30 research outputs found
Prevalence and subtyping of Blastocystis sp. in ruminants in Southwestern, Iran
Abstract Blastocystis is the most common gastrointestinal protozoan parasite of humans and many vertebrates. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and determination subtype (ST) of Blastocystis in domestic ruminants of Shahrekord County, southwestern Iran. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 330 ruminant fecal samples (107 cows, 115 sheep, and 108 goats) were evaluated by parasitological methods (direct wet mount microscopic examination and formalin-ether concentration), Giemsa staining, In vitro xenic culture (The modified Dobell and Laidlaw culture method), polymerase chain reaction, and sequencing from 2018 to 2019, then data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21. The overall Blastocystis positive in ruminants was 14.2% and the frequency of Blastocystis sp. in cattle, sheep, and goats were 0.93%, 17.4%, and 24.1% respectively. Molecular diagnosis techniques revealed that ruminants were infected with four STs (genotypes) of Blastocystis including ST5(21.3%), ST7(2.1%), ST10(17.1%) and ST14(57.4%). Also, the STs identified in cows were ST10, and the observed STs in sheep were ST5 (40%), ST7 (3%), ST10 (5%), ST14 (45%), and one unknown subspecies. Goats were infected by ST5 (7.7%), ST10 (23.1%), and ST14 (69.2%). In this study, ST14 was identified as the most common subtype of Blastocystis sp. that was not common between humans and livestock, meanwhile, ST5 and ST7 are common between humans and animals accounted 21.3% and 2.1% of the positive cases, respectively, and reinforces the hypothesis that ruminants are reservoirs of blastocystosis in humans
The effect of graphitic target density on carbon nanotube synthesis by pulsed laser ablation method
Esophageal Strictures in Children
Introduction: To evaluate main aspects of esophageal strictures in children. Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was performed on 43 cases of esophageal stenosis ranging from 1 month to 10 years of age who were admitted in Ghaem and Dr. Sheikh Hospitals from 1995 to 2003 in Mashhad, Iran.
Results: Most cases were male (56%). The most common cause of esophageal stricture was anastomotic stricture after esophageal atresia surgery (34.9%) followed by strictures due to gastroesophageal reflux (25.6%), chemical burns (11.6%), and congenital a (11.6%). Proximal esophagus was the most common site of stricture (48.8%). Dilatation and operation had been chosen as the treatment of choice for most of our cases (42%). The majority of our patients recovered after receiving the proper treatment (60.5%).
Conclusion: Anastomotic stricture after surgical repair of esophageal atresia comprised the most common cause of esophageal stricture. Proximal esophagus was the most common site of stricture. Most of the patients recovered with dilatation, surgery, or a combination of the two
Wearing your destination: Making tourism experience accessible for people with travel hesitation by using smart glasses
Abstract
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
A 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)
Stories 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
Aquatic 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]
The 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
Researchers 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
The 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
