m. ansari

Implementing a proper integration scheme plays an important role in the performance of integrated navigation systems. Not only does employing a more reliable estimation method improve the accuracy of the integrated navigation system, but this can lead to a more robust solution in the presence of different types of uncertainties. Implementing an integration scheme that has a robust and simple structure is a challenging issue in the design of integrated navigation systems. By inspiring from the concept of PID control, this paper proposes a robust integration scheme for aided inertial navigation systems in the presence of aiding sensor measurement uncertainties. The proposed filter combines the concept of proportional-integral-derivative control theory and the standard Kalman filter estimator to improve the performance of the integration scheme. Thanks to the integral and derivative parts added to the proposed scheme, the integrated system attains a faster and more robust solution in the presence of observation errors and uncertainties. The simulation case studies validate the superior efficacy and capability of the proposed scheme compared to the integration method based on the standard Kalman filter.

Predicting monetary loss models due to production interrupt caused by an earthquake in industrial units is an important tool in making intelligent management decision. This study aims to extend a loss seismic risk model for the aforementioned subject. Production interruption in large industrial units after the earthquake is the cause of significant economic losses. The decline in revenues is the short-term consequence of this production interruption, and the market share loss is the long-term consequence of the earthquake. Earthquake “parametric insurance” offers a promising perspective to overcome this challenge ahead. Parametric insurance is a type of insurance in which the criteria for compensating payments exceed the event intensity parameters of the specified limit. The present method can be used for designing parametric insurance mechanisms to transfer the subsequent risk caused by an earthquake to the insurer. The Parsian gas refinery complex was investigated as a case study located in Zagros, a seismic-prone area in southern Iran. By means of a well-known seismic hazard model and using OQ software, a 50,000-year-old synthetic catalogue for the study area, Parsian Gas Refinery, was developed using the Monte Carlo simulation method. For this purpose, four ground motion models with different weights were applied in the EMME model to predict the resulting ground motions. Seismic source models and ground motion models were considered as inputs to the Open Quake (OQ) platform, and the event-based hazard analysis module was used. The whole gas refinery system was divided into 10 separate production paths and key components were specified in each path. The compatible fragility functions, as well as the restoration functions, based on HAZUS were assigned to different components in each production path and combined with the expected monetary loss related to daily interruption in that path. As a result, a prediction risk model for monetary loss was obtained for the entire refinery as a function of each arbitrary earthquake scenario.

The large fluctuations of the final yield of greenhouse cucumber are of great importance in Iran due to its very large cultivated area, so that 76.47% of all greenhouses in the country are under cucumber cultivation. In order to investigate the effect of crop density and variety in the production of greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus), a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a basic design of randomized complete blocks in 3 replications during 2016 and 2017. Based on this, single-flowered, double-flowered, medium-flowered and multi-flowered cucumber cultivars were cultivated in different planting densities of 37, 42 and 47 cm. The results of the research showed that the highest production productivity was achieved in the planting density of 42 cm between the plants and the selection of    multi-flowered cultivars with a maximum yield of 270 tons per hectare, and the lowest yield was obtained in single-flowered cultivars with a planting density of 37 cm. meter and numerical value of 197 tons per hectare was obtained. Therefore, the main reason for the decrease in cucumber yield in Tehran province was the selection of low-flowering cultivars with inappropriate planting density.

To quantify the influence of photon dose-calculation algorithm selection on the cervical esophagus (CE) dose indices and the derived equivalent uniform dose (EUD) and normal-tissue complication probability (NTCP) for acute esophagitis in patients with head-and-neck cancer (HNC).

The Fast Photon Effective Path (FPEP) and Collapsed-Cone Convolution Superposition (CCCS) algorithms on the Prowess Panther treatment planning system were compared for 30 patients (six tumor sites). The Lyman-Kutcher-Burmann (LKB) model was used to calculate the EUDs and NTCPs.

On average, the more simplistic FPEP algorithm overestimated the mean dose to CE planning organ-at-risk volumes (PRVs) by 2.0% (p = 0.003). The average absolute difference in mean dose was 2.7% and the maximum difference was 9.3%. The V5Gy, V10Gy, V15Gy, V20Gy, V25Gy and V30Gy values were significantly higher with FPEP, while the point-dose and D2cc hot spots were similar. In turn, the dose differences led to an underestimation of the LKB-model prediction of the EUD by 1.4% (p = 0.297). The mean absolute difference in EUD was 4.5% and the maximum difference was 15.3%. In the 14-50 Gy mean dose range, the resulting NTCPs with FPEP were lower on average by 2.6% than CCCS (p = 0.041).

In the group of HNC patients considered in this study, the EUD and NTCP for acute esophagitis showed to be moderately sensitive to the choice of dose-calculation algorithm. Despite an overestimated mean dose by the simpler algorithm, the NTCP underestimation, which can be large in some patients, is of clinical concern.

Cultural history is an interdisciplinary approach to historiography that seeks to interact with the two main areas of the humanities i.e. history and culture. In general, existing Persian sources in the cultural history domain can be classified into two categories: a) Knowing cultural history, including: history, definition, theoretical bases, theories and theorists, introducing significant works and, presenting main issues as well as their analyses and criticisms; b) Applying cultural history, including: recognizing sources, topics, methods and approaches and providing solutions. In this research, taking into account the available Persian sources, the evolution of critical studies in the field of cultural history in Iran was analyzed and with respect shortcomings in existing researches, solutions were presented in order to systematize future researches for profound understanding and growth of this trend and its application to Iranian historiography. The data show that firstly there is a temporal dispersion and secondly there is a thematic discontinuity in the publication of sources as well as in this field of knowledge, theoretical foundations, theorists and critics, their methods and examples are not fully introduced and gap of critiques and analyzes is clearly evident. The results (solutions) presented are: 1) Defining an evolutionary study; 2) Determining translation priorities; 3) Providing critique and analysis of cultural history issues; 4) Trying to create the Iranian cultural history tradition by using intra-cultural theories; and 5) Paying attention to the main features of cultural history and adhering to it, avoiding confusion of main topics of cultural history.

In the present study, the effect of different structural forms of plasmids on the efficiency of their transfer into the host was investigated. The toxicity effects of various forms of plasmids on host cells were also investigated.

Supercoiled, circular, nicked, and linear plasmid forms were separated from agarose gel. These structural forms were transfected to HEK293 cells and the transfection efficiency and toxicity of each of these forms was evaluated using the MTT technique.

The results showed that transferring the supercoiled form of pcDNA3.1+ plasmid into the host is much higher than other forms. Moreover, the toxicity effects of the linear form on the host are much higher than in other forms. Therefore, the results indicate that the supercoiled form of the plasmid is suitable for increasing the transfect efficiency and reducing cell death.

Researchers can use the supercoiled plasmid form in gene transfer processes to dramatically increase the efficiency of this process.

Rock abrasivity, as one of the most important parameters affecting the rock drillability, significantly influences the drilling rate in mines. Therefore, rock abrasivity should be carefully evaluated prior to selecting and employing drilling machines. Since the tests for a rock abrasivity assessment require sophisticated laboratory equipment, empirical models can be used to predict rock abrasivity. Several indices based on five known methods have been introduced for assessing rock abrasivity including rock abrasivity index (RAI), Cerchar abrasivity index (CAI), Schimazek’s abrasivity factor (Fabrasivity), bit wear index (BWI), and LCPC abrasivity coefficient (LAC). In this work, 12 rock types with different origins were investigated using the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian test for tensile strength, and longitudinal wave velocity and LCPC tests, and microscopic observations were made to obtain a correlation for estimating the LCPC abrasivity coefficient by conducting the conventional rock mechanics tests. Using the equivalent quartz content, velocity of longitudinal waves, and rock brittleness index, a linear correlation was obtained with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 93.3% using SPSS in order to estimate LAC.

Rural wastewater management is recognized as one of the pillars of sustainable development. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess needs and prioritization of establishment of rural wastewater management facilities in order to supply a safe and alternative water source in the provinces of Iran experiencing severe water stress. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study which was carried out in rural areas of the provinces with severe water stress (South Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, Fars, Isfahan, Yazd, Semnan, Qom, Sistan and Baluchistan) in 2017-2018. In this study, the number of sample rural areas was calculated by Cochran method and the determination of the sample rural area was done by stratified sampling. The data related to the sample rural area was collected using a validated constructor questionnaire. The results of this study showed that the difference among all the studied provinces in terms of their priority in establishing rural waste water management facilities to provide a safe and alternative water source was very low. The provinces of Isfahan, Semnan and Fars were rated at 76 out of 100, while the provinces of South Khorasan and Sistan and Baluchestan scored 71 points. With emphasis on comprehensive decision making criteria based on sustainable development, the results of this study showed that the provinces with severe water stress have a high priority regarding the establishment of rural sewage management projects in order to provide a safe and alternative water sources.

A scientific questionnaire for assessing the knowledge, attitude and judgment of people on waste management by municipalities has not been developed so far. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design and validation of an instrument to assess the knowledge, attitude and judgment of people on waste management by municipalities. This analytical study was conducted in District 21 of Tehran in 2017. The initial items of the questionnaire were designed based on previous studies and opinions of the team of specialists and people. Then, the face validity and the content validity of the designed questionnaire was examined. The face validity and the content validity was examined qualitatively and quantitatively, respectively. Finally, the reliability of the attitude and knowledge and evaluation of municipal performance items were measured by Cronbach's alpha and a test-retest method, respectively. The initial questionnaire had 43 items. In the face validity, 8 items were removed and 8 items were edited. In quantitative content validity, 7 items were excluded, with the content validity index of less than 0.79 and the content validity ratio less than 0.49. Pearson correlation coefficient obtained for knowledge component equal to (r=0.77, p<0.0001) and for component performance (r=0.93, p<0.0001), respectively. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was equal to 0.89 for items attitudes, which were in an acceptable level. The questionnaire can be used as a valid research instrument to collect information on knowledge, attitude and judgment of people on waste management by municipalities.

Inconel 738 superalloy is widely used for hot-section components of gas turbines. These hot-section components are exposed to an extremely oxidative environment at high temperatures and consequently their life span is dramatically decreased. Considering this problem, NiCrAlY coatings can be effectively used to protect the hotsection components. In this study, laser cladding process was used to coat a NiCrAlY alloy on the surface of Inconel 738 substrate for the purpose of improving the high-temperature oxidation resistance. In order to compare the oxidation behavior, oxidation tests at temperature of 1200 ˚C were individually conducted on Inconel 738 substrate and freestanding laser-cladded NiCrAlY coating. Laser cladding of NiCrAlY alloy resulted in the formation of hypo-eutectic dendritic γ/β structure. Moreover, the results of oxidation tests showed that the oxidation resistance of the laser-cladded coating was significantly better than that of Inconel 738 substrate and this coating can be an effective choice for protecting the hot-section components made of Inconel 738 superalloy.

Ninety meat samples of fishes caught from BeheshtabadRiver including Cyprinus carpio (n=29), Carassius auratus gibelio (n=15), Alburnus alburnus (n=27) and Capoeta aculeata (n=19) collected and used for determination of lead and cadmium with the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after wet digestion. Fish sampling was done by cast net during summer, autumn and winter 2007 and spring 2008. The results showed that the mean concentrations of lead and cadmium was 181.6 and 91.03 in Cyprinus carpio, 191.07 and 88.13 in Carassius auratus gibelio, 145.7 and 70.85 in Alburnus alburnus and 117.92 and 60.68 µg/kg in Capoeta aculeata. The mean concentrations of lead and cadmium in total samples were 159.02 and 78.09 µg/kg, respectively. The mean concentration of cadmium in samples examined exceeded acceptable threshold established in the European Commission (EC). Lead and cadmium concentration in 10% and 57.5% of samples exceeded the tolerance limits established in EC respectively. The results showed that there is significant difference between cadmium levels in meat of fish species (P<0.05). The high concentration of cadmium and lead in fish meat is probably due to missusing of phosphate fertilizers in agriculture affairs and entry of agricultural sewage into the river. 
Ninety meat samples of fishes caught from BeheshtabadRiver including Cyprinus carpio (n=29), Carassius auratus gibelio (n=15), Alburnus alburnus (n=27) and Capoeta aculeata (n=19) collected and used for determination of lead and cadmium with the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after wet digestion. Fish sampling was done by cast net during summer, autumn and winter 2007 and spring 2008. The results showed that the mean concentrations of lead and cadmium was 181.6 and 91.03 in Cyprinus carpio, 191.07 and 88.13 in Carassius auratus gibelio, 145.7 and 70.85 in Alburnus alburnus and 117.92 and 60.68 µg/kg in Capoeta aculeata. The mean concentrations of lead and cadmium in total samples were 159.02 and 78.09 µg/kg, respectively. The mean concentration of cadmium in samples examined exceeded acceptable threshold established in the European Commission (EC). Lead and cadmium concentration in 10% and 57.5% of samples exceeded the tolerance limits established in EC respectively. The results showed that there is significant difference between cadmium levels in meat of fish species (P<0.05). The high concentration of cadmium and lead in fish meat is probably due to missusing of phosphate fertilizers in agriculture affairs and entry of agricultural sewage into the river.

The current study carried out to determine some blood factor levels in Benni  (Barbus sharpeyi)brood stocks to achieve information about physiological changes due to reproduction and effect of reproduction on the serum parameters. Overall 42 randomly selected fishes including 24 females and 18 males ware studied. Blood samples were obtained from fishes in Dashte Azadegan Fish Culture Farm in a short time before spawning, serum was collected from blood and samples were analyzed in lab. The results show that mean values of Cholesterol, Glucose, Cortisol, Sodium, Potassium, BUN, Ig M were equaled to 247.07, 17.8, 40.9, 5.07, 139.09, 2.57, 1.46, and 62.8 respectively. The relation between serum parameters value with Sex and biometric factors of fishes were also studied. The results showed a statistical difference in Ig M mean value between male and female fishes (P<0.05) but there was no statistical difference in other factors between males and females. There was also a statistical difference in fishes with different weight and length for Potassium, Total Protein and Ig M (p<0.05).

Fiberoptic techniques have been used for diagnosis and also for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders very largely. Infection is a complication of endoscopy and fiberoptic endoscopy may serve as vehicle for transmission of infection.

Before doing gastroscopy, all parts of the endoscope were disinfected (as normally done in the ward). Then, samples for culture were taken from the device and at the end of the procedure, again samples from all parts of gastroscope (outer surface, internal canal, water – air pump) were taken and cultured in Blood agar and E.M.B media. Microbiology species and colony count as standard protocol were identified and reported.

954 Samples were prepared before and after upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. In samples from outer surface of the device before procedure, culture was negative in 90.6% and positive in 9.4% (15 cases), while in samples from the same region after endoscopy, culture was negative in 32.7% and positive in 67.3%. Staphylococcus epidermis was the most common organism. Before endoscopy, sampling and culture from internal canal of device was reported as 88.7% negative culture and 11.3% positive culture with pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most common organism. After endoscopy, internal canal culture was 52.7% negative and 47.2% positive culture. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common organism. Air – water Canal samples before endoscopy were 51.6% negative and 48.4% positive. Non fermented gram negative bacilli were the most common organisms. After endoscopy, these samples were 22% negative and 78% positive. Non- fermented gram negative bacilli were the most common organisms.

The microbial contamination of the air-water canal (78%) and outer surface of the device (67.3%) after endoscopy was due to inadequate cleaning and disinfection after completion of procedures.

Position changing with blood distribution in different portions of lung can produce V/Q mismatch, and finally extend to oxygenation disruption. Thus, if position changing has done versus of patient’s pulmonary problem types, not only does not cause oxygenation improvement, but also induce gas exchange impairment, and with provocation of hypoxemia and respiratory acidosis, results complication serious. Goals of this research was determination of semi-fowler’s position and its duration effect on the arterial blood gases (ABGs) in patient under mechanical ventilation hospitalized in general ICU. For study goals attainment,30 ICU patient(22 men and 8 women) under mechanical ventilation was choosed. After recording patient’s demographic data on questionnar, at first an arterial blood sample in supine position, obtained. Then patients immediately had been placed in semi-fowler’s position and after 15,30,45,and 60minute lying in this position,samples of arterial blood obtained and sent to laboratory Findings showed that semi-fowler’s position had not positive effect on oxygenation and gas exchanges. Also, findings certificated that the effect of lying duration (15,30,45,60 minute) in semi-fowler’s position on oxygenation and gas exchange wasn’t significant. Finally conclusion is that without consideration of lung pathology, semi- fowler’s position should not be used because this position not only does not induce oxygen- improvement, but also causes gas exchange impairment, and also create pressure ulcer in susceptible body portion such as sacral and coccygeal.