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Air pollution data are large-scale datasets that can be analyzed in low scales by clustering to recognize the pattern of pollution and have simpler and more comprehensible interpretations. So, this study aims to cluster the days of the year 2017 according to the hourly O3 and PM10 amounts collected from four stations of Tabriz by using spatiotemporal mixture model–based clustering (STMC). Besides, mixture model–based clustering with temporal dimension (TMC) and mixture model–based clustering without considering spatiotemporal dimensions (MC) were utilized to compare with STMC. To evaluate the efficiency of these three models, and obtain the optimal number of clusters in each model, BIC and ICL criteria were used. According to BIC and ICL, STMC outperforms TMC and MC. Three clusters for O3 and four clusters for PM10 were selected as the optimal number of clusters to fit STMC models. Regarding PM10, the average concentration was the highest in cluster 4. Regarding O3, all summer days were in cluster 3, and the average concentration of this cluster was the highest. Cluster 2 had the lowest concentration with a high difference from clusters 1 and 3, and its average temperature was the lowest. Autumn days make up about 84% of this cluster. The clustering of polluted and clean days into separate groups and observing the effect of meteorological factors on the amount of concentration in each cluster clearly prove the efficiency of the model. Results of STMC showed that the efficiency of clustering in air pollution data increases by considering both spatiotemporal dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is limited information about the relationship between extraversion, as a personality trait, and the modes of tobacco smoking. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between extraversion and cigarette and water-pipe smoking among a representative sample of Iranian high school students. Methods: A sample of 2,312 tenth-grade students in Tabriz (Northwest of Iran) was selected through multistage proportional cluster sampling. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire including information on cigarette smoking, water-pipe smoking, extraversion, socioeconomical information, as well as demographic characteristics. An ordinal logistic regression model was used for data analysis. Results: In total, 4.2% and 3.5% of the students were regular cigarette and water-pipe smokers, respectively. The adjusted odds ratios were 1.10 (95% CI: 1.04-1.15, P < 0.001) and 1.10 (95% CI: 1.06-1.15, P < 0.001) for the relationships between extraversion and the stages of cigarette smoking and water-pipe smoking status, respectively. Conclusions: It seems that extraversion is in a positive relationship with a cigarette and water-pipe smoking among adolescents. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the effect of this personality trait on the modes of tobacco smoking and the transition in the stages of cigarette and water-pipe smoking in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supportive care is an important strategy that can help cancer survivors manage changes and problems during their follow‐up care. Identifying patients' care needs is one of the primary steps of the nursing process to plan effective nursing interventions. The aim of this study was to explore adolescent cancer survivors' supportive care needs. Purposeful sampling was adopted to select 49 participants from hospitals to participate in face‐to‐face, semistructured interviews. The qualitative content analysis method was conducted for data analysis. Ten subcategories and four main categories – empathetic care, information about survival period, instrumental support, and cooperation in care – were extracted from the data. These four categories formed a major theme, "supportive care", as the primary healthcare need. This study highlights that supportive care should be developed collaboratively by family and healthcare providers to meet the needs of adolescent cancer survivors. Survivors' strengths and limitations should be identified, and then supportive care can be provided, such as giving appropriate information, enabling survivors to access supportive networks, and improving survivors' confidence and autonomy with their self‐management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Women health volunteers are the link between people and healthcare workers. They play an important role in health education activities, following up families under coverage, and updating the demographic data to health centers. This study was performed to uncover women health volunteers' activities, reasons for joining and leaving from the program. Methods: A qualitative study design was used to conduct the study. Through purposive sampling technique, twenty -four in-depth semi-structured individual interviews and two focused group discussions with women health volunteers and their supervisors were conducted in Tabriz, Iran. Data analysis implemented thematic analysis, using MAXQDA10. Results: The findings were generally categorized into three major themes, participation in promoting health, perceived benefit, and perceptual- environmental inhibitors. Participation in promoting health consisted of the sub-themes participation in educational programs, participation in health care. The sub-themes of perceived benefit included benefits from health care services and interest in having an active role in the community. The theme perceptual- environmental inhibitors involved the subthemes participation barriers and lack of innovation and inconsistency with social changes. Conclusion: Culture-building about the role of health volunteers, the valuing on their activities in the community, and informing program supervisors about the health volunteer's duties would help to retain health volunteers and also sustain their activities at the community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the combination of TiO2/GAC catalyst and NTP for the decomposition of chloroform using a DBD reactor. The experiments were performed using an AC transformer as the power supply system to determine the optimal conditions of the chloroform conversion in the presence of a hydrogen-rich substance, that is, water vapor. TiO2/GAC enhanced the removal efficiency and also CO2 selectivity significantly, leading to an acceptable conversion rate at SIEs higher than 400 J L−1. The adsorption property of GAC was noticed to be an effective factor for catalytic activity by increasing the residence time, although the higher retention time prevented the accurate determination of chlorine and carbon balance. Selectivity toward HCl was improved considerably from 24.3% to 64.3% over catalyst when water was fed as a hydrogen-rich compound. At the same time, the harmful chlorinated by-products such as TCBA and TCE declined significantly. A noticeable enhancement in the selectivity toward CO2 was observed when both catalyst and water were introduced, regardless of the inlet concentration. Our findings suggest that the hybrid of NTP with TiO2/GAC will highly be effective in the abatement of chloroform, and the addition of H2O will successfully decline harmful chlorinated by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common and critical issue in survival data analysis is the way in which censored data are handled. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimator is a frequently used statistical method in survival analysis that works well with censored data. In small sample sizes with heavy censoring the estimates of KM are not reliable, because the assumptions of KM estimator are violated. In this study, fuzzy logic is used to obtain more reliable estimates when standard statistical methods cannot be used. Data analyzed in this study were the survival times of six AIDS patients under ten years old. One of the patients died after 197 days and the others were censored, giving a censor rate of 83%. The fuzzy-product-limit estimator (FPLE) and a modified FPLE were used to analyze the data. Mean survival time was calculated and associated confidence interval was calculated along with a measure of the amount of 'fuzzy information' used to obtain the estimates. In addition, one to ten year survival rates estimated by the KM, FPLE and proposed methods are presented. The result of the simulations showed that the fuzzy methods with few and highly censored data provide more reasonable results than the standard statistical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Manual material handling is one of the major health and safety hazards in industry. This study aims to assess the lifting tasks, before and after intervention using NIOSH lifting equation and Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC). Methods: This interventional study was performed in 2011 in a tile manufacturing industry in Hamadan, located in the West of Iran. The prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort was determined using Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. In order to assess the risk factors related to lifting and identify the high-risk activities, MAC and NIOSH lifting equation were used. In intervention phase, we designed a load-carrying cart with shelves capable of moving vertically up and down, similar to scissor lifts. After intervention, the reassessment of risk factors was conducted to determine the success of the intervention and to compare risk levels before and after intervention using t-test. Results: The outputs of MAC and NIOSH lifting equation assessments before intervention revealed that all activities were at high-risk level. After intervention, the risk level decreased to average level. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of intervention revealed a considerable decrease in risk level. It may be concluded that the given intervention was acceptable and favorably effective in preventing musculoskeletal disorders especially low back pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]