Radon measurement and age-independent effective dose attributed to ingestion of bottled water in Iran: sensitivity analysis.

A comprehensive study was made to measure the radon concentration in bottled water available in Iran market. The 222Rn concentration in 70 bottled water samples were measured by the sniffing mode technique and RTM 1688-2 (SARAD, Germany) in immediate sampling time and 3 months later for determination of radon decay. The measured radon concentration ranged from 0.003 to 0.618 Bq L-1 in bottled water samples, which were much lower than the recommended value for radon in drinking water by WHO (100 Bq L-1) and United states environmental protection agency (USEPA) (11.1 Bq L-1). The annual effective dose of 222Rn due to ingestion bottled water was also evaluated in this research. The mean annual effective dose due to ingestion of radon in bottled water for adults, children, and infants were estimated to vary from 5.30 × 10-4 mSv-1, 4.90 × 10-4 mSv-1, and 2.15 × 10-4 mSv-1, respectively. Overall, this study indicated that the Iranian people receive no significant radiological risk due to exposure to radon concentration in bottled water brands common consumed in Iranian market.

Enhanced Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites with Nanocomposite Electrodes for Restoring Eyelid Movement of Patients with Ptosis.

The present study aims to use enhanced ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMC) as an artificial muscle (a soft-active actuator) to restore eyelid movement of patients with ptosis. The previous eyelid movement mechanisms contained drawbacks, specifically in the lower eyelid. We used finite element analysis (FEA) to find the optimal mechanism among two different models (A and B). In addition to common electrodes of IPMC (gold and platinum), the bovine serum albumin (BSA) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) polymers, with optimal weight percentages of carbon nanotube (CNT) nanofiller, were also utilized as non-metallic electrodes to improve the efficiency of the IPMC actuator. In both models, IPMC with nanocomposite electrodes had higher efficiency as compared to the metallic electrodes. In model A, which moved eyelids indirectly, IPMC with MCC-CNT electrode generated a higher force (25.4%) and less stress (5.9 times) as compared to IPMC with BSA-CNT electrode. However, the use of model A (even with IPMCs) with nanocomposite electrodes can have limitations such as possible malposition issues in the eyelids (especially lower). IPMC with MCC-CNT nanocomposite electrode under model B, which moved eyelids directly, was the most efficient option to restore eyelid movement. It led to higher displacements and lower mechanical stress damage as compared to the BSA-CNT. This finding may provide surgeons with valuable data to open a window in the treatment of patients with ptosis.

Fluoride removal from aqueous solution via environmentally friendly adsorbent derived from seashell.

Nowadays, the presence of excessive ions in water resources is of utmost concern and has attracted increasing attention; therefore, excessive amounts of these ions such as fluoride should be removed from drinking water. Conventional water treatment processes are shown to be incapable of the complete removal of redundant fluoride from aqueous water bodies, whereas adsorption is a promising, effective, cost-benefit, and simple method for this purpose. This study aimed to synthesize effective adsorbents from bivalve shells and evaluate the adsorption function of bivalve shells in removing fluoride from aqueous solutions. In this study, the oyster shell was collected from the Persian Gulf's seaside and were crushed by manual mortar and blender, and graded with standard sieves with 70 mesh size. The prepared bivalve shell was characterized by SEM and FTIR. To investigate and optimize various variables on fluoride removal percentage a response surface methodology based on central composite design (RSM-CCD) was used. Under optimal conditions (pH: 5.5, adsorbent dose: 0.3 g/L, contact time: 85 min and fluoride concentration: 3 mg/L) the maximum removal efficiency was 97.26%. Results showed that the adsorption equilibrium and kinetic data were matched with the isotherm Langmuir Model (R2 = 0.98) with qmax = 27.31 mg/g and pseudo-second-order reaction (R2 = 0.99). Also, a thermodynamic study exhibited that the adsorption process of fluoride into bivalve shells was an exothermic reaction and could not be a spontaneous adsorption process. Based on the results, the bivalve shell was found as an appropriate adsorbent to remove fluoride from aqueous solutions.

Effect of massage on behavioural responses of preterm infants in an educational hospital in Iran.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of providing massage (tactile and kinesthetic stimulation) on behavioural responses for preterm infants. Background: These infants have immature central nervous systems. Sleep-wake states during infancy have been shown to reflect severity of disease developments, and the nervous system and brain maturation. Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental study with before and after design conducted on 45 preterm infants who were admitted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The subjects received massage 15 min per day for 5 days using field massage technique. Behavioural responses were measured by behavioural state, motor activity and behavioural distress. Data were obtained 10 min before and 10 min after the providing massage period. Results: An increase was observed in sleep state score after providing massage. And also, the awake, fidgeting and motor activity scores reduced after providing massage. No significant change was seen in the total behavioural distress. Conclusion: The findings suggest that providing field massage had soothing and calming effect on preterm infants and could be beneficial in nursing intervention. Nurses working in neonatal intensive care unit need to be educated on how to performing the massage on preterm infants. Abbreviation: NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Data on spot-kits versus titration method for iodine determination in salt: Performance and validity.

The aim of this data is comparison of achieved data from salt iodine measurement by titration method with using sodium thiosulfate in presence of lugol׳s reagent and commercial spot- kit. Titration measurement was carried out in two different laboratories using standard samples. 437 samples including 20 commercial brands were collected throughout Iran. The iodine contents of the samples were measured by both the titration method and two most frequently used spot-kit brands in Iran. There is no significant differences between the results obtained from the two brands of spot-kits (ICC = 0.797). The kits sensitivity for determination of negative samples was high (more than 0.9) but by increasing the iodine concentration up to 15 ppm, the kits' sensitivity was decreased. These findings indicate that the titration method is necessary for quantitative purposes, especially for concentrations higher than 30 ppm. However, spot-kits are suitable for qualitative and semi-quantitative measurements.

Comparison of Moringa stenopetala seed extract as a clean coagulant with Alum and Moringa stenopetala-Alum hybrid coagulant to remove direct dye from Textile Wastewater.

In this study, the efficiency of Moringa stenopetala seed extract was compared with alum and M. stenopetala-alum hybrid coagulant to remove Direct Red 23 azo dye from textile wastewater. The effects of parameters such as pH, coagulant dose, type of salt used for the extraction of coagulant and initial dye concentration on dye removal efficiency were investigated. Moreover, the existing functional groups on the structure of M. stenopetala coagulant (MSC) were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the morphology of sludge produced by MSC, alum, and hybrid coagulant was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Ninhydrin test was also used to determine the quantity of primary amines in the MSC and Moringa oleifera coagulant (MOC). According to the results, with increasing the coagulant dose and decreasing the initial dye concentration, dye removal efficiency has increased. The maximum dye removal of 98.5, 98.2, and 98.3 % were obtained by using 240, 120, and 80 mg/L MSC, alum and hybrid coagulant at pH 7, respectively. The results also showed MSC was much more effective than MOC for dye removal. The volume of sludge produced by MSC was one fourth and half of those produced by alum and hybrid coagulant, respectively. Based on the results, hybrid coagulant was the most efficient coagulant for direct dye removal from colored wastewater.