فهرست مطالب s. ghasemi

The production of Portland cement, one of the most used materials in the construction industry, has increased environmental pollution and global warming. Soil bio-improvement is an eco-friendly and renewable method that has recently received attention. Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been the most researched for bio-geotechnical issues. Sporosarcina pasteurii is a micro-organism that produces urease enzymes and was used for sand soil improvement in this study. Also, the type of grout and injection method were selected as variables. The result of the test showed that the use of bio-grout had a significant effect on increasing the bearing capacity of soil. Bio-micropiles increased the bearing capacity by more than 94%. This increase was 126% in the case of cement-grouted micropile. Also, the results of the tests showed that the bearing capacity of bio-improved soil and reinforced soil increased by 54% and 125%, respectively. This research showed that bio-micropile could be a suitable method to replace cement-grouted micropile.

The new maize hybrid,Paya,is the result of the cross K47/2-2-1-2-2-1-1-1×K18.The single cross hybrid Paya produced an average grain yield of 11.47t/ha in preliminary yield trial in four locations in 2013,10.58t/ha in semi-final grain yield trail in seven locations in 2014,10.96 t/ha in final grain yield trials in 13 locations during 2015 -2016,and 11.33t/ha in final yield trail in 10 locations during 2017-2018 which were superior compared toKSC704as check,with an average grain yield of 9.34,9.46,10.72 and 11.04t/ha (in preliminary yield trial in2013semi-final grain yield trail in2014,final grain yield trails during 2015-2016 and2017-2018,respectively).In on-farm experiments carried out in eight regions,the new hybrid with an average grain yield of9.98t/ha compared to the check cultivar KSC704 with an average grain yield of 8.50t/ha,both with 14% grain moisture,showed 17.46% higher grain yield.Based on the results of the final forage yield trials in five locations,the new maize hybrid with an average yield of80.1t/ha,compared to KSC704 with an average yield of 75.9t/ha,revealed 4.2t/ha yield increase during2017and2018 years.The relative forage value (RFV) in the new maize hybrid (250.7) was higher than the check hybrid KSC704 (179.5).Also,based on the results of on-farm experiments in three regions,the new hybrid with an average forage yield of 85.93 t/ha,showed a 13.26% increase in forage yield compared to the check cultivar KSC704 with a forage yield of 75.87 t/ha.Although the new maize hybrid was superior to the KSC704 in terms of yield,stability,and rate of grain moisture reduction after physiological maturity; its most important advantage was its relative resistance and less infection to common smut disease (with9.16%infection) compared to the susceptible hybrid KSC704(with22.30%infection)as one of the main problems of maize farms in the country.More ever,the response of the new maize hybrid and the check cultivar KSC704 to Fusarium ear rot disease is semi-resistant.In general,the new maize hybrid,Paya,is suitable for cultivation in Karaj,Shiraz,Mashhad,Kermanshah,Moghan,Miandoab,Dezful,Kerman and Jiroft.

In recent years, a new type of fiber-reinforced concrete, consisting of several different types of fibers, known as hybrid fibers reinforced concrete, has attracted the attention of researchers. The aim of this paper for experimental evaluation of the effect of replacement ratio of recycled aggregates with natural aggregates on the mechanical properties of reinforced concrete with hybrid fibers (steel and polypropylene fibers). To this end, reinforced concrete with hybrid fibers with volume fractions of "0.0%" , "0.5%" , and "1%" of steel fibers and "0.0%" and "0.4%" of polypropylene fibers and replacement ratios of "0.0%" , "25%" , and "50%" recycled coarse aggregate of natural coarse aggregates were tested for compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, and flexural strength by four-point bending tests. The results show that increasing the replacement ratio of recycled aggregate leads to a decrease in compressive, tensile, and flexural strength. If polypropylene and steel fibers are added to concrete containing recycled aggregates, the compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths of concrete increase, whose steel fibers are more efficient in improving the tensile and flexural strength of concrete than polypropylene fibers. The combination of polypropylene fibers with steel fibers increases energy absorption and increases the flexural toughness of concrete containing recycled aggregates. Moreover, reinforced concrete with hybrid fibers does not disintegrate after breaking, and hybrid fibers play an important role in maintaining the cohesion of concrete.

The adsorption of gold and copper cyanide complexes on the activated carbon is investigated using the Density Functional Theory (DFT). In order to represent the activated carbon, two fullerene-like model (presenting structural defect sites) and a simple graphene layer containing different functional groups (presenting chemical active sites) are employed. The structural defect sites show a much lower adsorption tendency toward all the cyano complexes comparing to the chemical active sites. The interaction energy for all of the complexes with structural defect sites (concave) is very low. However, the graphene layer with unsaturated active sites displays the highest level of interaction almost for all the complexes except Cu(CN)4-3. The effect of oxygen functional groups on the graphite edges shows a crucial role in the selectivity of gold adsorption over copper complexes. It has increased adsorption energy for Cu(CN)2- in the presence of OH and COOH, and has decreased adsorption energy for Au(CN)2- by OH and increased by COOH. The study results elucidate the lower selectivity for adsorption of gold over copper cyanides by high oxygen content activated carbon. The energy levels of the HOMO and LUMO orbitals show adsorption of unpaired cyanide anions on the activated carbon surface occurs by electron transfer from the complex to the adsorbent and adsorption onto the activated carbon edges by transferring electrons from the absorbent to the complex. The result has clearly demonstrated that the functional groups increase the adsorption tendency for both the gold (only COOH) and copper complexes (OH and COOH) but deteriorate the selectivity of gold over copper cyanides.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities in the conservation of Baluchistan black bear in the south of Kerman province using the quantitative and qualitative approaches and presenting the sustainable strategic management program for conservation of this species. Using questionnaire, a list of internal and external environmental factors was compile. The relative importance of these factors was weighted and the Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) matrix were drawn and then, the various initial strategies were quantified with the formation of the strategic planning matrix. A total of 11 internal strengths, 4 internal weaknesses, 5 external opportunities and 4 external threats were identified. The final score of the internal factors matrix (IFE = 2.01418) shows that, the weaknesses are more than the strengths and the score of the external factors matrix (EFE = 2.07462) shows that there are more threats than opportunities in solving the conflict problem. The results of the SPACE matrix showed that the defensive strategies should be used for the protection of the Black bear in the south of Kerman province. Implementation of environmental assessment studies for development projects in the Black bear habitats was determined as the first modified solution.

In the construction of urban underground infrastructures, the passage of tunnels below the surface structures is inevitable. Prediction and control of deformations resulting from excavating, especially the ground's surface subsidence, should always be considered before drilling. For this purpose, the present study deals with the numerical analysis of the interaction between the tunnel and its adjacent buildings. In this paper, the Isfahan Metro Tunnel in the range of Azadi Square to Sheikh Koleini Station is considered and FLAC2D software is used for modeling. The characteristics of the buildings in the limited area have been considered and the effect of the width and height of the structures around the tunnel on the rate of ground subsidence caused by the tunnel excavation has been investigated. In order to validate the results, data of the subsidence instrumentation were utilized. Finally, based on the performed analysis, it was concluded that the permissible range of constructing structures around the tunnel area depends on the geometry of the structure and as the size of the structure increases, reliable limits for the construction of structures around the tunnel drilling area are reduced. As a practical result, a diagram was provided to determine the permissible range of construction around the twin tunnel based on different values of the width and height of the structure.

The thickening of the iron ore tailings allows process water to be partially recovered and recirculated, also it reduces the fresh water consumption, which results in lower operating costs and less environmental impacts. The settling characteristics of the mineral components of an iron ore tailing in the thickening process may be different under various pulp conditions. Hence, the study of the characteristics of the mineral components of the iron ore tailings separately can provide very useful information about the thickening of an iron ore tailing. In this research, the settling behavior of the main mineral components of iron ore tailings including quartz and magnetite have been investigated under various operational conditions. The quartz and magnetite showed different settling behaviors, so as the maximum settling rate of quartz was achieved under different pulp conditions than that of magnetite was. There was a big difference between the maximum settling rates of quartz and magnetite, as the maximum settling rates of quartz and magnetite were 197 and 873 m/h respectively. In the thickening of an iron ore tailing, the pulp conditions must be set based on the settling behavior of the mineral component with the lowest settling rate.

Overweight and obesity may be associated with the flat foot deformity or an aggravating factor. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the biomechanical parameters of the soles of the feet of young overweight girls compared to normal individuals during postural control.                                                                                             

The statistical sample consisted of 44 female students with a mean body mass index of 26.78±1.67 and 21.35±1.38 as overweight (n=22) and normal groups (n=22). Anthropometric characteristics and plantar indices were recorded using a camera pedoscope during postural stability. Independent t-test was used to compare intergroup results and Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the correlation of Body mass index (BMI) with biomechanical parameters of the foot. Tests were analyzed at a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS software version 24.

The overweight group compared with the control group had significant difference in the parameters of arch width, Staheli index of right and left foot and Chipax-Smirak index of right and left foot (p>0.05). The correlation coefficient between body mass index (BMI) and biomechanical parameters of the sole of the foot in all areas showed a positive and significant relationship (p>0.05), with the strongest correlation between BMI and left Staheli Index (SIL) (r=0.638 and p=0.001).

The findings of the present study has emphasized that obesity can affect the biomechanical parameters of the sole of the foot and may exacerbate or reduce the arch of the sole. Therefore, these abnormalities should be prevented from an early age, with weight control.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of environmental responsibility and environmental participation among the residents of rural areas in Bandar Abbas county, which was conducted by survey and field methods. Sample size was determined based on the Cochran’s formula and the required data were collected through questionnaires. A total of 366 questionnaires were completed in a stratified-random manner. The research questionnaire was designed in two parts: environmental participation and environmental responsibility, using the 5-points Likert scale. The reliability of the questionnaires, calculated by test-retest and Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the participation and environmental responsibility questionnaires, were 0.79 and 0.86 respectively. Results showed that economic, social and cultural participations with the score of 14.37, 13.70 and 12.96 respectively, have the highest scores in rural communities. Among the dimensions of responsibility, human rights responsibility with an average of 19.43 was the highest score among the residents of rural areas, followed by legal responsibility (18.6), intellectual and internal (17.37) and operational (16.85) responsibility. Comparison of participation and responsibility in rural areas of Bandar Abbas showed that there is no significant difference between different rural areas (P ˃ 0.05). The rural residents are active and involved in environmental protection, showing people's attention to the natural environment of the region.

Nepeta is one of the most important genus from the fam. lamiaceae with more than 280 species. In this study, N. haussknechtii Bornm. was collected at the flowering stage from Ardabil province, Iran and its chloroform extract was prepared. The chloroform crude extract was subjected to the successive column chromatography on the silica gel using n-hexane–ethyl acetate solvent gradient to yield 29 fractions. Further purification of the fraction No.5 resulted in the isolation of one known steroid namely β-sitosterol (1). In addition, the known triterpenoid oleanolic acid (2) was identified from the purification of the more polar fraction No.9. The compounds were assigned by the mass spectrometry, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT, and 1H1H COSY. Finally, the structures of compounds were confirmed by comparison of the spectral data with those described in the literature.

The aim of this study was to compare the richness, diversity, and evenness of soil macrofauna and the factors affecting it during the growing and dormant seasons in Amygdlus scoparia Spach stand in the protected area of Geno located in Hormozgan province, Iran. After the selection of a half-hectare stand of Amygdalus scoparia in the Geno protected area, 10 soil samples were randomly collected in the depth of 15 cm, under the crown of trees in growing and dormant seasons in order to measure physiochemical characteristics and identify soil macrofauna and their relations. After macrofauna separation, samples were transferred to the laboratory for physiochemical analysis. All variables were compared across two seasons using T-Test analysis (p <0.05) and the correlation of variables was analyzed using Pearson correlation (p <0.01). The results showed that all soil properties (nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, and temperature) except electrical conduction and soil acidity in the growing season were significantly higher than those in dormant season. The frequency and biomass of macrofauna in the growing season were 1060 in m2 and 5.9 mg.m-2, respectively, comapred to 90 in m2 and 0.7 mg.m-2 obtained for dormant seasons. Further, the indices of Margalef, Menhinick, Simpson, Shannon and Waever, and evenness Pielou and Hill in growing season (2.55, 2.15, 0.79, 1.77, 0.89, and 0.93) were significantly higher than those in dormant season (0.23, 0.53, 0.09, 0.13, 0.49, and 0.19, respectively). Soil macrofauna frequency along with biodiversity, richness, and Pielou evenness indices showed positive and significant correlations with organic carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen and soil temperature.

In order to compare and determine the potential, and compatibility level of different sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars at different planting and harvest dates, a two years (2014-16) trial was conducted in Etka Dehloran field. In the first and second year, the trial was performed in split plot- and split-split plot based on randomized complete block design, respectively with three replications. In the first year, the main plots consisted of 15 cultivars and the planting date of 2nd October 2014 and the split plots included harvest dates of 14th and 30th April 2015. In the second year, the main plots consisted of five selected cultivars from first year trial, three planting dates (16th September, 1st and 16th October) in split plots, and three harvest dates (14th and 30th April and 14th May) in split split plots. The evaluated traits were root yield, sugar content, sugar yield, white sugar yield, Na and K content and extraction coefficient of sugar. Results of analysis of variance in the first year showed that there was a significant difference between the cultivars in terms of studied traits. According to the evaluated traits, among 15 studied cultivars and based on bolting resistance, Antek, Azaba, Silvetta, Spartak, and Sharif were superior to other cultivars; therefore, these cultivars were selected for continuous screening in the second year of the trial. In the second year, there was a significant difference between cultivars in terms of studied traits, so that the highest root yield was related to Sharif cultivar (83.32 tha-1). The highest sugar content (17.29%) and extraction coefficient of sugar (14.68%) were related to Silvata cultivar.

Today, the use of organic wastes as fertilizers to improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil is common. In this study, to investigate the effect of the sewage sludge on the growth and concentration of chlorophyll, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in quinoa plant, a factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications in a calcareous soil with electrical conductivity of 13.1 dS m-1. Treatments included three genotypes of quinoa (Red carina, Titicaca, Q29) and three levels of sewage sludge (0, 20 and 40 t ha-1). The results showed that the effects of the quinoa genotype, different levels of sewage sludge and the interaction of treatments on the root dry weight, shoot P concentration and chlorophyll concentration were significant. Also, the sewage sludge had a significant effect on the shoot length, shoot dry weight and shoot nitrogen concentration. By increasing the level of the sewage sludge, root length, shoot length, shoot dry weight and shoot N concentration were increased, on average, by 44.7 %, 48.8%, 42.0% and 46.6%, respectively. Also, application of 40 t ha-1 sewage sludge significantly increased the chlorophyll concentration and shoot P concentration in Q29 and Titicaca genotypes. According to the results of this study, application of sewage sludge can increase the growth of quinoa by improving its nutrition.

Intensified environmental regulations have posed numerous challenges in the disposal of industrial wastes. The steel industry is one of the biggest production industries, with a considerable amount of daily wastes. Production of glass-ceramic from the steel industry waters is one of the proper solutions for this problem. In this study, the application utilization of different wastes (such as blast-furnace slag, converter slag, and dust) as the raw material for glass-ceramic production was evaluated. After mixing the precursors, the mixture was melted at 1450℃. The obtained melt was cooled down at 10°C/min cooling rate in metallic molds, and the glass was derived. Ceramic phases were grown by application of isothermal heat treatment periods up-to 6 h, at 750, 800, 850, and 900℃. The mean length of the ceramic phases was measured after each heat treatment period by scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that crystal growth followed a parabolic kinetic model. The activation energy of crystallization was also determined as 129 kJ/mol in the temperature range of 750-900°C.

In this study, the chloroform extract of Ferula ovina (fam. Apiaceae) stems was investigated. The plants were collected at the flowering stage from Tehran province (Damavand), Iran. The extract was purified using column chromatography on silica gel with a solvent gradient of n-hexane-ethyl acetate and yielded 12 fractions. Further purification of the fractions resulted in the isolation and identification of four monoterpenoid ester derivatives named tschimgine (1), (1S,2R,4S)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl 4-methoxy benzoate (2), (1S,2R,4S)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoate (3) and stylosin (4). So far, no report has been found on the isolation and structure identification of the compound No.2. The structure of the compounds was determined by spectroscopic analysis andfinally confirmed by comparison of their spectral data, melting points, and optical rotations with those described in the literature.

Some civil engineering-based infrastructures are planned for the structural health monitoring (SHM) system based on their importance. Identifiction and detecting damage automatically at the right time are one of the major objectives this system faces. One of the methods to meet this objective is model updating whit use of optimization algorithms in structures.This paper is aimed to evaluate the location and severity of the damage combining two being-updated parameters of the flexibility matrix and the static strain energy of the structure using augmented grey wolf optimization (AGWO) and only with extracting the data of damaged structure, by applying 5 percent noise. The error between simulated and estimated results in average of ten runs and each damage scenario was less than 3 percent which proves the proper performance of this method in detection of the all damages of the 37-member three-dimensional frame and the 33-member two-dimensional truss. Moreover, they indicate that AGWO can provide a reliable tool to accurately identify the damage in compare with the particle swarm optimizer (PSO) and grey wolf optimizer (GWO).

After extreme events such as floods, thunderstorms, blizzards and hurricanes there will be devastating effects in the distribution networks which may cause a partial or complete blackout. Then, the major concern for the system operators is to restore the maximum critical loads as soon as possible by available generation units.  In order to solve this problem, this paper provides a restoration strategy by using Distributed Generations (DGs).  In this strategy, first, the shortest paths between DGs and critical loads are identified. Then, the best paths are determined by using a decision-making method, named PROMOTHEE-II to achieve the goals. The uncertainties for the output power of DGs are also considered in different scenarios. The IEEE 123-node distribution network is used to show the performance of the suggested method. The simulation results clearly show the efficiency of the proposed strategy for critical loads restoration in distribution networks.

The perception of spouse has changed with respect to the level of illusion and disillusion, and according to these changes, four states included of optimistic, confusion, realism and devastation are achieved. The aim of this phenomenology research was to identify dynamics of Interaction with spouse in married women in four states. 65 women were selected through purposeful sampling from those who gain the highest score in each of the quadruple states in the researcher-made questionnaire of illusion and disillusion, and in the form of 4 groups participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection and with thematic analysis findings were analyzed. Findings of four groups included 41 sub themes which were classified into three main themes of cognitive, emotional and behavioral dynamics according to similarities, differences and comparing the contents of themes in four study groups. The results of the research showed that identifying each of the four states and the injuries of each state in Marriage, according to the cognition, excitement and behavior of couples and providing preventive and therapeutic strategies tailored to each injury can help the stability of couple's relationship, increase the marital satisfaction and promoting community health.

  Fibers from fruits and cereals by-products are valuable prebiotic sources for production of different synbiotic products like yoghurt. The aim of the present study is evaluation of the prebiotic effects of fibers from pineapple, pomegranate and wheat by-products in yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 bacterium. Fibers from pineapple, pomegranate and wheat by-products were used at 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5% concentrations for production of yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 bacterium. The effects of these fibers were investigated on the physiochemical and organoleptic properties of yoghurts and also survival of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 bacterium. There were no significant differences in the physiochemical properties of yoghurts among the different groups (P>0.05). Significant differences were observed for the organoleptic properties of yoghurts among the different groups (P<0.05). Generally, survival of the bacterium had a better condition in the presence of fibers. Despite the significant differences among the different groups in each day, the maximum positive and significant effects of fibers on the survival of the bacterium in yoghurts were seen on day 14 in comparison with the control group. In this day all yoghurts containing fibers had significant differences in the number of bacterium in compare with the control group (P<0.05). Use of pineapple, pomegranate and wheat fibers as prebiotic compounds could increase the survival of the probiotic bacterium in yoghurt and have positive effects on the acceptance of this product

This study was aimed to evaluate the possibility of using enriched vermicompost with salt-tolerant strains of Streptomyces as a bio-fertilizer in growth and nutrition of cucumber under salinty stress. For this purpose, a pot experiment was set up in a completely randomized factorial design with three replications. Treatments included different salinity levels (0, 30, 60 and 90 mM sodium chloride) and vermicompost (control, unenriched vermicompost and enriched vermicompost with S. rimosus and S. griseus). Results showed that salinity stress caused a significant reduction in the root and shoot dry matter yield, nitrogen, potassium, iron and zinc concentration and potassium: sodium ratio, but increased sodium concentration and cell membrane permeability. Under these conditions, application of vermicompost maintained the structure of cell membranes, improved balance of nutrients and thus reduced the adverse effect of salinity on the plant yield. The effect of vermicomposts enriched with S. griseus and S. rimosus on maintaining root membrane permeability, improving plant nutrition and increasing salt tolerance of plants was more than unenriched vermicompost. So that the highest root and shoot dry weight in salinity of 90 mM NaCl was observed in vermicompost treatment enriched with S. rimosus. According to the results of this study, vermicompost enriched with salt-tolerant strains of Streptomyces, in addition to maintaining the balance of nutrients in saline conditions, improves morphological and physiological characteristics of cucumber plant and thereby can alleviate the damage induced by salinity stress.

Sewage sludge is an important source of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. This sludge can be used as an organic fertilizer to improve the soil and it’s fertility by a correct management. In present study an investigation was carried out in order to checking the effects of sewage sludge on yield of two types of wheat species (Sivand and Roshan) and some physical and chemical properties of the soil.The investigation was done in the form of a factorial experiment as a completely randomized design with three replications and three levels of sludge(zero, 60 and120 g kg-1soil) in research greenhouse of the Yazd University. The results showed that application of sewage sludge comparing control treatment caused a significant increase in the leaf surface, dry weight of aerial parts, seed number and total seed weight in the Sivand and Roshanas the two studied varieties, although the Roshan wheat height in control treatment was more than that is sewage sludge treatments. With increasing the level of sewage sludge, soil electrical conductivity increased too.While, soil pH and soil bulk dencity at treatment with 60 and 120g kg-1 of sludge showed a significant decrease as compared to the control treatment. Furthermore, the treatments of sewage sludge in comparison with control treatment increased the organic carbon, total nitrogen, phosphorus and absorbable potassium of the soil. According to the results, sewage sludge could increase soil fertility and plant yield by improving some physical and chemical properties of the soil.

7075 aluminum alloys are widely used in industry, due to their properties such as specific strength and good fatigue resistance. The nitride multilayer coating, which applied by physical vapor deposition (PVD) process have shown good improvement in abrasive resistance, but their columnar structure led to decreasing corrosion resistance behaviors. In this paper, multilayer coatings of Ti/TiN with 6 layers applied on Al 7075 as a substrate by high vacuum magnetron sputtering. Then GIXRD, FESEM and AFM were used to assessed phase behavior, structure and morphology of the coating, respectively. As well as the corrosion behavior of coating was investigated by using electrochemical impedance in simulated body fluid such as Ringer’s solution at 37 ºC. The results show production of homogeneity and uniformity multilayer coating, with cutting the column structure of titanium nitride, which increasing the charge transfer resistance by 56 times compared with Al 7075 and also no pitting was seen at the coated samples after 72 hours of immersion, with enhancing of corrosion resistance by 284 % compare to 48 h of immersion.

Application of ice structuring proteins (ISPs) as a food preservative has shown great potential to enhance the quality of frozen foods and desserts during frozen storage, transport, and thawing. The major role of these proteins is controling and preventing the formation of larger ice crystals and ice recrystallization, which eventually damage the cell wall and result in drip loss of the sap from the tissue during thawing. Another important point about these proteins is that they are active in very low amounts for the food industry. They have been discovered in many cold tolerating biological systems such as fishes, plants and insects, which all have ice recrystallization inhibition and some cases exhibit, thermal hysteresis and ice nucleating activities. The aim of this study was to introduce antifreeze proteins, mechanisms of their action and potential applications for them in the food industry.

Oral cancer is a serious health problem, mainly in cases with late diagnosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of community pharmacists, community pharmacy assistants and herbalists in late stage diagnosis of oral cancer. A cross-sectional study by the standardized simulated patient approach was undertaken to investigate the recommendation given to a potential cancer patient at pharmacies and herbalists’ shops in Rasht, Iran. The introductory statement was "My father is 63 years old and he is a smoker who has a painful ulceration on his tongue for about 6 months which wasn’t painful at first but is painful now. What would be your recommendation? "All the responses were noted and transferred to data sheets. The recommendations were analyzed separately and then grouped. Recommended therapies and their administrations were also recorded. The results showed that 73% of community pharmacies referred patients to primary medical care systems. Community pharmacists and community pharmacy assistants had closely equal roles (74.3% and 72.5%, respectively). Contrariwise, only 7.1% of herbalists referred patients with oral ulcers to a physician or a dentist. Almost 10% of the pharmacies recommended OTC drugs only and 11% prescribed medications combined with referral to a medical or dental practitioner for consultation. In reverse, 78.6% of herbalists recommended an OTC remedy and none of them advised patients to visit a GP or dentist accompanied by prescribing an herbal remedy. Herbalists have a potential role in diagnostic delay in patients with oral cancer.

In this paper the application of CHP systems in reduction of energy consumption as well as CO2generation has been evaluated. A residential tower and an apartment have been considered as case studies. CHP system has been selected based on two scenarios (heat and power demand base) for both cases. The results show that the energy consumption as well as CO2 generation decrease when CHP has been designed based on power demand, while the fixed cost increases. In this case, CHP systems with capacity of 10 and 700 kilowatt are adequate for an apartment and residential tower respectively. Meanwhile the results show that in the second scenario (heat demand) the fixed cost decreases while energy consumption and CO2 will increase.