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Wind drift and evaporation loss (WDEL) of mid-elevation spray application (MESA) and low-elevation spray application (LESA) sprinklers on a center pivot and linear-move irrigation machines are measured and reported to be about 20% and 3%, respectively. It is important to estimate the fraction of WDEL that cools and humidifies the microclimate causing evapotranspiration (ET) suppression, mitigating the measured irrigation system losses. An experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 in a commercial spearmint field near Toppenish, Washington. The field was irrigated with an 8-span center pivot equipped with MESA but had three spans that were converted to LESA. All-in-one weather sensors (ATMOS-41) were installed just above the crop canopy in the middle of each MESA and LESA span and nearby but outside of the pivot field (control) to record meteorological parameters on 1 min intervals. The ASCE Penman–Monteith (ASCE-PM) standardized reference equations were used to calculate grass reference evapotranspiration (ETo) from this data on a one-minute basis. A comparison was made for the three phases of before, during, and after the irrigation system passed the in-field ATMOS-41 sensors. In addition, a small unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to capture 5-band multispectral (ground sampling distance [GSD]: 7 cm/pixel) and thermal infrared images (GSD: 13 cm/pixel) while the center pivot irrigation system was irrigating the field. This imagery data was used to estimate crop evapotranspiration (ETc) using a UAS-METRIC energy balance model. The UAS-METRIC model showed that the estimated ETc under MESA was suppressed by 0.16 mm/day compared to the LESA. Calculating the ETo by the ASCE-PM method showed that the instantaneous ETo rate under the MESA was suppressed between 8% and 18% compared to the LESA. However, as the time of the ET suppression was short, the total amount of the estimated suppressed ET of the MESA was less than 0.5% of the total applied water. Overall, the total reduction in the ET due to the microclimate modifications from wind drift and evaporation losses were small compared to the reported 17% average differences in the irrigation application efficiency between the MESA and the LESA. Therefore, the irrigation application efficiency differences between these two technologies were very large even if the ET suppression by wind drift and evaporation losses was accounted for.

The aim of performing this study was comparison of Entonox and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in labor pain in Zanjan city, Iran.This clinical trial study was conducted on 120 pregnant women in Zanjan-Iran, 2016. The patients were randomly divided (by method of 1:1:1) into three groups (each group 40 patients): First group was TENS group; the second group was Entonox group and control group were choose from the patients that had a physiological delivery. They did not want to use analgesia. All the analyses were done using SPSS (version 23).Before intervention the pain severity between three group was relatively same (Our findings reported that two groups of Entonox and TENS had similar effect on pain relief and decreased significantly pain scores. Therefore, TENS methods as a non-drug pain relief method can propose to women for relief of labor pain.

Conventional methods for crop lodging assessments need accurate ground observations and tend to be laborious. Lodging assessment methods and accuracy can thus be improved using remote sensing data from small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and low orbiting satellites (LOSs). With such aim, imagery to assess spearmint crop lodging was acquired using a small UAS at two ground sample distances (GSDs) of 0.01 and 0.03 m. Crop surface model (CSM) and six image color features were extracted from small UAS-based data. These features were then classified into not lodged (NL), partially lodged (PL), and lodged (L) groups. Mean and majority feature classes were obtained for 50 regions of interest (ROI) of size 1 m2 each. Features were compared with visual crop lodging ratings using Pearson correlation ( ${r}$ ) and Cohen’s kappa (CK) coefficients. CSM showed higher assessment accuracy with ${r}~\approx $ 0.85 and CK > 0.60. Mean percentage red (%R) was observed to have the strongest correlation with visual ratings ( $r= 0.75$ and CK = 0.40–0.59) followed by mean percentage blue (%B), both at 0.01-m GSD. The percentage of lodging calculated from %R and %B maps was also contrasted with similar estimates from LOS-based imagery at 3.00-m GSD with no statistical differences found at 5% level.

Background Pregnancy nausea and vomiting (NVP) are associated with a wide range of physical and mental changes in the mothers and could affect their adaptation to pregnancy. There is a gap of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of a positive psychology approach counselling on improving coping patterns in women with NVP. Objective This study aimed to determine the effect of supportive counselling with a positive psychology approach on improving coping patterns in women with NVP. Method The current study was a randomized controlled trial on 60 pregnant women who experienced nausea and vomiting in Zanjan a province in the northwest of Iran, 2020–2021. Using four-block random sampling, eligible women were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. According to the Seligman protocol, the intervention group received supportive counselling in six sessions of 45 min3 times a week. The revised prenatal coping inventory (Nu PCI) was used to collect data and analyzed using Chi-square, repeated measures ANOVA, and MANOVA at a 95% confidence level. Results In the counseling group, the mean (SD) of a total score of coping with pregnancy before the intervention was 6.11 (1.31) which increased to 8.40 (1.03) in 4 weeks after the intervention. Based on the MANOVA test with adjusting the number of pregnancies, the mean total score of coping with pregnancy was statistically significant 4 weeks after the intervention compared with the control group (Adjusted mean difference (AMD) = -1.84, CI95% -2.36, -1.32, p = 0.001). Conclusion The use of positive psychology in supportive counselling improved the coping of mothers suffering from nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It is recommended that this approach be incorporated into prenatal care to promote the health of pregnant women. Trial registration The study was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website under the code IRCT20150731023423N17. Registration date: 2020–10-31, Expected recruitment start date: 2020–11-01. IRCT Id: IRCT20150731023423N17.

Background In assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles in addition to embryo quality, the receptivity of the endometrium plays the main role in clinical outcomes. Endometrial receptivity is necessary to implantation of an embryo, and ultrasound has been established as an appreciated, simple, and non-invasive technique in the evaluation of the endometrial preparation before embryo transfer in fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Debate on the predictive value measuring endometrial thickness before administering human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for ovulation triggering in ART is ongoing. In order to explore the impact of endometrial thickness on triggering day on ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR) in ART cycles, we retrospectively analyzed data from 1000 patients undergoing IVF/ICSI cycles. Results The data showed pregnancy rate was increased in the endometrial thickness of 8 mm to 11 mm then decreased, and in endometrial thickness (Ent) > 14 mm, pregnancy rate was zero. There were significant differences in endometrial thickness and pregnancy outcomes between different age groups. The pregnancy rate was higher (32%) in 23–30 years old women, and the range of Ent in this group was 6–12 mm. Also, the data showed a positive correlation between Ent with AMH and estradiol levels and the number of COC and MII oocytes and a negative correlation between female age with Ent. Conclusion The result showed that Ent on hCG administration day is associated with pregnancy outcomes in fresh IVF/ICSI cycles with different age groups, although some of the clinical parameters may have an effect on Ent. Large studies are needed to make a definitive conclusion.

A computer model was developed to simulate the varying depths of water applied to the ground due to the intermittent movements of a typical center pivot. The stop–go model inputs include the sprinkler application depth, the sprinkler pattern, that pattern’s wetted radius, the center pivot’s % timer setting, the move cycle time, and the end tower maximum travel speed. The model outputs were the depth of application in the pivot’s movement direction, the distribution uniformity (DU), and the coefficient of uniformity (CU). The results revealed that the pivot circular application uniformity is mostly a function of the move distance as a percent of the sprinklers’ wetted radius. This, in turn, is a function of the percent timer setting, the cycle time, and the end tower travel speed. Due to this, the high-speed center pivots had corresponding lower application uniformities compared to low-speed machines, and sprinklers with larger wetted radii resulted in better uniformity. Shortening the cycle time also resulted in higher uniformity coefficients. Based on these results, it is recommended that the run time be set based on the pivot end-tower’s travel speed and sprinkler wetted radius, such that the end tower move distance is equivalent to the sprinkler wetted radius. This will reduce wear to the tower motors due to the on–off cycling, especially for slow travel settings and for sprinklers with larger wetted radii. The ponding depths at different percent of the move distance, for the potential runoff, were estimated, which were set to be equivalent to the wetted radius.

Background & Objective:Based on the cultural and structural boundaries in Iran in terms of the presence of doulas through the delivery, the importance of making the delivery more desirable for mothers, and since few important studies have been conducted on this topic in Iran, this study evaluated the effects of the presence of a doula on anxiety and pain in pregnant women during delivery. Materials & Methods:This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 pregnant women referred to Ayatollah Musavi Hospital (Zanjan, Iran) in 2016. For women in the intervention group, the doula provided emotional and physical support. The motherschr('39') pain severity and anxiety were measured by using a visual analog scale (VAS) and Spielberger questionnaire, respectively. Categorical and continuous variables were compared using chi-square andttests, respectively. Results:We found that a higher proportion of patients had experienced mild anxiety about entering the postpartum period (47.5% vs 15%) and exiting it (80% vs 40%;PP=0.007) and 7-8 cm of cervical dilatation (99.0±4.41 vs 95.0±8.47;P=0.01) stages. Conclusion:The presence of a trained doula during labor can ease the mental consequences of delivery and decrease womenchr('39')s anxiety and pain during labor.

Background: Labour pain is the most severe pain experienced by a mother during her lifetime. This study aims to encourage normal delivery, reduce caesarean section, and morbidity by comparing two fentanyl–bupivacaine and sufentanil–bupivacaine combination as spinal anaesthetics of the mothers who referred to Ayatollah Mousavi Hospital in Zanjan in the active phase of delivery. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 90 pregnant women with active phase of labour who were divided into three groups. The first group received 50 μg fentanyl and 2.5 mg bupivacaine and the second group received 5 μg sufentanil and 2.5 μg bupivacaine by spinal injection and the third group received no intervention. The severity of analgesia and maternal and neonatal outcomes were recorded. To compare the data, ANOVA, t-test and Chi-square test were used. Results: Our study showed that the duration, the first and second stage of labour, did not show significant difference between three groups (P > 0.05). Sufentanil has a faster return pain duration (P = 0.37). Patients in Group A had more severe pain (3.93 vs. 4.73,P = 0.001). Return the sense was significantly longer for fentanyl (P = 0.001). In sufentanil group, 40% were in T8–T10 level, while in fentanyl use group, 20% were categorized in this range. Conclusion: The present study reported that the use of fentanyl or sufentanil in combination with bupivacaine for spinal analgesia as a low-risk method for controlling labour pain, although it seems that the combination of sufentanil–bupivacaine is more effective.

Background: Optimal management of women with placenta accreta requires accurate preoperative diagnosis. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim to evaluate a new prediction scoring items for risk assessment on placenta accreta and determine its accuracy ratio.Methods: This prospective cohort study was carried out on 159 suspected pregnant women morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) in Shariati, Imam Khomeini, and Yas Hospitals in Tehran from October 2016 to May 2018. The number of previous cesarean deliveries; lacunae stage, location of placenta; Doppler assessment; and loss of clear zone were used for review and scoring of ultrasound images. Ultimately after collecting scores, subjects fall into one of the following three categories: low (≤5 points), moderate (6-7 points), or high (8-10 points) probability for placenta accreta. Ultimately, diagnosis of accreta was based on hysterectomy during surgery or reports of pathology. A logistic regression model was used to calculate the probability of placenta accreta on univariable analysis, to assess the discriminant power of all explanatory variables assessed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results: The area-under-the-ROC curve of the composite scores was 98% and the overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of our developed scoring system were 91.84%, 87.27%, 86.54%, and 92.31%, respectively.Conclusion: Combination of several simple ultrasound and clinical characteristics in a scoring system may be highly effective for prenatal risk assessment and prediction of placenta accreta. Output of scoring system helps medical staff to prepare appropriately before surgery and avoid perinatal mortality and morbidity.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in women.Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence ofgGonorrheal and cChlamydial infections, and determination of related risk factors inmarried women complaining about vaginal discharge attending gynecological OPDin Zanjan in 2013-2014.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive/analytic study, 100 women aged 18-49years with vaginal discharge were evaluated for signs and symptoms of gonococcaland chlamydial infections through interviews. Then cervical discharge samples andblood samples were collected from each subject for the detection of Nisseriagonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis by bacterial culture and serological tests,respectively. The data from the questionnaires and experimental tests werestatistically analyzed.Results: The overall prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Nisseria gonorrhoeae were 16% and 4%, respectively. There was no significant relationship between the history of fertility and childbirth, contraception methods, previous history of vaginal infections, previous history of urinary tract infections, number of coitus per weekly and self-reported symptoms (itching, burning, abdominal pain) with incidence of Nisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis.Conclusion: According to results obtained through laboratory tests, the prevalence of gonococcal and chlamydial infections increased, which makes it necessary to put emphasis on education and further preventive and therapeutic programs.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of vaginal progesterone on Doppler finding in increased uterine artery resistance compared with aspirin.This study is a double-blind randomized clinical trial that was conducted on 140 pregnant women with increased uterine artery resistance who were referred to the Shariati hospital (Tehran, Iran) in 2017-2018. Patients were randomized to 1 of the 3 treatment groups - group A: tablet aspirin 80 mg; group B: vaginal suppository progesterone; and group C: control group without any intervention. Low-risk pregnant women at the gestational age of 16-20 weeks, were assessed by the uterine artery Doppler. In the presence of increased resistance of the uterine artery, patients were randomly assigned to one of the three above mentioned groups.The results of pairedThe findings showed that the use of vaginal progesterone suppressed the resistance of uterine artery compared to aspirin.

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the serum vitamin D level in a retrospective study in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to the different phenotypes of the disease. Subjects and methods In this retrospective study, the records of 351 infertile women who were diagnosed with PCOS were examined, and 200 of them were enrolled in the study randomly in 4 PCOS phenotypes. Fifty normal ovulatory women with the history of male factor were selected as the control group. Parameters, including age, infertility duration, body mass index (BMI), hormone profile, as well as the serum vitamin D level were compared among the 4 phenotypes, with the P-value ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results The findings showed a higher serum vitamin D level in the control group than in PCOS patients, which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). In addition, there was no significant difference in the serum vitamin D level among the four phenotypes of PCOS. Conclusions No significant difference was found in the serum vitamin D level of the different phenotypes of PCOS. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to be done to establish the role of the serum vitamin D level in PCOS patients.

Conventional IVF and ICSI are two common techniques to achieve fertilization. IVF has long been used for treatment of infertility, although it is not an effective treatment in severe male infertility. The use of ICSI has been expanded in severe male factor and fertilization failure after IVF cycle. In spite of the widespread use of ICSI in patients with non-male factor infertility, there is still little evidence to confirm its effectiveness in this population.To evaluate assisted reproductive technology outcomes between IVF and ICSI cycles in non-male factor, normoresponder patients.A total of 220 non-male factors, normoresponder patients who were indicated for ART were enrolled in this study. The patients received standard long GnRH agonist or GnRH antagonist protocols for ovarian stimulation and after oocytes retrieval, the patients were divided into two groups (IVF and ICSI groups). In IVF group (n=112), all of retrieved oocytes were treated by conventional IVF and in ICSI group (n=88), microinjection (ICSI) was done on all of retrieved oocytes.In IVF group, fertilization and implantation rates were significantly higher than ICSI group (66.22% and 16.67% in IVF group versus 57.46% and 11.17% in ICSI group, respectively). Chemical and clinical pregnancy rates were statistically higher in IVF group as compared with the ICSI group (42.9% vs. 27.3% and 35.7% vs. 21.5%, respectively).According to our study, the routine use of ICSI is not improved fertilization, implantation and chemical pregnancy rates and is not recommended in non-male factor, normozoospermic patients.

Most large-scale mint growers are using center pivot irrigation systems with mid elevation sprinkler application (MESA) sprinklers that have a water application efficiency close to 80 %. Modifications of the sprinkler systems like low elevation spray/precision application (LESA/LEPA) that apply water close to the ground can save a lot of water throughout the season. However, improving or maintaing the current oil yield is a main priority for satisfying these producers. A two-year study was conducted in the field near Toppenish, Washington, USA to evaluate and compare the effect of LESA/LEPA, MESA, and hand line (HL) irrigation systems on the hay yield, oil yield, and oil concentration on spearmint and peppermint. Due to the higher application efficiency of the LESA/LEPA systems, they were designed at 15 % less liters per second per hectare than the MESA systems. The HL treatments were irrigated by the grower without any changes. The soil water content (SWC) of each plot was measured continously throughout the growing season using neutron probe soil moisture sensor. The results of the two-year study showed that despite using 15 % less water, there were no significant differences in the SWC, hay yield, oil yield, and oil concentration between the LESA/LEPA and MESA treatments. However, the HL in spearmint had significantly greater hay yield (30.8 tons/ha) and the lowest oil concentrations (31 mL per 10 Kg fresh hay) compared with the other two treatments. From this research study it can be concluded that large water savings are possible by using LESA/LEPA without significantly impacting oil yields in both peppermint and spearmint. Pumping energy savings are also possible because less pumping is required to get an equivalent amount of water to the soil, and because LESA/LEPA sprinklers require less pressure to operate properly. It also showed that hand-line sprinkler-irrigated spearmint had significantly lower oil concentrations than the LEPA/LESA treatments, or the MESA treatments.

Background Despite 2.5 million infections and 169,000 deaths worldwide (as of April 20, 2020), no maternal deaths and only a few pregnant women afflicted with severe respiratory morbidity have been reported to be related to COVID-19 disease. Given the disproportionate burden of severe and fatal respiratory disease previously documented among pregnant women following other coronavirus-related outbreaks (SARS-CoV in 2003 and MERS-CoV in 2012) and influenza pandemics over the last century, the absence of reported maternal morbidity and mortality with COVID-19 disease is unexpected. Objective To describe maternal and perinatal outcomes and death in a case series of pregnant women with COVID-19 disease. Study design We describe here a multiinstitution adjudicated case series from Iran that includes 9 pregnant women diagnosed with severe COVID-19 disease in their second or third trimester. All 9 pregnant women received a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction nucleic acid testing. Outcomes of these women were compared with their familial/household members with contact to the affected patient on or after their symptom onset. All data were reported at death or after a minimum of 14 days from date of admission with COVID-19 disease. Results Among 9 pregnant women with severe COVID-19 disease, at the time of reporting, 7 of 9 died, 1 of 9 remains critically ill and ventilator dependent, and 1 of 9 recovered after prolonged hospitalization. We obtained self-verified familial/household cohort data in all 9 cases, and in each and every instance, maternal outcomes were more severe compared with outcomes of other high- and low-risk familial/household members (n=33 members for comparison). Conclusion We report herein maternal deaths owing to COVID-19 disease. Until rigorously collected surveillance data emerge, it is prudent to be aware of the potential for maternal death among pregnant women diagnosed as having COVID-19 disease in their second or third trimester.

Because of limiting water resources and increasing demand for food, it is necessary to investigate the effect of irrigation systems on water productivity. This research was conducted to evaluate yield and yield characteristics of two potato varieties under sprinkler and trickle irrigation systems. The treatments were two irrigation systems (sprinkler and trickle irrigation) and two potato varieties (Burren and Satina) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Full irrigation was done based on moisture depletion from depth of root development in both irrigation methods.. Potato yield and water productivity (WP) in drip and sprinkler irrigation systems showed significant differences (P

Background Currently, a comprehensive program for screening and early detection of cervical cancer does not exist in Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears and some related factors among women living in Zanjan, Iran. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 in Zanjan on 4274 married women aged 20-65 years. The study participants were selected through two-stage cluster sampling. After obtaining written consent, demographic and fertility questionnaires were completed. Samples from cervix were obtained through a standard method using the Rover Cervex- Brush. Evaluation and interpretation of the samples were reported using the Bethesda 2001 method. Data were statistically analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression models. Results Most inflammatory changes in the samples were mild (37.4%). Abnormal atypical changes in the epithelial cells were found in 4.04%. The highest percentage of abnormal changes in the epithelial cells was atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) (1.9%). Abnormal results of Pap smear was significantly and independently associated with age, papillomavirus infection, and lack of awareness about Pap smear tests. Conclusions Given the high prevalence of inflammatory and precancerous changes in this study, compared to other studies in Iran and other Muslim countries, and the effect of demographic variables and individual factors on abnormal results, increasing the awareness of women and their families regarding the risk factors for cervical cancer, preventive measures such as screening, and timely treatment seem necessary.

Background: Conventional IVF and ICSI are two common techniques to achieve fertilization. IVF has long been used for treatment of infertility, although it is not an effective treatment in severe male infertility. The use of ICSI has been expanded in severe male factor and fertilization failure after IVF cycle. In spite of the widespread use of ICSI in patients with non-male factor infertility, there is still little evidence to confirm its effectiveness in this population. Objective: To evaluate assisted reproductive technology outcomes between IVF and ICSI cycles in non-male factor, normoresponder patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 220 non-male factors, normoresponder patients who were indicated for ART were enrolled in this study. The patients received standard long GnRH agonist or GnRH antagonist protocols for ovarian stimulation and after oocytes retrieval, the patients were divided into two groups (IVF and ICSI groups). In IVF group (n=112), all of retrieved oocytes were treated by conventional IVF and in ICSI group (n=88), microinjection (ICSI) was done on all of retrieved oocytes. Results: In IVF group, fertilization and implantation rates were significantly higher than ICSI group (66.22% and 16.67% in IVF group versus 57.46% and 11.17% in ICSI group, respectively). Chemical and clinical pregnancy rates were statistically higher in IVF group as compared with the ICSI group (42.9% vs. 27.3% and 35.7% vs. 21.5%, respectively). Conclusion: According to our study, the routine use of ICSI is not improved fertilization, implantation and chemical pregnancy rates and is not recommended in non-male factor, normozoospermic patients.