dimensions and due to the multidimensional nature of peace education, examining its impact on increasing action for personal growth is the main issue of the present study that no research has been done in this field. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of peace education on the Personal Growth Initiative of junior middle school students. Methods: The method of the present study was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. To conduct the research, among all the male middle school students in District 3 of Tehran who were studying in the academic year 2009-2010; 60 people were selected as a sample through multi-stage random sampling and They were randomly divided into experimental (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. The students in the experimental group were then trained in peace in 8 sessions of 2 hours in 8 weeks. The instrument used in the study was the Personal Growth Initiative Questionnaire (PGIQ) Which were performed in three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up (two months) in both experimental and control groups and were analyzed using mixed design analysis method in SPSS software. Results: In the developed model, the implementation of peace education in comparison with the control group, the components of action for personal growth were significant at the level of 0.01%.Due to the significant impact of peace education on action for students' personal growth, this method can be used in their academic success. Conclusion: Due to the significant effect of peace education on students' Personal Growth Initiative, this method can be used in their academic success.

Background: Nutrition education is a key component of health promotion programs and leads to the improvement of nutritional behaviors of adolescents. Understanding the stages of cognitive-behavioral therapy in eating behavior and weight loss in adolescents is important in terms of preventive care. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on eating behavior and weight loss in adolescents. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a two-month follow-up with the control group. The statistical population consisted of all adolescents referred to counseling centers in Mashhad in autumn 2019; 30 of them were selected by convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into experimental, and control groups. The research questionnaires were demographic questionnaire, and eating behavior questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated variance analysis and SPSS.22 software. Results: The mean (SD) of age was 17.66 (4.49) years in the experimental group 59.7% and 17.01 (4.10) years in the control group. 65.9% in the experimental group and in the control group, 59.7% were girls and the mean (SD) of body mass index was 27.73 (1.34) in the experimental group and 27.32 (0.95) in the control group. The results showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy was effective in decreasing uncontrollable eating (P

Melt-spun Fe-based ribbons are widely used as the core of transformers and inductors due to their high flux density and low coercivity. However due to their high thickness (∼19 µm) these ribbons are prone to large eddy current losses at MHz frequencies. Despite low yield, ball milling has been widely used to break such ribbons down to thinner flakes to suppress the eddy current losses at high frequency. In this work, we demonstrated an optimized ball milling process with increased yield for flakes in the desired size range (2–4 µm). We have demonstrated that reducing pre milling annealing temperature from 450 to 350 °C increases the yield in desired size range from 2% to 5% and further increasing batch size from 10 to 20 g increases the yield to 21%. The coercivity of the milled flakes increases from 139 to 1352 A/m due to the ball milling process. A post-mill annealing at 350 °C in Ar atmosphere decreases the coercivity to 341 A/m. X-ray diffraction analysis showed no sign of crystallization during ball milling. The result presented here demonstrates an efficient approach to fabricate ultra-thin flakes out of soft magnetic ribbons for high-frequency applications.

FeSiB based soft magnetic flakes (SMFs; ϕ: 63-106 µm, t: 2-5 µm) coated with optimally thick (∼10 nm) SiO2 were fabricated as the potential magnetic material for pressed cores suitable for use in power inductors operating beyond 10 MHz. Such thin SMFs were produced by mechanical ball milling of commercially available thick (∼27 µm) ribbons followed by an optimized sol-gel coating in presence of a silane coupling agent. Milling helped to reduce ribbon thickness below the skin depth to minimize eddy current loss at high frequencies. The effect of milling (medium, duration, rotation speed, and ball-to-powder ratio) and coating conditions on the soft magnetic properties of the SMFs were investigated. An optimally tiny fraction of the milled flakes was allowed to become nanocrystalline, which augments saturation flux density (BS) and permeability (µ) without incurring additional losses. The results from X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy and magnetization measurement confirm that a stress-releasing post-annealing process reduced coercivity from ∼62 Oe to ∼6 Oe and enhanced the magnetic saturation moment from 126 emu/g to 142 emu/g without affecting the thin yet robust insulating SiO2 layer.

Abstract Objective The causative agent of COVID‐19 is a novel member of coronaviridaes, SARS‐CoV‐2. It has been reported that the spike (S) protein of SARS‐CoV‐2 is responsible of infectivity. The S protein is demonstrated to be inactivated under environmental condition, such as hypertonicity and alkaline pH. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of hypertonic alkaline nasal irrigation (HANI) on SARS‐CoV‐2. Methods Sixty patients divided into two groups. The patients in Group 1 used hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), and the patients in Group 2 used HCQ and HANI. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected at the beginning, on 3rd and 7th day of the PCR test positivity. The nasopharyngeal viral load (NVL) changes analyzed with quantitative PCR. Results NVL decrease in weekly period was statistically significant for both groups, when the difference between NVL day 0 and 3rd in Group 1 and NVL difference between day 0 and 3rd in Group 2 were compared. The difference between Groups 1 and 2 in terms of NVL change was statistically significant (P

We present the geomorphological map of the northwestern part of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where the landscape expresses the tectonic activity associated with the Arabia-Eurasia convergence and Neogene climate change. These processes influenced the evolution of landforms and fluvial pathways, where major rivers Tigris, Khabur, and Great Zab incise the landscape of Northeastern Mesopotamia Anticlinal ridges and syncline trough compose the Zagros orogen. The development of water and wind gaps, slope, and karsts processes in the highlands and the tilting of fluvial terraces in the flat areas are the main evidence of the relationship between tectonics, climate variations and geomorphological processes. During the Quaternary, especially after the Last Glacial Maximum, fluctuating arid and wet periods also influenced local landforms and fluvial patterns of the area. Finally, the intensified Holocene human occupation and agricultural activities during the passage to more complex societies over time impacted the evolution of the landscape in this part of Mesopotamia.

Volten VR4® capsules containing herb extract of Kaempferia parviflora has been claimed to reduce blood glucose in patients with diabetes.

The purpose of this study is to use linguistic concepts and slang phrases in analyzing the content of the city text. The method used in this research is qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach. For data collection, 37 real estate consultants from 22 districts of Tehran were selected for interviews by the accessible sampling method. They were asked to express slang phrases that are widely used in the field of residential transactions and the introduction of neighborhoods. Also, by referring to the real estate advertisements on the online platforms including Divar and Sheypoor, as well as the real estate consultants’ pages on the Instagram App, similar phrases were extracted. Next, the process of coding and categorizing these phrases was done in such a way that all phrases that had a common semantic theme were placed in the same category. Accordingly, 8 categories affecting the valuation of housing and neighborhoods based on slang phrases in terms of percentage of repetition were obtained, respectively, which are: 1- geographical features of the building land in the neighborhood and the city; 2- legal features; 3- building welfare facilities; 4- natural, climatic features and environmental conditions of the building; 5- properties of materials and life of the building; 6- slang features; 7- building service facilities; and 8- building engineering features. In terms of residential and neighborhood valuation in the context of the city, 5 categories are distorted, incorrect, or more than intrinsic value, and only 3 categories have parity equal to intrinsic value.

Abstract Precise and accurate characterization of the aortic valve complex is a vital step in the procedure planning for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Far-field intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a novel technology that can be utilized to assess aortic valve annulus and predict paravalvular leak, with comparable results to multi-detector computed tomography—the current gold standard in the preprocedural planning in TAVR. Far-field IVUS carries the advantage of minimal contrast use and lower radiation exposure. In this commentary, we describe two cases of far-field IVUS use during TAVR procedures and review its role as a complementary tool to current the imaging modalities used in TAVR.

Understanding the waning of vaccine-induced protection is important for both immunology and public health. Population heterogeneities in underlying (pre-vaccination) susceptibility and vaccine response can cause measured vaccine effectiveness (mVE) to change over time, even in the absence of pathogen evolution and any actual waning of immune responses. We use multi-scale agent-based models parameterized using epidemiological and immunological data, to investigate the effect of these heterogeneities on mVE as measured by the hazard ratio. Based on our previous work, we consider the waning of antibodies according to a power law and link it to protection in two ways: (1) motivated by correlates of risk data and (2) using a within-host model of stochastic viral extinction. The effect of the heterogeneities is given by concise and understandable formulas, one of which is essentially a generalization of Fisher’s fundamental theorem of natural selection to include higher derivatives. Heterogeneity in underlying susceptibility accelerates apparent waning, whereas heterogeneity in vaccine response slows down apparent waning. Our models suggest that heterogeneity in underlying susceptibility is likely to dominate. However, heterogeneity in vaccine response offsets 100% (median of 29%) of this effect in our simulations. Our study suggests heterogeneity is more likely to ‘bias’ mVE downwards towards the faster waning of immunity but a subtle bias in the opposite direction is also plausible.

Introduction and purpose: Infertile women often use a stressful process called laboratory fertilization to fulfill their desire for childbearing. The present study aimed to determine the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training on intolerance of uncertainty in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Methods: This study was conducted using a semi-experimental approach based on a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all infertile women referred to an infertility treatment center in Mashhad, Iran. From this group, a total of 60 women with a history of infertility were selected using the available sampling method and then randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. For the experimental group, eight 2-h sessions of mindfulness training were held weekly; however, the control group did not receive any psychological services. The intolerance of uncertainty questionnaire was used to measure anxiety, and data analysis was performed by single-variable covariance using SPSS software (version 21). Results: The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and the control groups in terms of intolerance of uncertainty, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training effectively reduced the intolerance of uncertainty (P

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal disease. The present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of self-efficacy-based training and compassion-focused therapy on depression, self-care behaviors, and quality of life (QOL) of patients with IBS. Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental research with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all patients with IBS referred to Khorshid Hospital in Isfahan city, Iran, between September and November 2019. The study participants were 45 patients with IBS, who were randomly divided into 2 equal-sized groups of intervention and control. The data were collected using the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, 1988), the Self-Care Questionnaire (Alizadeh Aghdam‎, Koohi, & Gholizadeh‎, 2016), and the Quality of Life Scale (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992). The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS software. Results: The results indicated that self-efficacy-based training and compassion-focused therapy positively affected depression (P < 0.001), self-efficacy behaviors (P < 0.001), and QOL (P < 0.001) of patients with IBS. However, compassion-focused therapy was more effective in the treatment of depression and the improvement of self-care behaviors and QOL than self-efficacy-based training (P < 0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that compassion-focused therapy was more effective in the treatment of depression and the improvement of self-care behaviors and QOL than self-efficacy-based training.

A proven methodology in various research is to confirm the cooperation required in the professional development of professors and teachers, to create of professional learning societies (PLC); Which provides a platform for professors of different departments of the university; In this regard, identifying the components of urban planning education with emphasis on the relationship with learning communities as one of the ways to improve the knowledge, skills and writing of professors and students on the quantitative and qualitative issues of urban planning has been proposed. The present research is a basic research based on purpose; This research was qualitative; Therefore, in the present study, 12 experts in the field of urban planning were selected and data were collected through in-depth interviews. the data extracted from the collection process was coded in three steps to extract the final model based on it; We also coded the interviews to facilitate their understanding and extraction of results, which was done in three stages: subcategories, intermediate categories, and main categories.. After removing the commonalities, 89 subcategories were identified in the primary coding stage, 23 intermediate categories in the secondary coding stage, and 5 main categories in the final coding stage; Includes: quality of training, methods and tools; professors and coaches; Basic factors of education; Skills; The values and finally the relationships between the obvious categories and the conceptual model derived from the qualitative analysis method with an inductive approach were provided; Which was presented as the final model of the research.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been showing a speedy growth in the number of infected patients with a remarkable mortality rate, thus it has become a worldwide public health concern. From March 8, 2020, the virus started spreading in Bangladesh. Since then, people got infected so exponentially that the country positions at the list of top infected countries in the world. Therefore, the objective of this comprehensive review was representing overall scenario of COVID-19 in different sectors of Bangladesh. Because of insufficient scientific publications, we chose materials published by several agencies, media outlets, newspapers, and policy experts to retrieve details information. Up to 4 March 2021, 547,930 confirmed cases and 8,428 deaths were reported in Bangladesh. An alarming fact is that while the global mutation rate of coronavirus is 7.23 % in average, the rate is 12.6 % in Bangladesh. Although the government ruled preventive strategies such as nationwide lockdown, social distancing, contact monitoring, quarantine and isolation, it was difficult to implement those due to lack of public awareness, inappropriate attitudes and so on. Moreover, the overburdened healthcare system had a weak response at initial stage because of insufficient healthcare facilities. Consequently, this pandemic affected severely almost all the important sectors of the country, specifically the economy, agriculture, education, and health sector. Hence, focusing on healthcare system, maintaining social distance, and other essential precautions can limit the spread of infection and help to alleviate the severity of this pandemic. [ J Adv Biotechnol Exp Ther 2021; 4(2.000): 187-199]

Currently, vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses are updated if the new vaccine induces higher antibody-titers to circulating variants than current vaccines. This approach does not account for complex dynamics of how prior immunity skews recall responses to the updated vaccine. We: (i) use computational models to mechanistically dissect how prior immunity influences recall responses; (ii) explore how this affects the rules for evaluating and deploying updated vaccines; and (iii) apply this to SARS-CoV-2. Our analysis of existing data suggests that there is a strong benefit to updating the current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to match the currently circulating variants. We propose a general two-dose strategy for determining if vaccines need updating as well as for vaccinating high-risk individuals. Finally, we directly validate our model by reanalysis of earlier human H5N1 influenza vaccine studies.

Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are common among individuals with human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection worldwide. In this study, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature to estimate the global and regional prevalence of HCV, HBV and HIV coinfections among HIV-positive prisoners. Methods We searched PubMed via MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, and Web of science (ISI) to identify studies that reported the prevalence of HBV and HCV among prisoners living with HIV. We used an eight-item checklist for critically appraisal studies of prevalence/incidence of a health problem to assess the quality of publications in the included 48 cross-sectional and 4 cohort studies. We used random-effect models and meta-regression for the meta-analysis of the results of the included studies. Results The number of the included studies were 50 for HCV-HIV, and 23 for HBV-HIV co-infections. The pooled prevalence rates of the coinfections were 12% [95% confidence interval (CI) 9.0–16.0] for HBV-HIV and 62% (95% CI 53.0–71.0) for HCV-HIV. Among HIV-positive prisoners who reported drug injection, the prevalence of HBV increased to 15% (95% CI 5.0–23.0), and the HCV prevalence increased to 78% (95% CI 51.0–100). The prevalence of HBV-HIV coinfection among prisoners ranged from 3% in the East Mediterranean region to 27% in the American region. Also, the prevalence of HCV-HIV coinfections among prisoners ranged from 6% in Europe to 98% in the East Mediterranean regions. Conclusions Our findings suggested that the high prevalence of HBV and HCV co-infection among HIV-positive prisoners, particularly among those with a history of drug injection, varies significantly across the globe. The results of Meta-regression analysis showed a sliding increase in the prevalence of the studied co-infections among prisoners over the past decades, rising a call for better screening and treatment programs targeting this high-risk population. To prevent the above coinfections among prisoners, aimed public health services (e.g. harm reduction via access to clean needles), human rights, equity, and ethics are to be seriously delivered or practiced in prisons. Protocol registration number: CRD42018115707 (in the PROSPERO international). Graphic abstract

Background: The available statistics show that the number of divorces registered in the early years of cohabitation, especially in the first five years, is higher than other years of marriage. Qualitative studies on the pathology of this issue and the development of a model to reduce its causative factors have been neglected. Aims: The aim of this study was to discover the antecedents and consequences of divorce in the first five years of married life and to develop a conceptual model of the contexts that shape it. Method: The study was conducted with a qualitative approach and data foundation method. The statistical population included all divorced couples in the first five years of living together in Tehran and Shiraz in 1398. 19 people were selected from the statistical population in a targeted manner. Participants were interviewed with in-depth semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed in accordance with the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin in a regular and continuous process. Results: Finally, from the analysis and the conceptual model of the research, it can be concluded that divorce in the first years of family life is the result of individual, marital and family and socio-cultural weaknesses of the couple. Conclusions: Therefore, it is necessary for preventive programs in the field of community health to focus on education, skills training and reduction of individual and marital deficits for people about to get married and couples in the early years of married life.

Objective: To assess the health care costs and utilization in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) in the United States. Patients and Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with HHT diagnosed between 2007 and 2017 was performed using deidentified administrative claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. Adult patients with new (incident) diagnosis of HHT between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2017, were included. Comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: Three thousand nine hundred seventy-seven patients with a first diagnosis of HHT between 2007 and 2017 were identified, of which 3590 were matched 1:1 to non-HHT patients with similar baseline characteristics and comorbidities. These 3590 patients with HHT were 63.1% female and 83.9% white with a mean age of 51.1 ± 18.5 years, and a mean follow-up period of 3.2 ± 2.2 years (range, 1.0-11.7 years). Compared with the control group, the cumulative 5-year median total health care cost for patients with HHT was 41.4% higher ($21,118 vs $14,929; P < .001) in those with private commercial insurance and 31.7% higher ($35,462 vs $26,925; P < .001) in those with Medicare Advantage coverage. The median annual health care costs were significantly higher in patients with HHT with commercial insurance and Medicare Advantage in the first year after diagnosis ($4,333 vs $1,804; P < .001), and ($7,322 vs $5,245; P < .001), respectively, and remained higher throughout the duration of follow-up. Further analysis showed that outpatient clinic visits, hospital admission, imaging rates, invasive procedures, iron infusions, and blood transfusions were all significantly higher in the HHT group. Conclusion: Patients with HHT have significantly higher health care costs compared with a matched control group. A better understanding of the reasons underlying these cost differences will provide opportunities for patients, providers, and other stakeholders to better manage this rare condition.