East Azerbaijan Research Articles

Investigating the Development and Access to Healthcare Services across Iranian Provinces

Background: A country’s health status and the accessibility of its people to various healthcare services represent important indicators of development. This study investigated the development of Iranian provinces and measured their accessibility to healthcare services. Methods: The study extracted data from the statistical yearbook over five years (2015-2019) and analyzed the data through multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. More specifically, numerical taxonomy was used to measure the level of development in each province, the CRITIC method helped to calculate the weights of the indicators, and the combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) method was employed to rank the Iranian provinces. Results: The findings of taxonomy analysis demonstrated that provinces such as East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, Khuzestan, Fars, Kerman, Gilan, and Mazandaran were among the Iranian provinces that had reached satisfactory development. The ranking of the provinces using the CoCoSo method revealed that provinces such as Semnan, Yazd, Ilam, and South Khorasan were the most privileged regions in terms of accessibility to healthcare services. Conclusion: Comparing the health indicators over different years showed that, despite the progress of all Iranian provinces, there were marked differences in the distribution of healthcare services across the country.

The Diagnosis of Sheep Cystic Echinococcosis by Native Antigen B - Elisa Method

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases in some countries in the world. Cystic echinococcosis is considered a neglected disease. This disease increases economic damage via medical costs and loss of human and livestock productivity. The aim of the current study gains a better understanding of the prevalence of CE in sheep. Totally 250 sheep sera were collected. 25 serum samples from newborn lambs were used as negative, and 25 others were obtained from slaughterhouses as positive to infection with CE and 200 unknown sera. Antigen B Isolated from hydatid cysts fluid was used for designing ELISA methods. The first Method used anti-Sheep conjugate (SIGMA, at 1:3000 dilution). According to the results, the seroprevalence of CE in East Azerbaijan of Iran was 5.5% and sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of hydatidosis in sheep by AgB-ELISA methods was 92%. Using Antigen B in ELISA design for hydatidosis diagnosis has attracted researchers in recent years. During this study, an Iranian native B antigen was used to design the specific detection of hydatidosis in sheep using a specific ELISA technique. The results have shown that using Antigen B in ELISA design is so valuable.

Spatio-temporal analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic is a top-level public health concern. This paper is an attempt to identify and COVID-19 pandemic in Iran using spatial analysis approaches. This study was based on secondary data of confirmed cases, deaths, recoveries, number of hospitals, hospital beds and population from March 2, 2019 to the end of November 2021 in 31 provinces of Iran from hospitals and the website of the National Institute of Health. In this paper, three geographical models in ArcGIS10.3 were utilized to analyze and evaluate COVID-19, including Geographic Weight Regression (GWR), Getis-OrdGi* (G-i-star) statistics (hot and cold spot), and Moran autocorrelation spatial analysis. Moran statistics, based on the GWR model, demonstrated that deaths and recoveries followed a clustering pattern for the confirmed cases index during the study period. The Moran Z-score for all three indicators confirmed cases, deaths, and recoveries, which was greater than 2.5 (95% confidence level). The Getis-OrdGi* (G-I-Star) (hot and cold spot) data revealed a wide range of levels for six variables (confirmed cases, deaths, recoveries, population, hospital beds, and hospital) across Iran's provinces. The overall number of deaths exceeded the population and the number of hospitals in the central and southern regions, including the provinces of Qom, Alborz, Tehran, Markazi, Isfahan, Razavi Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, Fars, and Yazd, which had the largest number and The Z-score for the deaths Index is greater than 14.314. The results of this research can pave the way for future studies.

Modeling road traffic fatalities in Iran’s six most populous provinces, 2015–2016

BackgroundPrevention of road traffic injuries (RTIs) as a critical public health issue requires coordinated efforts. We aimed to model influential factors related to traffic safety.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, the information from 384,614 observations recorded in Integrated Road Traffic Injury Registry System (IRTIRS) in a one-year period (March 2015—March 2016) was analyzed. All registered crashes from Tehran, Isfan, Fras, Razavi Khorasan, Khuzestan, and East Azerbaijan provinces, the six most populated provinces in Iran, were included in this study. The variables significantly associated with road traffic fatality in the uni-variate analysis were included in the multiple logistic regression.ResultsAccording to the multiple logistic regression, thirty-two out of seventy-one different variables were identified to be significantly associated with road traffic fatality. The results showed that the crash scene significantly related factors were passenger presence(OR = 4.95, 95%CI = (4.54–5.40)), pedestrians presence(OR = 2.60, 95%CI = (1.75–3.86)), night-time crashes (OR = 1.64, 95%CI = (1.52–1.76)), rainy weather (OR = 1.32, 95%CI = (1.06–1.64)), no intersection control (OR = 1.40, 95%CI = (1.29–1.51)), double solid line(OR = 2.21, 95%CI = (1.31–3.74)), asphalt roads(OR = 1.95, 95%CI = (1.39–2.73)), nonresidential areas(OR = 2.15, 95%CI = (1.93–2.40)), vulnerable-user presence(OR = 1.70, 95%CI = (1.50–1.92)), human factor (OR = 1.13, 95%CI = (1.03–1.23)), multiple first causes (OR = 2.81, 95%CI = (2.04–3.87)), fatigue as prior cause(OR = 1.48, 95%CI = (1.27–1.72)), irregulation as direct cause(OR = 1.35, 95%CI = (1.20–1.51)), head-on collision(OR = 3.35, 95%CI = (2.85–3.93)), tourist destination(OR = 1.95, 95%CI = (1.69–2.24)), suburban areas(OR = 3.26, 95%CI = (2.65–4.01)), expressway(OR = 1.84, 95%CI = (1.59–2.13)), unpaved shoulders(OR = 1.84, 95%CI = (1.63–2.07)), unseparated roads (OR = 1.40, 95%CI = (1.26–1.56)), multiple road defects(OR = 2.00, 95%CI = (1.67–2.39)). In addition, the vehicle-connected factors were heavy vehicle (OR = 1.40, 95%CI = (1.26–1.56)), dark color (OR = 1.26, 95%CI = (1.17–1.35)), old vehicle(OR = 1.46, 95%CI = (1.27–1.67)), not personal-regional plaques(OR = 2.73, 95%CI = (2.42–3.08)), illegal maneuver(OR = 3.84, 95%CI = (2.72–5.43)). And, driver related factors were non-academic education (OR = 1.58, 95%CI = (1.33–1.88)), low income(OR = 2.48, 95%CI = (1.95–3.15)), old age (OR = 1.67, 95%CI = (1.44–1.94)), unlicensed driving(OR = 3.93, 95%CI = (2.51–6.15)), not-wearing seat belt (OR = 1.55, 95%CI = (1.44–1.67)), unconsciousness (OR = 1.67, 95%CI = (1.44–1.94)), driver misconduct(OR = 2.51, 95%CI = (2.29–2.76)).ConclusionThis study reveals that driving behavior, infrastructure design, and geometric road factors must be considered to avoid fatal crashes. Our results found that the above-mentioned factors had higher odds of a deadly outcome than their counterparts. Generally, addressing risk factors and considering the odds ratios would be beneficial for policy makers and road safety stakeholders to provide support for compulsory interventions to reduce the severity of RTIs.

ARAS recent onset acute phase psychosis survey, a prospective observational cohort of first episode psychosis in Iran—the cohort profile

The Middle East is underrepresented in psychosis research. The ARAS recent onset acute phase psychosis survey (ARAS) is a longitudinal cohort across multiple centers in Iran, established to investigate characteristics, determinants and early course of psychosis in a non-Western, Middle East context. Here, baseline characteristics of the ARAS cohort are reported. The ARAS cohort enrolled patients with recent onset psychosis from September 2018 to September 2021 in East Azerbaijan, Kermanshah and Tehran, including Iranian patients from different sociocultural contexts. The baseline assessment included demographics, socioeconomic status, clinical (positive, negative, depressive symptoms) and psychosocial (religiosity, social support, self-stigma) characteristics, cognitive functioning, metabolic profile, substance use and medication use measured by validated questionnaires. These assessments will be followed up after one and five years. A total of 500 patients with a first episode of psychosis were enrolled from three provinces in Iran. With 74.1% being male, the mean age (SD) of patients was 32.3 (9.7) years. Nearly a quarter of patients was diagnosed with schizophrenia and 36.8% with substance induced psychotic disorder. Amphetamine (24%) and opium (12%) use were common, cannabis use was not (5%). Only 6.1% of patients lived alone while 29% of patients was married and had children. The majority of them had achieved secondary educational level and 34% had a paid job. The most common antipsychotic treatment was risperidone. There was a wide range for scores of PANSS, with 9.4% having dominant negative symptoms. The most common prescribed medication was risperidone. Near to 40% of patients had noticeable signs of depression and prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 13.4%. The majority of patients (57.2%) had moderate and 5.4% reported to have severe disability. More than 30% reported to be highly religious. Patients had the highest satisfaction with people living with, and the lowest for finance and job.

Relationship between DMFT index and reproductive history- a cross-sectional study on enrollment phase of Azar cohort study

BackgroundHormonal changes in women throughout life might affect the oral health. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index and reproductive history.MethodsThe present cross-sectional study was performed using data of Azar Cohort Study conducted in 2014, in Shabestar city, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. In the present study, the data of all 8294 women from the enrollment phase of the Azar cohort were included. All available data related on the variables of reproductive history (including age at the onset of menstruation, age of onset of menopause, age of first pregnancy, and frequency of pregnancy), age at interview, educational level, socioeconomic status, frequency of tooth brushing, chronic diseases, body mass index and DMFT were extracted. Negative binomial regression with loglink was used to analyze the relationship between variables. Three regression models have been applied to adjust the effect of confounding variables. Model 1 adjusted for education, socio-economic status, age, chronic diseases, body mass index and frequency of tooth brushing. Model 2 adjusted for education, socioeconomic status, age, chronic diseases and body mass index. Model 3 adjusted for education, socio-economic status and age.ResultsThe mean DMFT of 8294 women was 20.99 ± 8.95. In model 1, there was no significant relationship between DMFT and frequency of pregnancy. However, model 2 and 3 showed that in women who had four or more pregnancies, the DMFT rate was significantly higher than those who did not have a history of pregnancy (P = 0.02, P = 0.04). Age at the onset of menopause, age at the onset of menstruation and age of first pregnancy had no significant relationship with DMFT in the models. Brushing less than once a day and increasing age at interview had significant relationship with DMFT in the models (P < 0.001).ConclusionDespite hormonal changes through the life, the history of reproductive showed no significant relationship with women’s DMFT. Oral health education for women is an important step in promoting oral health and it is necessary to pay special attention to preventive programs in oral health policy for women specially with increasing the age.

Assessment of Quality of Life and Its Determinants Among Hemodialysis Patients: Dialysis Units of East Azerbaijan Province in Iran in 2021

Background: Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a major public health problem affecting individuals’ quality of life (QOL). Hemodialysis is one of the most common treatments for CRF. Although hemodialysis increases the life expectancy of CRF patients, it also arouses several problems affecting these patients’ QOL. Objectives: This study aimed to detect factors affecting QOL in hemodialysis patients in the East Azerbaijan province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the East Azerbaijan Province in 2021. Data collection instruments were the SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire and a demographic information checklist. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS software version 25 using Spearman’s rank correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The mean score of QOL was 42.6 ± 7.6, and the mean scores of the physical and psychological dimensions of QOL were 40.7 ± 9.9 and 43.4 ± 7.4, respectively. The highest mean score of QOL was 44.6 ± 6.2 for men, 42.7 ± 5.8 for the married, and 41.2 ± 6.9 for those with high levels of education. The mean score of QOL was not significantly correlated with any of the individual characteristics and clinical factors, except for age (P = 0.03), level of education (P = 0.03), and duration of each dialysis session (P = 0.05). From the QOL dimensions, physical dimension had a significant relationship with marital status (P = 0.03), age (P = 0.04), and duration of each dialysis session (P = 0.02). Moreover, psychological dimension was significantly correlated with marital status (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Patients undergoing hemodialysis have low QOL and need further attention from the authorities in terms of care and social support.

High Expressions of MicroRNA-143 in Patients With Methamphetamine Abuse Disorder: A Case-control Study

Background: Chronic drug abuse changes microRNA (miRNA) expression in the brain, which may contribute to addictive behaviors. Many miRNAs play critical roles in developing drug addiction. Methamphetamine induces various alterations in different systems by affecting gene expression, but the effects of methamphetamine on miRNA profiles need to be elucidated. This study evaluated the expression of miRNA-183 and miRNA-143 in the blood of methamphetamine abusers and controls. Methods: In this case-control study, the case group comprised 60 people with a methamphetamine addiction from Tabriz City, East Azerbaijan, Iran, and the control group comprised 60 healthy controls of comparable ages and ethnicities. Total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and then cDNA was synthesized. MicroRNA-183 and microRNA-143 expression levels were determined using real-time PCR. Results: The results indicated that methamphetamine abusers had significantly higher blood levels of miRNA-143 than healthy controls (P&lt;0.05); however, miRNA-183 expression was comparable between the two groups (P&gt;0.05). Conclusion: MicroRNA-143 may play a role in the pathology of methamphetamine abuse, so it may be used as an additional method to identify people with an addiction precisely.

Development and validation of an online tool for assessment of health care providers’ management of suspected malaria in an area, where transmission has been interrupted

BackgroundThe alertness and practice of health care providers (HCPs) in the correct management of suspected malaria (CMSM) (vigilance) is a central component of malaria surveillance following elimination, and it must be established before malaria elimination certification can be granted. This study was designed to develop and validate a rapid tool, Simulated Malaria Online Tool (SMOT), to evaluate HCPs’ practice in relation to the CMSM.MethodsThe study was conducted in East Azerbaijan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran, where no malaria transmission has been reported since 2005. An online tool presenting a suspected malaria case for detection of HCPs’ failures in recognition, diagnosis, treatment and reporting was developed based on literature review and expert opinion. A total of 360 HCPs were allocated to two groups. In one group their performance was tested by simulated patient (SP) methodology as gold standard, and one month later by the online tool to allow assessment of its sensitivity. In the other group, they were tested only by the online tool to allow assessment of any possible bias incurred by the exposure to SPs before the tool.ResultsThe sensitivity of the tool was (98.7%; CI 93.6–99.3). The overall agreement and kappa statistics were 96.6% and 85.6%, respectively. In the group tested by both methods, the failure proportion by SP was 86.1% (CI 80.1–90.8) and by tool 87.2% (CI 81.4–91.7). In the other group, the tool found 85.6% (CI 79.5–90.3) failures. There were no significant differences in detecting failures within or between the groups.ConclusionThe SMOT tool not only showed high validity for detecting HCPs’ failures in relation to CMSM, but it had high rates of agreement with the real-world situation, where malaria transmission has been interrupted. The tool can be used by program managers to evaluate HCPs’ performance and identify sub-groups, whose malaria vigilance should be strengthened. It could also contribute to the evidence base for certification of malaria elimination, and to strengthening prevention of re-establishment of malaria transmission.

Optimization of the integrated ORC and carbon capture units coupled to the refinery furnace with the RSM-BBD method

To recover waste heat and reduce the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, an integrated system of organic Rankine cycle and post-combustion carbon capture unit coupled with furnaces of a refinery located in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, Iran has been presented. To assess the performances of the proposed system, thermodynamic and economic analyses are performed. The organic Rankine cycle was optimized by selecting the suitable working fluid with optimal operating conditions among the primary considered ones through multi-objective optimization. Then, the response surface methodology combined with the Box-Behnken design was employed to evaluate the effects of decision variables and their interaction on the CO2 capture cost and attain the optimal conditions. The results indicate that the R-245fa is the best working fluids among the selected ones. According to the results, the flue gas inlet temperature into the absorber and lean loading are the terms of the model that have a significant impact on the output response. In the optimum setting of the decision variables, the CO2 capture cost equals 81.60 $/tCO2 and 81.90 $/tCO2 for ORC+CC and DCC+CC processes, respectively. Furthermore, due to the absence of a turbine in the DCC+CC system, its equivalent work is 28 % higher than the ORC+CC system. Also, the amine regeneration energy is responsible for 91.47 % and 86.15 % of the variable operating cost of the optimal ORC+CC and optimal DCC+CC, respectively.

Temporal–spatial analysis of drought and wet periods: case study of a wet region in Northwestern Iran (East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardebil and Zanjan provinces)

Northwest of Iran has plant, animal and environmental varieties because of its geographical location. Therefore, alternate weather may have irreparable outcomes in numerous environmental sectors. In the prevailing research, it was turned into consideration to investigate the droughts that with inside the northwestern vicinity of Iran all through a 30-yr statistical period (1987–2016) that occurred, the usage of the records of fifty-five synoptic, climatology and rain gauge stations was evaluated with inside the positioned area. Using the SPI in a 12-month period, 360 maps had been produced for drought severity and month-to-month droughts. Then, the maps had been transformed into records, and the calculations associated with its descriptive information consisting of the common center, well-known circle and ellipse had been calculated on 4236 cells. The consequences of the month-to-month evaluation of droughts and moist duration intensities all through 360 months confirmed that the chance of susceptible moist durations with inside the important elements and extreme droughts with inside the southern half of the vicinity is better than different situations. More extreme droughts arise on this vicinity.

Investigation of the Factors Related to Mortality and Length of Hospitalization among COVID-19 Patients in East Azerbaijan Hospitals, Iran.

It is of utmost importance to identify populations with an elevated risk for COVID-19 and the factors influencing its outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate factors affecting mortality and length of stay (LOS) among COVID-19 patients in the hospitals of East Azerbaijan province, Iran, during 15 months of this pandemic. The present study followed a retrospective cohort design. This retrospective study was conducted using data in the integrated syndromic surveillance system (ISSS) on patients admitted to the hospitals from February 21, 2020, to April 11, 2021. The association between variables of interest and death, as well as LOS, was investigated via multiple logistic regression and multiple linear regression analyses. In total, 24 293 inpatients with a mean age of 54.0 ± 19.4 years were included in this study. About 15% of them lost their lives, whose mean age was 69.0 ± 14.6 years, significantly higher than the recovered ones (P < 0.001). Factors, such as above 49 years of age (P < 0.001), male gender (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.08-1.26), and having chronic diseases (OR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.22-1.42), were correlated with patient mortality. In addition, having chronic diseases (Beta = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.03-0.08) was associated with higher LOS in hospitals. In conclusion, older patients were at a higher risk of mortality and prolonged hospitalization. Furthermore, patients' underlying diseases could cause a severe form of COVID-19, which can lead to death and increase patients' LOS.

The oribatid mite subgenus Metabelba (Pateribelba) (Acari, Oribatida, Damaeidae): redescription of M. (P.) filippovi and description of two new species

ABSTRACT Metabelba (Pateribelba) filippovi, a large species of Metabelba known from the Transcaucasus and Caspian areas, is redescribed on the basis of material from Arasbaran forest (East Azerbaijan, North-West Iran). A new, closely related species, M. (P.) abkhasica Kolesnikov & Miko sp. nov., is described on the basis of newly collected material from Abkhaziaand and an individual from the collection of Bulanova-Zachvatkina (Abkhazia). The two species form an easily distinguishable species group, characterized by unusually-shaped notogastral setae having a sharp terminal spike. Another new species, Metabelba (Pateribelba) stepposa Kolesnikov & Miko sp. nov., belonging to the M. sphagni group, is described from Kazakhstan steppes. Variability and similarities of these three species are discussed together with broader relations within the genus Metabelba. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A29C8AEA-9E88-40FE-B14F-686B5FBD779E

Mineralogy and Mineral Chemistry of Dioritic Dykes, Quartz Diorite Enclaves and Pyroxene of the Sungun Cu-Mo Porphyry Deposit, East Azerbaijan, Iran

The Sungun Cu-Mo porphyry deposit forms part of the Ahar–Arasbaran Magmatic Belt (AAMB). Its host Miocene porphyry stock is quartz monzonitic in composition and is cut by intermediate dykes that post-date mineralization. These dykes contain pyroxene and enclaves of ambiguous origin. Dykes of microdiorite are observed within quartz diorite dykes, whereas later diorite dykes contain three different kinds of enclaves (diorite, quartz diorite and hornfels) of sizes between 1 and 10 cm. Enclaves consist of plagioclase, hornblende and biotite, with accessory sphene, quartz and apatite. Chlorite compositions in microdiorite are within the chamosite range, whereas they are within the clinochlore range in diorite enclaves. Microprobe analyses of pyroxene indicate an augitic composition (Fs13.38-22.79Wo29.1-33.57En48.53-56.61), consistent with an igneous origin. Hornblende of the diorite enclaves formed at pressures ranging between 3 and 5.3 kilobars and temperatures between 714 and 731 °C. Average oxygen fugacity during rock formation is −14.75. Such high oxygen fugacities suggest that the diorite formed near the boundaries of a convergent margin. Amphibole compositions suggest that the diorite enclaves are sub-alkaline to mildly alkaline, consistent with reported whole-rock chemistry of the Sungun magmas. Pyroxenes were formed at pressures ranging between 11 and 15 kilobars (33–45 km) and temperatures between 1100 and 1400 °C. The amount of Fe3+ in clinopyroxene is also consistent with high oxygen fugacity within their environment of crystallization. Overall, these results have implications for our understanding of the origin of the Sungun Cu-Mo porphyry magmas and their mineral deposits in a lower-crustal setting.

Vulnerability assessment of Iran's rural-farmer households during COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an emergency around the world, especially in rural communities, and imposed great disasters on human societies, so it's devastating effects on mental health indicators, economy, environment, and social relations are known to everyone. But the accurate assessment of its damage to human societies can help to manage this phenomenon during and post-COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, the present study was conducted for vulnerability assessment of wheat farmers to the COVID-19 pandemic in northwest Iran. The main data collection tool in this study was a questionnaire that was designed based on the Me-bar model, but for the accurate vulnerability assessment, new parameters were added based on the theoretical research literature and the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample size was selected from 420 wheat farmers living in East Azerbaijan Province, the northwest of Iran, using the Kerjcie and Morgan's table. The results showed that for economic vulnerability, the rural poverty was the most important cause of vulnerability of the studied rural households and access to information was most important cause of social vulnerability. Also, the results showed that for psychological vulnerability, the self-efficacy was the most important cause of vulnerability. In other results, irrigation parameters of agricultural lands were the most important cause of environmental vulnerability. The study results showed that the studied farmers have experienced high levels of vulnerability and were strongly affected by economic, social, psychological, and environmental damages. Moreover, the results showed that the farmers of Shabestar and Maragheh had the highest level of vulnerability. In general, the study results can provide policymakers with new insights into the field of COVID-19 pandemic management because the vulnerability of farmers has been identified using 39 parameters.

Safavid and Portuguese Christian Influence on Saint Stepanos Monastery in Julfa, Iran

The Monastery of Saint Stepanos, in Julfa, is located in northwesternIran, in the province of East Azerbaijan. Whilst the exactdate of construction is unknown, the building displays exceptionalarchitecture. It is believed that the monastery was built between thetenth and seventeenth centuries, and this doubt emphasises the needto investigate the nature of structure and decoration. The Monasteryis situated in a deep canyon beside the Araxes river, on the Iranianside of the border between Iran and the Nakhichevan AutonomousRepublic in Azerbaijan. It was originally built in the ninth century,and was rebuilt during the Safavid era after being damaged by warsand earthquakes. Considering that scholars and travel writers, such asthe French Traveller Taurine, consider the construction of this buildingto be from the Safavid period, probing the structural and decorativesimilarities of this building with Safavid period architecture can bea way of dating this outstanding historical monument. During theSafavid period, the Portuguese arrival on the island of Hormuz inthe Persian Gulf (1515–1622 AD) prepared the ground for the arrivaland activity of European Christians, who spread Christianity and itsculture. One of the earliest consequences of this was the constructionof the Monastery and other Christian architecture. The basic objectivesof the article are to study the influence of Portuguese Christianarchitecture on the construction of Saint Stepanos Monastery, and toinvestigate the influence of Safavid structural design on its architecture.The main questions, are what influence has the architecture of SaintStepanos Monastery had on Christian architecture in Portugal,and what influence did the architecture the Monastery have on thearchitecture of the Safavid period?This research for this article is descriptive and analytical based onhistorical information, available documents and existing images. Anexamination of the architectural similarities between Saint Stepanos&#x0D; Monastery in Julfa and Christian architecture in Portugal is essentialfor a more accurate understanding of the Monastery.

Investigating the Relationship between Moral Distress and Coping in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services Technicians of East Azerbaijan Province in 2021

Investigating the Relationship between Moral Distress and Coping in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services Technicians of East Azerbaijan Province in 2021

Su Tesislerinin Mimarı Tasarımı ve Su Tüketimi Arasındaki İlişki

Şehirlerin büyümesi ve nüfus artışı ile birlikte su tüketim miktarı hızla artmıştır. Bu durum ilerledikçe çağımızın en büyük yaşamsal sorunu haline gelmiştir. İran dünyada en çok tatlı su tüketen ülkeler arasında altıncı sırada yer almaktadır. Bu ülke dünyadaki birçok ülke gibi kuraklık riski ile karşı karşıyadır. Bu nedenle araştırmanın odak noktası İran’ın tarihi ve modern yıkanma mekanlarında tüketilen su miktarı ve mekân mimarisi ile olan ilişkisi üzerinden ilerlemektedir. Çalışılan bu makalede gerekli olan analizler ve araştırmaları yapmak için İran’ın kuzey batısında bulunan Doğu Azerbaycan eyaletinin başkenti, Tebriz kentinin modern su tesisleri arasından Sadra modern su kompleksi ve tarihi hamamlar arasından Nezafet hamamının mimari planlarının incelenmesi için mekânsal analiz yöntemi kullanılıp ardından bu mekanların yıllık, aylık ve mevsimlik su tüketim miktarı, karşılaştırmalı analiz yöntemiyle birbiri ile karşılaştırılmıştır. Bu örneklerin mimari plan tasarımı plan hiyerarşisi, mekânsal kullanım çeşitliği, mekân büyüklüğü ve su tüketim yöntemleri açısından analiz edilmiştir. Analizlerin sonucunda kullanılan karşılaştırmalı analiz yöntemi ile elde edilen bilgilerde, on yıllık süreçte tarihi Nezafet hamamına karşı modern Sadra su kompleksinde %607 daha fazla su tüketildiği tespit edilmiştir.

Saturated and unsaturated seepage analysis of earth-fill dams using fractal hydraulic conductivity function and its verification

One of the most important factors concerning the design of earth-fill dams is the accurate seepage estimation, which is highly correlated to the permeability and hydraulic conductivity of the core material. With the geographic coordinates of 37°31′35.9,“ North and 46°07′55.6″ East, Gale chay dam is located in the northwest of Iran in East Azerbaijan province. The dam is highly important regarding the provided economic benefits for the region. In this research, the steady-state seepage analysis of the Gale Chay dam was conducted via the finite element model (FEM) using a novel saturated fractal hydraulic conductivity model, and the results were compared with those obtained from the conventional and fractal models in the unsaturated condition. For estimating the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the core material, the fractal theory was employed using the image processing technique, the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images, and a new fractal permeability model. The estimated saturated hydraulic conductivities were in good accordance with the measured values. Furthermore, since the fractal theory considers the distribution of the pores, the estimated upper and lower bounds of the saturated hydraulic conductivity resulted in better seepage estimations. Using the estimated maximum, minimum, and average fractal hydraulic conductivities, the results of the saturated seepage analysis indicated relative errors of 15.6%, 8%, and 10.8% compared to the observed seepage. The results were acceptable in terms of safety and economic aspects. Conducting the unsaturated seepage analysis, it was observed that the estimated seepage was highly influenced by the saturated hydraulic conductivity value. Hence, the estimated average fractal hydraulic conductivity by the image processing technique affected the unsaturated fractal and conventional models in a way that the unsaturated seepage analysis was improved by an average of 80%. Moreover, the unsaturated fractal model revealed reliable estimations compared to the conventional models and was considered a feasible alternative for estimating the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity.

The Diagnosis of Sheep Cystic Echinococcosis by Native Antigen B - Elisa Method

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases in some countries in the world. Cystic echinococcosis is considered a neglected disease. This disease increases economic damage via medical costs and loss of human and livestock productivity. The aim of the current study gains a better understanding of the prevalence of CE in sheep. Totally 250 sheep sera were collected. 25 serum samples from newborn lambs were used as negative, and 25 others were obtained from slaughterhouses as positive to infection with CE and 200 unknown sera. Antigen B Isolated from hydatid cysts fluid was used for designing ELISA methods. The first Method used anti-Sheep conjugate (SIGMA, at 1:3000 dilution). According to the results, the seroprevalence of CE in East Azerbaijan of Iran was 5.5% and sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of hydatidosis in sheep by AgB-ELISA methods was 92%. Using Antigen B in ELISA design for hydatidosis diagnosis has attracted researchers in recent years. During this study, an Iranian native B antigen was used to design the specific detection of hydatidosis in sheep using a specific ELISA technique. The results have shown that using Antigen B in ELISA design is so valuable.