Polymeric mixed matrix membranes containing zeolites as a filler for gas separation applications: A review

Dariush Bastani,Nazila Esmaeili,Mahdieh Asadollahi 한국공업화학회 2013 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.19 No.2

Polymeric membrane technology has received extensive attention in the field of gas separation, recently. However, the tradeoff between permeability and selectivity is one of the biggest problems faced by pure polymer membranes, which greatly limits their further application in the chemical and petrochemical industries. To enhance gas separation performances, recent works have focused on improving polymeric membranes selectivity and permeability by fabricating mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). Inorganic zeolite materials distributed in the organic polymer matrix enhance the separation performance of the membranes well beyond the intrinsic properties of the polymer matrix. This concept combines the advantages of both components: high selectivity of zeolite molecular sieve, and mechanical integrity as well as economical processability of the polymeric materials. In this paper gas permeation mechanism through polymeric and zeolitic membranes, material selection for MMMs and their interaction with each other were reviewed. Also, interfacial morphology between zeolite and polymer in MMMs and modification methods of this interfacial region were discussed. In addition, the effect of different parameters such as zeolite loading, zeolite pore size, zeolite particle size, etc. on gas permeation tests through MMMs was critically reviewed.

Silla (Korea) and Persia (Iran) along the GOLD ROADS, Emphasizing Iranian Sources

Hassan Bastani Rad 한국학중앙연구원 한국학중앙연구원 2022 THE REVIEW OF KOREAN STUDIES Vol.25 No.1

The Korean archaeological excavations and the available Persian, Arabic, and Chinese historical and geographic sources from the Middle Ages speak of a longstanding commercial and cultural relationship between the two ancient civilizations of Iran (Persia) and Korea (with emphasis on the Silla kingdom), particularly from the 6th to 10th centuries. The history of trades and cross-cultural interactions between different territories along overland and maritime roads in the ancient world have always referred to gold as an essential and valuable commodity. Moreover, according to the historical evidences found in a number of Iranian sources as well as the results of the excavations in Silla’s capital city of Gyeongju, Korea has been one of the top gold-producing countries. Regarded as one of the most valuable traded commodities, gold thread was needed in Iran and Central Asia where it was utilized in the textile industry of Persian Silk Brocade. According to a number of Iranian travelers, geographers, and historians, Persians and Arabs traveled to the Korean peninsula mainly because of the abundance of gold, good weather, and the beauty of Silla. The Iranian records indicate that the trade of gold has had a significant role in the business market. Based on these records, some of the ancient commercial and cultural roads, or their branches such as the main road from Korea to Central Asia, Iran, and Anatolia, could be renamed as the Gold Roads / Golden Roads.

Effects of Ellagic Acid on Oxidative Stress Index, Inflammatory Markers and Quality of Life in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Randomized Double-blind Clinical Trial

Mirzaie Zahra,Bastani Ali,Haji-Aghamohammadi Ali Akbar,Rashidi Nooshabadi Mohammadreza,Ahadinezhad Bahman,Khadem Haghighian Hossein 한국임상영양학회 2022 Clinical Nutrition Research Vol.11 No.2

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a major role in IBS. Considering the antioxidant properties of ellagic acid (EA), this study was designed to evaluate the effect of EA on oxidative stress index, inflammatory markers, and quality of life in patients with IBS. This research was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial; 44 patients with IBS were recruited. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to consume a capsule containing 180 mg of EA per day (n = 22) or a placebo (n = 22) for 8 weeks. Serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured at the beginning and the end of the study. Also, quality of life was assessed using a self-report questionnaire for IBS patients (IBS-QOL). At the end of the study, we saw a significant decrease and increase in the MDA and TAC in the intervention group, respectively (p < 0.05). Also, EA consumption reduced CRP and IL-6 levels, and these changes were significant in comparison with placebo group changes (p < 0.05). The overall score of IBS-QOL significantly decreased, and quality of life was increased (p < 0.05), but there were no significant changes in the placebo group. According to these findings, receiving polyphenols, such as EA, may help maintain intestinal health by modulating inflammation and oxidative stress and ultimately improving the quality of life in IBS patients.

Evaluation of Coordination of Emergency Response Team through the Social Network Analysis. Case Study: Oil and Gas Refinery

Mohammadfam, Iraj,Bastani, Susan,Esaghi, Mahbobeh,Golmohamadi, Rostam,Saee, Ali Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2015 Safety and health at work Vol.6 No.1

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the cohesions status of the coordination within response teams in the emergency response team (ERT) in a refinery. Methods: For this study, cohesion indicators of social network analysis (SNA; density, degree centrality, reciprocity, and transitivity) were utilized to examine the coordination of the response teams as a whole network. The ERT of this research, which was a case study, included seven teams consisting of 152 members. The required data were collected through structured interviews and were analyzed using the UCINET 6.0 Social Network Analysis Program. Results: The results reported a relatively low number of triple connections, poor coordination with key members, and a high level of mutual relations in the network with low density, all implying that there were low cohesions of coordination in the ERT. Conclusion: The results showed that SNA provided a quantitative and logical approach for the examination of the coordination status among response teams and it also provided a main opportunity for managers and planners to have a clear understanding of the presented status. The research concluded that fundamental efforts were needed to improve the presented situations.

Health-Related Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Patients in iran: Pooled Analysis using Generalized Estimating Equations

Kiadaliri, Aliasghar Ahmad,Bastani, Peivand,ibrahimipour, Hossein Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.3

Objective: The aim of current study was to evaluate the changes of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its clinical, demographic and socioeconomic determinants during chemotherapy and 4 months follow-up in women with breast cancer using a repeated measures framework. Methods and Materials: A double blind cohort study was performed in 100 breast cancer patients given fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (FAC) or docetaxel, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide (TAC) in south of Iran. HRQoL was assessed at baseline, end of chemotherapy and four months thereafter using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire from European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) was applied for statistical analysis. Results: The mean of age at baseline was $48.5{\pm}10.6$. 70% and 14% of patients were married and smokers, respectively, and 20% suffered from another disease besides breast cancer. The results of GEE showed that after control for baseline scores, the HRQoL significantly improved over time. Although, the patients in FAC group had higher scores than the TAC group, the differences also diminished over time. Smoking, marital status and having child affected some scales of HRQoL. None of other variables were significantly related to HRQoL. Conclusion: Although patients in TAC groups had lower level of HRQoL over 8 months follow up, they experienced faster improvement than the FAC group. This implies that in long-term, improvements in TAC group are higher than FAC. Having children was positively correlated with HRQoL. Generally, there were no demographic and socio-economic differences in HRQoL in these patients between the chemotherapeutic regimens.

Evaluation of Coordination of Emergency Response Team through the Social Network Analysis. Case Study: Oil and Gas Refinery

Iraj Mohammadfam,Susan Bastani,Mahbobeh Esaghi,Rostam Golmohamadi,Ali Saee 한국산업안전보건공단 산업안전보건연구원 2015 Safety and health at work Vol.6 No.1

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the cohesions status of the coordination withinresponse teams in the emergency response team (ERT) in a refinery. Methods: For this study, cohesion indicators of social network analysis (SNA; density, degree centrality,reciprocity, and transitivity) were utilized to examine the coordination of the response teams as a wholenetwork. The ERT of this research, which was a case study, included seven teams consisting of 152members. The required data were collected through structured interviews and were analyzed using theUCINET 6.0 Social Network Analysis Program. Results: The results reported a relatively low number of triple connections, poor coordination with keymembers, and a high level of mutual relations in the network with low density, all implying that therewere low cohesions of coordination in the ERT. Conclusion: The results showed that SNA provided a quantitative and logical approach for the examinationof the coordination status among response teams and it also provided a main opportunity formanagers and planners to have a clear understanding of the presented status. The research concludedthat fundamental efforts were needed to improve the presented situations.

Polymeric membranes for the oxygen enrichment of air in sulfur recovery units: Prevention of catalyst deactivation through BTX reduction

Shooshtari Seyed Heydar Rajaee,Bastani Kiarash,Eslampanah Hamidreza 한국화학공학회 2023 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.40 No.12

The modified Claus process is one of the most commonly used methods for hydrogen sulfide conversion into sulfur. However, one of the problems of this unit is the presence of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) compounds at the inlet of the catalytic reactors that can deactivate the catalyst and decrease the efficiency of the sulfur recovery unit. One of the methods of BTX destruction in a furnace is to increase its temperature by increasing the oxygen concentration in the inlet air. In the present work, the application of polymeric membranes for the destruction of BTX was investigated by modeling and simulating a sulfur recovery unit and a membrane unit. The numerical results obtained from the simulations were validated successfully with industrial and experimental data for both sulfur recovery and membrane units. The simulation results for an industrial case study indicate that using five PI carbon membrane units with a total area of 26.82 m2 can increase the concentration of oxygen in the inlet air to a level of 60%. In this condition, the reduction in BTX compounds can also be increased up to 59%. Furthermore, for two-stage membrane configuration, by employing five two-stage membrane units with a total area of 58.3m2, the oxygen concentration increases to 82%, and the reduction in BTX compounds will be 75%.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Urinary/Anal Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Healthy Middle-Aged Iranian Women

Sevil Hakimi,Elham Aminian,Marzieh Mohammadi,Sakineh Mohammad Alizadeh,Parvin Bastani,Sousan Houshmandi 대한폐경학회 2020 대한폐경학회지 Vol.26 No.1

Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) and anal incontinence (AI) cause concern, social exclusion, and ultimately reduced quality of life in women. The aim of present study was to assess the prevalence and related risk factors of UI, AI, and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods: The present study recruited 340 menopausal women living in Tabriz in northwest Iran. The data collection tools included the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 and a personal and social information questionnaire. POP was diagnosed via clinical examination using the simplified pelvic organ prolapse quantification system. Results: The prevalence of UI and POP was approximately 50%, and approximately 16% of participants reported AI. Based on the odds ratios, the most remarkable risk factor of urinary stress incontinence was the number of vaginal deliveries, whereas that of urinary urge incontinence was obesity. Episiotomy and age were the most major risk factors of AI and POP, respectively. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that the prevalence of POP, UI, and AI is remarkably high among postmenopausal women, warranting the need to prioritize the assessment of POP and various incontinences in middle-aged women in the primary health care system. Furthermore, increased emphasis should be put on modifiable risk factors.

Interest in Health Promotion Among Korean American Seventh-day Adventists Attending a Religious Retreat

Jo, Angela M.,Maxwell, Annette E.,Choi, Sun-Hye,Bastani, Roshan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.6

Background: Little is known about interest in faith-based health promotion programs among Asian American populations. Among the Christian denominations, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church is known to place a strong doctrinal emphasis on health. Objectives: To understand appropriate ways to develop and implement health promotion programs and to conduct research among Korean American SDAs. Methods: We collaborated with the North American Division of Korean SDA Churches which sponsors annual week-long religious retreats for their church members. We developed and administered a 10-page questionnaire at their 2009 retreat in order to assess socio-demographic and church characteristics, religiosity, perceived relationship between health and religion, and interest and preferences for church-based health promotion programs. Results: Overall, 223 participants completed our survey (123 in Korean and 100 in English). The sample consisted of regular churchgoers who were involved in a variety of helping activities, and many holding leadership positions in their home churches. The vast majority was interested in receiving health information at church (80%) in the form of seminars, cooking classes and workshops (50-60%). Fewer respondents were interested in support groups (27%). Some interests and preferences differed between English and Korean language groups. Conclusion: Korean American SDA church retreat participants from a large geographic area are very interested in receiving health information and promoting health at their churches and can potentially serve as "agents of influence" in their respective communities.

Theoretically Informed Correlates of Hepatitis B Knowledge among Four Asian Groups: The Health Behavior Framework

Maxwell, Annette E.,Stewart, Susan L.,Glenn, Beth A.,Wong, Weng Kee,Yasui, Yutaka,Chang, L. Cindy,Taylor, Victoria M.,Nguyen, Tung T.,Chen, Moon S.,Bastani, Roshan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.4

Background: Few studies have examined theoretically informed constructs related to hepatitis B (HBV) testing, and comparisons across studies are challenging due to lack of uniformity in constructs assessed. The present analysis examined relationships among Health Behavior Framework factors across four Asian American groups to advance the development of theory-based interventions for HBV testing in at-risk populations. Methods: Data were collected from 2007-2010 as part of baseline surveys during four intervention trials promoting HBV testing among Vietnamese-, Hmong-, Korean- and Cambodian-Americans (n = 1,735). Health Behavior Framework constructs assessed included: awareness of HBV, knowledge of transmission routes, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, doctor recommendation, stigma of HBV infection, and perceived efficacy of testing. Within each group we assessed associations between our intermediate outcome of knowledge of HBV transmission and other constructs, to assess the concurrent validity of our model and instruments. Results: While the absolute levels for Health Behavior Framework factors varied across groups, relationships between knowledge and other factors were generally consistent. This suggests similarities rather than differences with respect to posited drivers of HBV-related behavior. Discussion: Our findings indicate that Health Behavior Framework constructs are applicable to diverse ethnic groups and provide preliminary evidence for the construct validity of the Health Behavior Framework.