Search

This study aims to evaluate the effects of mix design parameters of ambient-cured slag-based alkali-activated concrete (GAAC) and develop a prediction model for its compressive strength (CS) by emphasizing the chemical compositions of alkaline solutions. A test setup including 625 specimens, in 125 mixes, was designed. A comprehensive parametric study and statistical evaluation were performed. Findings revealed the effectiveness of Na2O, SiO2, H2O, and GGBFS contents compared to the dosage of alkaline solutions and highlighted their disadvantages. The results also discovered the efficiency of the Bayesian linear regression in the simulation compared to the artificial neural network. Two models for estimating the CS of GAAC with reasonable accuracy were also proposed. Carbon footprint evaluation revealed that the carbon dioxide reduction of substituting ordinary concrete with GAAC depended on the desired properties of the concrete and was equal to 33% for grade 35 MPa concrete.

ABSTRACTIn this paper, two polar code-based identification schemes are proposed in which the polar codes are used instead of random codes. The security of the proposed identification schemes is based on the hardness of coding problems such as general decoding problem (GDP) and syndrome decoding problem (SDP). By exploiting the properties of polar codes in the proposed identification schemes, it does not need to save the parity check or generator matrix of polar codes completely as a public data. Therefore, the public data size of the proposed identification schemes is reduced up to 90% in comparison with the Stern and Veron identification schemes. Also, by using the efficient techniques of seed generation and compression, it is shown that the communication costs of the proposed identification schemes are reduced up to 53% compared to the Stern and Veron identification schemes. Moreover, security analyses show that the proposed identification schemes have low cheating probability and also have proper resistance against information set decoding attack.

Aims: This study was designed and implemented to compare the effect of prenatal education on the fear of natural birth in pregnant women. Subject and method: This research was a semi-experimental study with a control group conducted on 96 pregnant women in Mashhad. People were randomly allocated to face-to-face and virtual groups. The Wijma childbirth experience/expectation questionnaire version A and the midwifery personal information form were used as pre-test and post-test tools. Results: In the face-to-face and virtual groups, the average scores before and after the intervention were different, which indicated a decrease in fear of Natural childbirth in pregnant women, which was statistically significant. The changes in fear of natural childbirth score were significantly different between the three groups, and these changes were higher in the face-to-face group than in the other two groups. Conclusion: Attendance in natural childbirth preparation classes in face-to-face and virtual training methods positively affects the fear of natural childbirth. Therefore, encouraging and supporting women to participate in training courses increase the women’s desire for natural childbirth.

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the predictive power of the theory of planned behaviour in predicting the intention and behaviour of positive thinking in school students. A cross-sectional study was performed on 367 high school male students in Iran. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability had been confirmed before. Descriptive and inferential analysis (univariate and multiple logistic regression models, Pearson correlation) was performed using SPSS software V.20. AMOS version 22 was used to perform the path analysis. According to the results, the construct of attitude was the most important construct in predicting positive thinking intention. Finally, the theory of planned behaviour constructs could predict 36% of intention variance and 20% of behaviour variance of positive thinking. Since the construct of attitude is one of the most powerful constructs in predicting student positive thinking intention in male teens, it is recommended that more attention be paid to this construct in educational programs to improve the mental health of male high school students. The results of this study can help psychologists and counsellors, families, and teachers improve students’ mental health.

This study aimed to determine the predictive power of the theory of planned behaviour in predicting the intention and behaviour of positive thinking in school students. A cross-sectional study was performed on 367 high school male students in Iran. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability had been confirmed before. Descriptive and inferential analysis (univariate and multiple logistic regression models, Pearson correlation) was performed using SPSS software V.20. AMOS version 22 was used to perform the path analysis. According to the results, the construct of attitude was the most important construct in predicting positive thinking intention. Finally, the theory of planned behaviour constructs could predict 36% of intention variance and 20% of behaviour variance of positive thinking. Since the construct of attitude is one of the most powerful constructs in predicting student positive thinking intention in male teens, it is recommended that more attention be paid to this construct in educational programs to improve the mental health of male high school students. The results of this study can help psychologists and counsellors, families, and teachers improve students’ mental health.

The objective of this investigation was to examine the mechanisms associated with antibiotic resistance in Stenotrophomonas maltophiliaclinical isolates retrieved from hospitalized patients undergoing open heart surgery in a Heart Center located in Tehran, Iran.

Purpose: Dietary factors may modulate inflammation status which contributed to the various chronic diseases like sarcopenia. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association of dietary inflammatory index (DII) and muscle strength (MS), muscle endurance (ME), and body composition. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 270 adults living in Tehran, Iran. The DII was calculated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Body composition (fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), percent body fat (PBF), skeletal muscle mass (SMM)) was measured using body composition analyzer. Anthropometric measures (weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC)), were done. MS was measured by a digital handgrip dynamometer in both right (MSR) and left (MSL) hand. Mean of MSR and MSL was considered as MS. Results: A significant decrease was found for MS (p< 0.01) and MSR (p< 0.01) across tertiles of DII. Participants who had greater scores of DII also had lower MER (p< 0.01), even after adjustment for confounding factors (age, sex, education status, income, smoking, physical activity, body mass index and energy intake) (p< 0.02). Adherence to DII was significantly related to MSL (p< 0.01), ME (p< 0.01), and ME of the MEL (p= 0.02) in the crude model, which was disappeared after controlling for covariates. Those in the third compared to the lowest tertile of DII, had no significant difference in mean of FFM (p< 0.001), SMM (p< 0.001), and WC (p< 0.001). Conclusions: Higher DII scores were associated with less muscle strength and endurance among Iranian adults. Further studies are needed to confirm the veracity of our results. Level of evidence: Descriptive cross-sectional study, Level V.

The etiology of cancer type may vary significantly due to anatomy, embryology, and physiology of the cancer site. Although the association between potato consumption and colorectal cancer (CRC) was summarized in a 2018 meta-analysis of 5 cohort studies, to the best of our knowledge, no meta-analysis has evaluated potato consumption in relation to multiple cancer sites in adults. Medline/PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for relevant publications through August 2020. We selected cohort or case-control studies conducted in adults that reported risk estimates (relative risk [RRs], HRs, and ORs) of potato intake for any cancer type. Random effects meta-analyses compared high and low intake categories. Twenty prospective cohort studies (total n= 785,348) including 19,882 incident cases, and 36 case-control studies (21,822 cases; 66,502 controls) were included. Among cohort studies, we did not find an association between high versus low intake of total potato (white and yellow) consumption and overall cancers: 1.04 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.11; tau2= 0.005, n= 18). We found no relation between total potato consumption (high compared with low intake) and risk of CRC, pancreatic cancer, colon, gastric, breast, prostate, kidney, lung, or bladder cancer in cohort or case-control studies. We did not find an association between high versus low consumption of potato preparations (boiled/fried/mashed/roasted/baked) and risk of gastrointestinal-, sex-hormone-, or urinary-related cancers in cohort or case-control studies. Certainty of the evidence was low for total cancer, CRC, colon, rectal, renal, pancreatic, breast, prostate, and lung cancer and very low for gastric and bladder cancer. In conclusion, potato intake or potato preparations were not associated with multiple cancer sites when comparing high and low intake categories. This finding was consistent with the findings from the 2018 meta-analysis regarding potato intake and risk of CRC.

The etiology of cancer type may vary significantly due to anatomy, embryology, and physiology of the cancer site. Although the association between potato consumption and colorectal cancer (CRC) was summarized in a 2018 meta-analysis of 5 cohort studies, to the best of our knowledge, no meta-analysis has evaluated potato consumption in relation to multiple cancer sites in adults. Medline/PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for relevant publications through August 2020. We selected cohort or case-control studies conducted in adults that reported risk estimates (relative risk [RRs], HRs, and ORs) of potato intake for any cancer type. Random effects meta-analyses compared high and low intake categories. Twenty prospective cohort studies (total n = 785,348) including 19,882 incident cases, and 36 case-control studies (21,822 cases; 66,502 controls) were included. Among cohort studies, we did not find an association between high versus low intake of total potato (white and yellow) consumption and overall cancers: 1.04 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.11; tau2 = 0.005, n = 18). We found no relation between total potato consumption (high compared with low intake) and risk of CRC, pancreatic cancer, colon, gastric, breast, prostate, kidney, lung, or bladder cancer in cohort or case-control studies. We did not find an association between high versus low consumption of potato preparations (boiled/fried/mashed/roasted/baked) and risk of gastrointestinal-, sex-hormone-, or urinary-related cancers in cohort or case-control studies. Certainty of the evidence was low for total cancer, CRC, colon, rectal, renal, pancreatic, breast, prostate, and lung cancer and very low for gastric and bladder cancer. In conclusion, potato intake or potato preparations were not associated with multiple cancer sites when comparing high and low intake categories. This finding was consistent with the findings from the 2018 meta-analysis regarding potato intake and risk of CRC.

Purpose: Several studies evaluated the associations between specific beverages and cardio-metabolic risks among children. However, the evidence on the association between patterns of the beverage consumption and children’s anthropometric indices is rare. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the association between Healthy Beverage Index (HBI) and anthropometric measures among 6-year-old girl children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 788 children selected from health centers in Tehran, Iran. Data on beverage intake, socio-demographic, physical activity, and anthropometric characteristics were evaluated using reliable and validated standard protocols. The predefined HBI was calculated based on the previous research. Results: After controlling for several confounders [mother age, mother body mass index, mother physical activity, socioeconomic status, children physical activity and energy intake, total oils (all kinds of oils like animal and plant oils), and total sweet foods (sweet foods except sweetened beverages)], being in the third compared to the first tertile of HBI among children was associated with increased odds of wasting (OR: 5.16; 95% CI 1.5–17.79) and underweight/wasting (OR: 1.81; 95% CI 1.07–3.07). Among the HBI components, just being in the third compared to the first tertile of high-fat milk was inversely associated with decreased odds of wasting (OR: 0.18; 95% CI 0.04–0.73). Conclusions: The HBI among children was associated with higher odds of wasting and underweight/wasting. In addition, high-fat milk consumption decreased the odds of wasting among children. Further prospective studies need to confirm these results. Level of evidence: Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.

The current study has evaluated the MICs and MBCs of ZnONPs, MgONPs, and MgONPs-ZnONPs against H37Rv Mtb and MDR-Mtb.

ABSTRACTNutrition has a crucial impact in health protection and development. Children’s diet is a substantial issue as they are a social group most vulnerable and sensitive to malnutrition. This study performed to survey the impact of health education based on HBM on Nutritional Behaviors in Female Students. In this semi-experimental study, 180 female students were selected through multi-stage random sampling and divided to two cases and control groups. The data collection tools were researcher made questionnaire and its validity and reliability were reviewed and confirmed. Pre-test was performed for both groups. Based on the results of the pre-test, need assessment was done. The educational intervention was performed for case group as lecture, discussion in small groups, pamphlet, training brochure, and question and answer in two 45-minute sessions. Post-test was performed after two month using the same questionnaire for both groups. The collected data were analyzed by independent t-test, paired t-test, Pearson and chi square using SPSS software. Before intervention, the average scores for knowledge, perceived benefits, barriers susceptibility and severity, and self-efficacy were not significantly different between two groups (P> 0.05). After training, scores for all above mentioned variables were significantly increased in case group (P< 0.05). Regression model that includes behavior as the dependent variable and awareness, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barrier and self-efficacy as predictors was significant (P= 0.001). The results showed that HBM-based nutrition education has a positive impact on the nutrition behavior of students and the perceived susceptibility have the most influence on behavior within the predictor variables.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of digital education by using the Theory of Planned Behavior on the improvement of occupational health and ergonomic conditions of dentists. This Quasi-experimental study, which consisted of two descriptive and quasi-experimental parts, was conducted on 63 dentists in Bojnourd city (Iran) in 2017. The dentists were included in the study through the census method. After identifying the determinants of ergonomic conditions in the descriptive study, the Quasi-Experimental study was undertaken to determine the effect of digital intervention. Data collecting methods were demographics information questionnaire, Nordic questionnaire, a self-administered questionnaire designed in compliance with theoretical constructs and the RULA tool, which were completed before and after the intervention by dentists. More than 97% of the dentists were at high risk of developing skeletal problems. The constructs of subjective norm, perceived control, attitude and behavioral intentions were significant predictors of their ergonomic behaviors (p < 0.001). Results show that there was no significant difference in the mean attitude and knowledge scores between the experimental and control groups before the educational intervention (p = 0.164). But after the intervention, the mean attitude and knowledge scores in the experimental group were significantly different from before the intervention (p < .05). Training based on the (TBP) using digital media was effective in the knowledge and attitude of ergonomic conditions of the dentists. However, it was not effective for behavioral intention.

During awake fiberoptic intubation, propofol, ketamine, benzodiazepines, opioids and dexmedetomidine are most commonly used, alone or in combination for sedation. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of dexmedetomidine with alfentanil as a sole agent for patient-controlled sedation during fiberoptic intubation.

Background & Introduction: Patient’s self-management behaviors are essential to control diabetes. Studies have demonstrated that health educational interventions can improve some aspects of glycemic control and clinical outcomes, however, it is unclear which education theories underlying these interventions improve effectiveness. In this review of the literature, we aimed to assess the efficacy of health education and promotion theories, or models, to improve self-care and self- management behaviors among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods & Results: Eight scientific databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Magiran, Google Scholar, Medlib, ProQuest and Scientific Information Database) were searched to identify a published academic article from 2010 to 2019. We included quasi-experimental, clinical trial and randomized clinical trial studies. A total of 26 studies including data from 3879 patients with T2D met the inclusion criteria. We found that the PRECEDE (7/26, 26.92%) and Health Belief Models (7/26, 26.92%) were the most common models used to assess the efficacy of health education and health promotion models. Conclusion: Overall, health promotion and education theories and models have been used as a useful instrument for improving the self-care behaviors and self-management behaviors among patients with T2D.

ABSTRACTIron and vitamin D deficiency are the common problems in Iranian adolescents. This study aimed to examine whether the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) implemented in the educational intervention were effectiveness to improve behavioural intention to intake iron and vitamin D supplements among adolescent girls. Quasi-experimental study was used to enrol 175 adolescent girls aged 12–14 years attending community-based practices in the Gonabad, Iran. We evaluated the effects of a behavioural intervention for adolescents compared to usual care controls, on the TPB constructs and adolescent’s behavioural intentions to intake vitamin D and iron supplements, assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Bivariate analysis was used to assess whether the health provider training improved outcomes. Mean scores of knowledge, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and behavio\ural intention before intervention were, respectively, 20.65, 25.88, 25.82, 20.12 and 11.22, and after the intervention, were, respectively, 23.74, 25.48, 18.27, 11.33 and 11.82. All the constructs except the attitude in the intervention group were significantly higher (p< 0.001) than the control group, indicating that adolescent’s behavioural intention to intake iron and vitamin D supplements significantly improved in intervention group compared control group. Therefore, constructs of the TPB could be a significant determinate to change multiple behavioural intention in different populations. Given the importance of the use of supplements by female adolescents, it is necessary to pay more attention to the issue of training in this field and to remove the existing obstacles.Abbreviations:TPB: Theory of planned behavior; PBC: perceived behavioral control; IDA: iron deficiency anemia

This study aimed to explore the global, prevalence, and risk factors of fever after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The purpose of this systematic review study was to determine the national, regional, and global prevalence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) vaping. Method: The articles were searched in July 2020 without a time limit in Web of Science (ISI), Scopus, PubMed, and Ovid-MEDLINE. At first, the titles and abstracts of the articles were reviewed, and if they were appropriate, they entered the second stage of screening. In the second stage, the whole articles were reviewed and articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected. In this study, search, selection of studies, qualitative evaluation, and data extraction were performed by two authors independently, and any disagreement between the two authors was reviewed and corrected by a third author. Results: In this study, the lifetime and current prevalence of e-cigarettes vaping globally were 23% and 11%, respectively. Lifetime and current prevalence of e-cigarettes vaping in women were 16% and 8%, respectively. Also, lifetime and current prevalence of e-cigarettes vaping in men were 22% and 12%, respectively. In this study, the current prevalence of e-cigarettes vaping in who had lifetime smoked conventional cigarette was 39%, and in current smokers was 43%. The lifetime prevalence of e-cigarettes vaping in the Continents of America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania were 24%, 26%, 16%, and 25%, respectively. The current prevalence of e-cigarettes vaping in the Continents of America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania were 10%, 14%, 11%, and 6%, respectively. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the popularity of e-cigarettes is increasing globally. Therefore, it is necessary for countries to have more control over the consumption and distribution of e-cigarettes, as well as to formulate the laws prohibiting about the e-cigarettes vaping in public places. There is also a need to design and conduct information campaigns to increase community awareness about e-cigarettes vaping.

Many robotics researchers have focused on stability in free and constrained motions, but only a few of them have considered system stability in the transition between these phases. For a teleoperation system, due to delay effects, studying this concept is even more crucial. Recently, passivity-based controller stability has been studied in free motion and constrained mode of a teleoperation system in the presence of constant time delay. However, the controller does not guarantee arbitrary switching between these modes. In this paper, a hybrid system theorem was employed to treat delayed teleoperative tasks that involve phase transition or switching. Applying this theorem, the stability of passivity-based architecture in transition was studied. It was proved that this type of controller is stable even with arbitrary switching. Experiments on a two-degrees-of-freedom nonlinear teleoperation system were conducted to verify the approach. Experimental results have shown that passivity-based architecture, as expected in controller design, is well suited for delayed teleoperation in transition. Moreover, even without force sensing, the system’s force tracking in dealing with a hard environment is admissible.

Purpose To evaluate and report the outcomes of a superior oblique tendon spacer procedure using nonabsorbable adjustable sutures in patients with inferior oblique (IO) paresis.Methods This interventional case series included 6 eyes of 6 patients with IO paresis. All met Bielschowsky/Parks Three-step Test criteria to identify an isolated IO paresis. In all patients, the superior oblique tendon was exposed; 2 nonabsorbable polyester sutures were placed 3 mm apart, and the tendon was cut. With the use of a slipknot, the cut ends of the tendon were separated 5 to 7 mm. Tendon separation was adjusted intraoperatively according to the fundus torsion and exaggerated traction test.Results The mean duration of follow-up was 8.1 months (range, 5-12 months). Four patients had congenital IO paresis and 2 had iatrogenic IO paresis following denervation/myectomy of IO. Mean primary position hypotropia improved from 15.2 prism diopters (PD) before surgery to 2.7 PD in congenital IO paresis and from 11.5 PD to 2.5 PD in iatrogenic IO paresis. In congenital IO paresis, mean preoperative superior oblique overaction and IO underaction was +2 and −2, which decreased to 0 and −1.25 respectively; fundus incyclotorsion resolved in all patients. Superior oblique overaction and IO underaction improved in iatrogenic IO paresis as well. In no patient did an overcorrection develop.Conclusions The adjustable superior oblique tendon suture spacer procedure is an effective and safe option for correcting IO paresis without developing iatrogenic superior oblique paresis.

To determine the prevalence of amblyopia, strabismus, and refractive errors in children entering school.

Background: This study examined how socio-demographic characteristics constructs derived from the health promotion model (HPM) influence the level of physical activity (PA) women in Bojnourd, North East of Iran. Method: This cross-sectional study has been carried out through multi-stage sampling design on 356 women aged 18–60 years living in Iran. Data was collected through reliable and valid questionnaire survey women who were selected from their homes. Results: Most of participants (53.40%) had a low level of physical activity behaviors with minimal physical activity (PA) scores. Using regression analysis showed that 23.22% of the total variance in PA behaviors was predicted by socio-demographic variables, whilst 40.81% of the variance in PA behaviors was predicted by constructs from the HPM. The results from Path modeling indicated that prior behavior, interpersonal influences, perceived self-efficacy, perceived barriers and commitment to PA, were significant predictors for PA behaviors with 86.93% of total effects on PA, whereas, activity-related affect and situational influences had no significant effect on the PA behaviors. Conclusions: We found that constructs derived from the HPM are determinants of PA among Iranian women and may be important in developing educational intervention programs to facilitate a physically active lifestyle in this population.

Background:Previous studies have proposed that the maternal intake of pre/probiotics may affect the immune composition of breast milk. Nevertheless, the available findings are contradictory. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the impact of maternal supplementation with pre/probiotics on the levels of total immunoglobulin A (IgA), secretory IgA (SIgA), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), and TGF-2 in breast milk.Methods:PubMed and Scopus were systematically searched using a comprehensive search strategy for eligible randomized-controlled trials published up to February 2021. A random-effects model was applied to pool weighted mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) as effect size. Cochran's Qstatistic and the I2 statistic were used to measure the between-study variance. Egger's regression test was used to assess publication bias.Results:A total of 12 different studies, with a total sample size of 1722 individuals (probiotic group: 858, placebo group: 864), were included in this meta-analysis. In the overall analysis, compared with placebo, maternal supplementation with pre/probiotics had no significant effect on concentrations of total IgA, SIgA, TGF-β1, and TGF-β2 in the breast milk. In the subgroup analysis, pre/probiotics did not affect total IgA, TGF-β1, and TGF-β2 in both colostrum/transitional and mature milk. However, a significant increase in SIgA was found in colostrum/transitional milk following pre/probiotic administration (WMD = 19.33, 95% CI: 0.83–37.83; p= 0.04), without evidence for remarkable heterogeneity (I2= 0.0, p= 0.57).Conclusions:Maternal supplementation with pre/probiotics may increase SIgA in colostrum/transitional milk, without any effect on total IgA, TGF-β1, and TGF-β2.