27 research outputs found
Wearing your destination: Making tourism experience accessible for people with travel hesitation by using smart glasses
No full textAbstract
This quantitative study is probably one of the primary efforts for offering a potential solution for people with short- and long-term travel hesitation through the lense of Self-Efficacy and Learned Helplessness Theories as well as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). In this study, travel hesitation is divided to two segments of permanent and temporary. Permanent travel hesitation includes age restrictions, visual, hearing, body impairment, Autism, and any types of disabilities. Furthermore, temporary travel hesitation includes traveling cost, having a new-born, having any types of phobias, being afraid of COVID-19 or any other COVID variants, and having no desires and interest for travel.
The purpose of this study is to offer a solution for people with travel hesitations, and it includes three research questions. The data were collected from 344 sample size through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) in December 2021. The collected data were analysed through SmartPlS 3.0 software using PLS algorithm and bootstrapping techniques. This research findings verified that people with travel hesitation had willingness to use smart glasses for their travel purposes and also people’s intention to travel physically to a destination after trying smart glasses was increased.Embargo status: Restricted until 09/2027. To request the author grant access, click on the PDF link to the left
The effect of graphitic target density on carbon nanotube synthesis by pulsed laser ablation method
No full textA Critique and study of a narrative of the Fatimids of Egypt and the Ismaili based on the story of Bustan-e-Khayal (Based on historical sources)
No full textStories and tales as an important part of popular culture are the connection between people now and the past that transmits cultural and doctrinal principles from one generation to another. Based on the approaches of modern historiography and the narrative context of historical narratives, some stories also contain historical contexts that are useful to study alongside historical sources. The myth of Bustan-e-Khayal is a folk tale based on the history of the Fatimid caliphs of Egypt and the Ismaili Shiites, which begins based on historical events that took place during. The author has brought these historical figures into the realm of myth, attributing imaginary stories to them. This article follows the presence of the Ismaili religion and the Fatimid caliphs in this story and critiques it based on historical sources and narratives in a descriptive-analytical manner. The findings of this study and their critique indicate the empirical confirmation of some of the author's narrations Based on the historical and doctrinal sources of this political and religious sect, but in some cases, there were differences. The extraordinary face that the author presents of some of the Fatimid caliphs was very close to the aspect of the sanctity and divinity of these caliphs, which has been confirmed by the testimony of historical narrator
Effects of vegetation density, arrangement, and morphology on flow structure under ice-covered condition
No full textAquatic vegetation appears very often in rivers and floodplains, which significantly affects the flow structure. On the other hand, a common feature of cold regions is the presence of river ice on water surfaces. Ice cover imposes an additional boundary layer on water surface which leads to significant change in flow structure and bed deformation. It also causes a decreasing trend of velocity profile near the cover. Because of vegetation’s positive impacts on water quality, habitat, and channel stability, researchers now advocate replanting and restoring projects in rivers, especially in agricultural waterways, floodways, and emergency spillways. The expansion of vegetation in fluvial systems may worsen the flood impact since highly dense vegetation in a channel reduces its flow capacity due to the increase in flow resistance and decrease in the channel width. Therefore, an accurate and critical assessment of the vegetation density and distribution pattern through reduction of bulk velocity is crucial in sustainable restoration projects. To the author's knowledge, no studies have been conducted to investigate the impacts of both ice cover and vegetation on flow resistance and channel bed deformation. It is thus necessary to examine the connection between vegetation and ice covers thoroughly in order to guarantee successful restoration projects. Most of research projects on submerged vegetation have been done in small-scale laboratory flume and specifically under the open channel flow condition. Besides, most of reported research uses uniform sediment which is not an appropriate representative of natural river systems. In the present study, deflected and non-bending model vegetation elements arranged in both square and staggered configurations with different density in the channel bed with three different non-uniform sands under different cover conditions of water surface including open channel flow and ice-covered flow conditions were used. In order to simulate the ice cover condition, smooth and rough ice covers made of Styrofoam panels were created to investigate the impacts of ice cover roughness on channel bed deformation. To represent non-uniform sediment condition, three different bed materials with median particle size (D50) of 0.50 mm, 0.60 mm, 0.98 mm were used. Results showed that the most significant variable influencing the depth of scour holes under ice-covered flow conditions is the ratio of the ice cover roughness to the bed roughness and in open channel flow conditions, the flow Froude number is determining. In the conducted experiments, it was consistently observed that the maximum scour depths occurred at the upstream, front face of the vegetation elements. It was found that the scour holes were deeper and longer under ice-covered flow. In the presence of vegetation in the bed under ice-covered flow conditions, the velocity profiles exhibit a distinct pattern characterized by two peak
values. The study revealed an inverse relationship between canopy density and the dimensions of the wake zone. As the spacing distance between deflected vegetation elements decreases, the streamwise velocity experiences significant retardation slightly below the inflection point. With a sparser vegetation canopy, the inflectional region tends to diminish or disappear. Furthermore, the study observed that the inflection point was not observed in non-bending vegetation. Additionally, velocity profiles showed more pronounced inflection points in the case of a staggered arrangement of vegetation elements compared to a square arrangement. Results of this study will provide vital information for river management, channel restoration, and rehabilitation of fluvial environments through understanding the effect of various vegetation densities, arrangement patterns and morphology, as well as the revitalization of cold-weather river ecosystems
Corrigendum to “The report of ovarian tissue transplant in Iran: A case report” [Int J Reprod BioMed 2024; 22: 323–328]
No full textThe publisher has been informed of an error that occurred on page 323 in which the third authors affiliation must be changed to Molecular Medicine Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran. On behalf of the author, the publisher wishes to apologize for this error. The online version of the article has been updated on September 30, 2024 and can be found at https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v22i4.16393
Architectural Photovoltaic Applications: Lessons Learnt and Perceptions from Architects
No full textResearchers have reported that despite technological development in photovoltaic technology and substantial cost reduction, there is still a narrow interest in architectural photovoltaic applications (APA). Lack of interest is correlated to various bottlenecks, and one of them is a lack of knowledge among architects on the possibilities and approaches to adopt APA. In response to the issues mentioned, the aim of the research presented was collecting qualitative and quantitative information from architects as lessons learned and perceptions in regards to APA. In total, 30 architects with and without experience of using photovoltaics (PV) were invited and interviewed. They were asked about their experience, design and decision-making process with PV, their understanding of integration, and the decisive factors to use APA. The results showed apparent differences between the experiences and perceptions, and they highlighted the lessons learned from realized projects. The analysis of the visual implication of PV integration shows that, to the eyes of architects, integration of PV into architecture does not depend on the PV product used, but instead, that when PV is part of the design concept and design process, the outcome is seen as a meaningful integration.Climate Design and SustainabilityBuilding Product Innovatio
Psychometric Characteristics of the Wish to Be Dead Scale (WDS) in Iranian Psychiatric Outpatients
No full textThe Wish to be Dead Scale (WDS) was administered to a convenience sample of 200 Iranian psychiatric outpatients. Using a Principal Component Analysis, two factors were identified, labeled Lack of purpose in life (F1), and Lack of interest in living (F2). The WDS had good reliability and significant positive correlations with scores on the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale and with other measures of mental ill-health. This study provides evidence of the usefulness of the WDS for assessing psychiatric patients. © 2016 The Author(s
Mental Health Problems and the Associated Family and School Factors in Adolescents: A Multilevel Analysis
No full textObjective: Mental health is one of the most important issues in adolescents' life. Adolescents' health is highly important, because of their role in the future. This study was conducted using multilevel analysis to investigate the risk factors at student and school levels. Method: This was a cross sectional study for which 1740 students and 53 schools were selected between February and March 2018 in Qazvin, Iran. Multistage stratified cluster sampling was used for data collection. Mental health problems were measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Emotional symptom, conduct problem, hyperactivity, peer relationship problem, and prosocial behavior were the subscales. This study used multilevel analysis to determine the association between each of the questionnaire scales and students and schools variables. Results: The prevalence of the mental health problems was 16.2%. Conduct problem was more prevalent than others (21.1%). Overall, the score of mental health problems was significantly lower in boys' schools, in adolescents with physical activity, and in families with high socioeconomic status. Hyperactivity and emotional symptoms were significantly higher in girls' schools. While prosocial behavior and peer relationship problems were significantly higher in boys' schools. The association between variables and the scales of mental health problems was different. Conclusion: Results indicated desirable physical activity and socioeconomic status are effective components in the adolescents' mental health, and, mostly girls' schools were more vulnerable than boys' schools. Therefore, the educational authorities and health policymakers should consider this diversity to design interventional programs and pay more attention to the high-risk adolescents in different schools. Copyright © 2021 Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
Author keywords
Adolescents; Iran; Mental Health; Multilevel Analysis; SDQ; Student
Anti-atherogenic properties of Kgengwe (Citrullus lanatus) seed powder in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice are mediated through beneficial alterations in inflammatory pathways
No full textKgengwe fruits are commonly consumed in sub-Saharan countries. Recent reports indicated low coronary artery disease rates in those regions. To investigate anti-atherogenic properties and potential mechanisms of action of Kgengwe seed powder (KSP), male low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDL-r-KO) mice were fed with an atherogenic diet supplemented with (treated, n = 10) or without (controls, n = 10) 10% (w/w) KSP for 20 weeks. Proximate analysis revealed that KSP contained 38% fibre and 15% lipids. KSP supplementation was not associated with significant changes in body weight gain rate, food intake, and plasma lipid levels. However, the average atherosclerotic lesion size in the aortic roots in the KSP-treated group was 58% smaller than that in the control group (0.26 vs 0.11 mm2, p < 0.05). This strong anti-atherogenic effect was associated with significant increases in the average plasma levels of certain cytokines such as IL-10 (6 vs 13 pg/mL, p < 0.05), GM-CSF (0.1 vs 0.2 pg/mL, p < 0.05), and EPO (7 vs 16 pg/mL, p < 0.05) along with reductions in the average levels of plasma MCP-1 (19 vs 14 pg/mL, p < 0.05) and MIP-2 (28 vs 13 pg/mL, p < 0.05). Except for relatively high levels of saturated fatty acids, KSP possesses balanced nutrient compositions with strong anti-atherogenic properties, which may be mediated through alterations in inflammatory pathways. Additional studies warrant confirmation and mechanism(s) of action of such effects.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Hepatocellular carcinoma incidence at national and provincial levels in Iran from 2000 to 2016: A meta-regression analysis
No full textBackground The incidence of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer with high mortality, is undergoing global change due to evolving risk factor profiles. We aimed to describe the epidemiologic incidence of HCC in Iran by sex, age, and geographical distribution from 2000 to 2016. Methods We used the Iran Cancer Registry to extract cancer incidence data and applied several statistical procedures to overcome the dataset's incompleteness and misclassifications. Using Spatio-temporal and random intercept mixed effect models, we imputed missing values for cancer incidence by sex, age, province, and year. Besides, we addressed case duplicates and geographical misalignments in the data. Results Age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) increased 1.17 times from 0.57 (95 UI: 0.37- 0.78) per 100,000 population in 2000 to 0.67 (0.50-0.85) in 2016. It had a 21.8 total percentage change increase during this time, with a 1.28 annual percentage change in both sexes. Male to female ASIR ratio was 1.51 in 2000 and 1.57 in 2016. Overall, after the age of 50 years, HCC incidence increased dramatically with age and increased from 1.19 (0.98- 1.40) in the 50-55 age group to 6.65 (5.45-7.78) in the >85 age group. The geographical distribution of this cancer was higher in the central, southern, and southwestern regions of Iran. Conclusion The HCC incidence rate increased from 2000 to 2016, with a more significant increase in subgroups such as men, individuals over 50 years of age, and the central, southern, and southwestern regions of the country. We recommend health planners and policymakers to adopt more preventive and screening strategies for high-risk populations and provinces in Iran. Copyright: © 2021 Fattahi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
