Investigating the effect of hot and cold polyurethane foam on reducing whole body vibration of forklift operators.

BACKGROUND: Vibration is one of the harmful factors for forklift drivers. The use of non- standard seats and not paying attention to how the seats are maintained can be affected by the amount of vibration transmitted to the person. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the amount of vibration transmitted from the forklift and the effect of different types of polyurethane foam in reducing the vibration transmitted from the forklift seat. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 38 forklifts in 4 diesel models with the same weight class. The amount of vibration transmitted from forklift seats according to ISO2631 standard, taking into account the effect of various factors such as foam type (hot and cold), thickness (6-12 cm), load and year Function was measured. The amount of vibration caused by the forklift on the seat and under the seat was evaluated using ISO7096 standard. RESULTS: The average total vibration of the whole body in all foams in no-load mode is more than with load. The transmission vibration of cold polyurethane foam is less than that of hot polyurethane foam. With increasing thickness, the efficiency of cold polyurethane foam increases by 12 cm and in the loaded state 40.63% and in the unloaded state 49.58% in reducing the vibration transmitted to drivers. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that cold foam has better effectiveness and efficiency than hot polyurethane foam. Also, the thicker the foam, the less vibration is transmitted to the driver.

The Persistence Time of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: In late December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), spread to almost all countries worldwide. The outbreak of this virus has been confirmed on 19th February, 2020, in Iran. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the time of viral RNA clearance in swab and serum samples of COVID-19 patients having received different medications. We also evaluated different factors that may affect viral RNA persistence in patients infected by SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: In March 2020, twenty-one hospitalized COVID-19 patients participated in this prospective study. All patients received antiviral agents in their routine care. Throat swabs and blood samples were obtained from all patients in different intervals, including day 3 or 5, day 7, day 10, and finally, 14 days after the first positive real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCT) test. RESULTS: The median time from the symptom onset (SO) to the first negative rRT-PCR results for throat swabs and serum samples of COVID-19 patients was 18 and 14 days, respectively. These times were more significant in patients with lymphopenia, oxygen saturation ≤ 90%, and comorbidity. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study highlights that SASR-CoV-2 RNA was not detectable in the upper respiratory tract for longer than three weeks. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 may persist for a long period of time in the respiratory than in the serum samples. This study supports the idea that in limited resource settings, the patients should be tested earlier than three weeks for discharge management.

Spatial modeling of environmental vulnerability in the biggest river in Iran using geographical information systems.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Karoon River, located in southwest Iran, has always been considered as an important water source for people in the southward areas. Khuzestan Province is one of the strategic provinces of Iran thus the development of this province is significantly affected by the water pollution of the Karoon River system. Therefore, the current study aims to assess the environmental vulnerability of the Karoon River as well as preparing a classified map of its vulnerabilities using the fuzzy logic method via the geographical information systems (GIS). METHODS: In this study, the required data were gathered from the Water and Electricity Organization of Khuzestan Province. Afterward, the primary maps were created by converting the map of the study origin into a raster format. Then, fuzzy membership was performed by placing the digits in the range of zero and one using the fuzzy membership function. The primary maps were mixed, and finally, the risk map was prepared by applying the fuzzy overly function. RESULTS: According to the results, a clear trend of water quality deterioration exists since water moves from upstream to downstream areas. The ecological vulnerability of the Karoon basin is mostly located at a low-level (78.05 %) rank. The vulnerable areas were ranked extremely high, high, medium, and low as 2.09, 8.09, 12.08, and 78.05, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Considering that 22 % of the Karoon River drainage basin in Khuzestan province is considered to have a medium to extremely high risk range, it is mandatory for the authorities to take precautions to prevent the entry of polluting sources into this precious river.

The effect of a self-care program based on the teach back method on the postpartum quality of life.

BACKGROUND: The postpartum period is a critical stage of life with major changes in the quality of life. Therefore, special consideration is needed to this issue. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a self-care program based on the Teach Back method on the postpartum quality of life. METHODS: This experimental study was conducted on eighty postpartum women who had given birth in health centers across Darreh Shahr County, Ilam Province, Iran in 2016. The control group received only routine postpartum care according to the national guidelines. The trial group received the routine care in addition to two sessions of physical and psychological postpartum self-care based on the Teach Back method. The two groups were assessed in terms of their quality of life before and after the intervention using the Postpartum Quality of Life Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Descriptive statistic tests, Chi squared, independent-samples t-test, paired-samples t-test, Wilcoxon and Mann Whitney's test was used. RESULTS: Before the intervention, the postpartum quality of life score was 106.23±11.866 in the trial group and 107.30±13.197 in the control group; after the intervention, the score was 124.73±10.706 and 115.03±12.687 in the two groups respectively, suggesting a significant inter-group difference after the intervention (p<0.001). Significant differences were also observed between the two groups in terms of the mother's feelings toward herself, toward her child and toward her spouse and others, and physical health before and after the intervention (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Using the Teach Back model for a self-care program appears to dramatically improve the postpartum quality of life and is therefore recommended as a useful method for postpartum care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir) with the Irct ID: IRCT2015012820854N1. FUNDING: The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.