The influence of human activity and morphological characteristics of beaches on plastic debris distribution along the Caspian Sea as a closed water body

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The Caspian Sea is the largest land-locked lake in the world that includes numerous endemic species. Because of its enclosed nature, the pollutants...     

New method accurately predicts carbon dioxide equilibrium adsorption isotherms

Among the methods that are being developed to date for CO₂ capture and separation, carbon dioxide adsorption is of great interest due to its low energy consumption, low equipment cost and easiness for application. In this work, a simple method which is easier than existing approaches requiring more complicated and longer computations is presented to accurately predict the carbon dioxide adsorption isotherms for a microporous material as a function of temperature and partial pressure of carbon dioxide. The method appears promising and can be extended for CO₂ capture as well as for separation of wide range of adsorbents and microporous materials including several molecular sieves merely by the quick readjustment of tuned coefficients. The proposed method showed consistently accurate results across the proposed pressure and temperature ranges. Predictions showed an average absolute deviation of 1.4% compared to existing Sips and Langmuir equations which show an average absolute deviations of 2.3% and 4%, respectively. The proposed method is superior owing to its accuracy and clear numerical background, wherein the relevant coefficients can be retuned quickly for various cases. This simple-to-use approach can be of immense practical value for the engineers and scientists to have a quick check on adsorption capacities of a given adsorbent at various temperatures and pressures without the necessity of any experimental measurements. In particular, personnel dealing with regulatory bodies of greenhouse gas control and process industries would find the proposed approach to be user friendly involving transparent calculations with no complex expressions.     

Undiagnosed heterotopic pregnancy,maternal hemorrhagic shock,and ischemic stroke in the intrauterine fetus

Heterotopic pregnancy occurs rarely following natural conception; however, intrauterine embryo transfer following in vitro fertilization is a known risk factor for its occurrence. A 29-year-old woman presented with acute abdomen at 14w5d gestation following in vitro fertilization–embryo treatment. A ruptured heterotopic gestation in the left fallopian tube was identified at laparoscopy and treated by salpingectomy. Subsequently, at 21-week gestation, routine sonogram demonstrated bilateral ventriculomegaly in the intrauterine fetus. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging was highly suggestive of ischemic brain injury, most likely attributable to the maternal hypovolemic shock because of ruptured heterotopic gestation. The pregnancy was terminated by intracardiac injection and induction of labor. Timely diagnosis of heterotopic pregnancy requires a high index of suspicion as diagnostic delays can have catastrophic consequences for the mother and/or the intrauterine fetus. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Musculoskeletal symptoms as related to ergonomic factors in Iranian hand-woven carpet industry and general guidelines for workstation design.

Carpet weaving is a high risk occupation for developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The objectives of the present study, which was carried out in the Iranian hand-woven carpet industry, were determination of the prevalence of MSD symptoms, identification of major factors associated with MSD symptoms and development of guidelines for workstation design. 1,439 randomly selected weavers participated in this study. A questionnaire was used to collect data on MSD symptoms. The results revealed that the prevalence rates for symptoms in different body regions were high as compared to the general Iranian population (for neck, back and large joints, p <.0001). The results of multivariate analyses showed that major ergonomic factors associated with musculoskeletal symptoms were loom type, working posture, daily working time and seat type. Based on the results, some general guidelines for designing weaving workstations were developed. A prototype test showed that the new workstation was acceptable for subject tests and that it improved working posture.     

Characteristics of wood–fiber plastic composites made of recycled materials

This study investigates the feasibility of using recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE), polypropylene (rPP) and old newspaper (rONP) fiber to manufacture experimental composite panels. The panels were made through air-forming and hot press. The effects of the fiber and coupling agent concentration on tensile, flexural, internal bond properties and water absorption and thickness swelling of wood–fiber plastic composites were studied. The use of maleated polypropylene as coupling agent improved the compatibility between the fiber and both plastic matrices and mechanical properties of the resultant composites compared well with those of non-coupled ones. Based on the findings in this work, it appears that recycled materials can be used to manufacture value-added panels without having any significant adverse influence on board properties. It was also found that composites with rHDPE provided moderately superior properties, compared with rPP samples.     

Developing a sustainable operational management system using hybrid Shapley value and Multimoora method: case study petrochemical supply chain

Environment, Development and Sustainability - In this research, a new method to determine the supply chain performance based on its sustainable strategies is proposed. This method consists of a...     

A new method for calculating saddle seat height with an emphasis on optimal posture based on trigonometric relations

Introduction. Based on the literature, the ergonomic saddle chair provides the most appropriate posture for users. Determination of the seat height is critical to establish the proper posture, carried out using various methods of anthropometry. This study aimed to develop a simple and applied method for determining the saddle seat height with an emphasis on appropriate posture. Methods. In this study, anthropometric dimensions including weight, body height, popliteal height and seat height at 135° knee angle in 150 male and female dentists were measured. In the laboratory, to determine the ‘acetabuloischial number’, 25 male and female natural hip bones were measured. The mean saddle-chair height with knee angle of 135° was then compared by two different methods, field measurement and the new calculation method. Results. The results showed a strong correlation between data gathered from the two different methods, the field measurement and the new calculation method (98%), and Cronbach’s α from the intraclass correlation was equal to 0.994 (p?<?0.05). This indicated that the two methods produced similar results. Conclusion. The new method can be applied to calculate the optimal height of the saddle seat based on body height and popliteal height.