Mohammad Azimi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mohammad Azimi

Frontiers in Physiology, 2013

Objective: Angiogenesis is the growth of new vessels from pre-existing vessels and commonly assoc... more Objective: Angiogenesis is the growth of new vessels from pre-existing vessels and commonly associated with two modes: capillary sprouting and capillary splitting. Previous work by our laboratory suggests vascular island incorporation might be another endothelial cell dynamic involved in microvascular remodeling. Vascular islands are defined as endothelial cell segments disconnected from nearby networks, but their origin remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine whether vascular islands associated with microvascular regression are involved in network regrowth.

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2013

Nasal polyps are associated with the inflammation of the nasal cavity and the sinus mucosa. When ... more Nasal polyps are associated with the inflammation of the nasal cavity and the sinus mucosa. When medical treatment cannot solve a patient's problem, a functional endoscopic sinus surgery may be indicated. Bleeding impairs the surgery field during operation and increases the operation risk and time. Pre-operative corticosteroids can reduce bleeding during surgery. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of pre-operative single-dose prednisolone (1 mg/Kg/dose 24 h before surgery) versus 5-day prednisolone (1 mg/Kg/day before operation) on the bleeding volume and the surgery field quality during FESS. In this mono blind randomized clinical trial, 80 patients with bilateral nasal polyps were randomly assigned in two groups. The first group (A) received a single dose of 1 mg/Kg/dose prednisolone on the day before the surgery. The second group (B) received 1 mg/Kg/day prednisolone for 5 days before the operation. The patients were operated on under general anesthesia through the same protocol. The mean arterial blood pressure was 70-80 mm Hg in both groups. The surgeons were not aware of the patients' group. The bleeding volume and the surgeons' opinion about the surgery field quality were recorded at the end of the procedure and analyzed by Chi-square and t test. The two groups were not significantly different in their overall demographic and clinical characteristics. The mean bleeding volume during the operation was 266.5 ± 96.31 ml in group A and 206 ± 52.81 ml in group B; there was a significant difference between the groups (P value = 0.038). There was no significant difference between the groups in the surgeons' opinion about the surgery field quality (P value = 0.09). In conclusion, unlike a single dose (1 mg/kg/dose), treatment with 5-day prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day) can reduce blood loss during FESS more efficiently and may improve the surgery field quality slightly. But this difference is not clinically significant.

Clinical Rheumatology, 2010

Nowadays, there is a trend toward early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) espe... more Nowadays, there is a trend toward early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) especially in patients with early signs of bone erosion which can be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of following study is to compare the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography (US) and conventional radiography (CR) compared to MRI for early detection of bone erosion in RA patients. In 12 patients with RA diagnosis, 120 first to fifth metacarpophalangeal joints and 96 second to fifth proximal interphalangeal joints were examined. Non-contrast MRI, US and CR were performed for bone erosion evaluation. For further analysis, the patients were divided in two equal groups according to disease activity score (DAS28). The overall sensitivity and specificity of US compared to MRI in detecting bone erosion were 0.63 and 0.98, respectively with a considerable agreement (kappa = 0.68, p < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of CR compared to MRI in detecting bone erosion were 0.13 and 1.00, respectively (kappa = 0.20, p < 0.001). In patients with more active disease, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.67 and 0.99 (kappa = 0.74, p < 0.001) compared to 0.59 and 0.97 (kappa = 0.61, p < 0.001) for the rest of patients according to DAS28. Conclusively, these findings reveal an acceptable agreement between US and MRI for detection of bone erosion in patients with early RA but not CR. US might be considered as a valuable tool for early detection of bone erosion especially when MRI is not available or affordable. Besides, it seems the US could be more reliable when the disease is more active.

Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2011

American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 2014

The most commonly accepted method in evaluation of the mechanical properties of metals would be t... more The most commonly accepted method in evaluation of the mechanical properties of metals would be the tension test. Its main objective would be to determine the properties relevant to the elastic design of machines and structures. Investigation of the engineering and true Stress-strain relationships of three specimens in conformance with ASTM E 8 -04 is the aim of this paper. For the purpose of achieving this aim, evaluation of values such as ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, percentage of elongation and area reduction, fracture strain and Young's Modulus was done once the specimens were subjected to uniaxial tensile loading. The results indicate that the properties of steel materials are independent from their thickness and they generally yield and fail at the same stress and strain values. Also, it is concluded that the maximum true stress values are almost 15% higher than that of the maximum engineering stress values while the maximum true strain failure values are 1.5% smaller than the maximum engineering strain failure values.

American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 2014

Behavior assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures with irregularities in elevation comp... more Behavior assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures with irregularities in elevation compared to regular ones is the objective of this study. Multi-story Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame buildings either regular or irregular in elevation are presented in this paper. The regulations of the International Building Code (IBC 2009) were incorporated in the design of several multi-story Reinforced Concrete Moment Resisting Frames (RCMRFs) with different types of setbacks along with regular frames in elevation. Ten input motions were assigned to all frames to perform nonlinear time history analyses using IDARC 2d v 7 . Drift ratios and plastic hinge rotations, based on FEMA 356, were the criteria for investigation of seismic performance of all frames. It is concluded from the results that life safety (LS) level requirements in terms of occurrence of setback in elevation will not be satisfied. Also, maximum damage will occur near the setback elements. Hence, strengthening such elements through the use of improved criteria in IBC 2009 [16] along with defining and proposing new indicators and methods that could predict the seismic behavior of vertically irregular buildings is of great importance.

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2013

The purpose of this research is to investigate awareness, intentions/support, and the contextual ... more The purpose of this research is to investigate awareness, intentions/support, and the contextual elements among higher education students in the University of Tehran (UT) in order to find the gap(s) in social entrepreneurship education in Iran. The authors used Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour as the theoretical framework. The research questions are based on a revised version of Kirby and Ibrahim's (2011) questionnaire. A survey was conducted in three faculties of UT. These faculties were selected intentionally, to evaluate the social entrepreneurship gaps for post-graduates of entrepreneurship, management, and engineering, and to capture varied orientations. Findings show a significant rate of intention towards and awareness of the concept among respondents, but a lack of sufficient attention to contextual elements and adequate support. Investigating social entrepreneurship intention and education is lacking in Iran's higher education and this study is one of the first in the country.

Frontiers in Physiology, 2013

Objective: Angiogenesis is the growth of new vessels from pre-existing vessels and commonly assoc... more Objective: Angiogenesis is the growth of new vessels from pre-existing vessels and commonly associated with two modes: capillary sprouting and capillary splitting. Previous work by our laboratory suggests vascular island incorporation might be another endothelial cell dynamic involved in microvascular remodeling. Vascular islands are defined as endothelial cell segments disconnected from nearby networks, but their origin remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine whether vascular islands associated with microvascular regression are involved in network regrowth.

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2013

Nasal polyps are associated with the inflammation of the nasal cavity and the sinus mucosa. When ... more Nasal polyps are associated with the inflammation of the nasal cavity and the sinus mucosa. When medical treatment cannot solve a patient's problem, a functional endoscopic sinus surgery may be indicated. Bleeding impairs the surgery field during operation and increases the operation risk and time. Pre-operative corticosteroids can reduce bleeding during surgery. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of pre-operative single-dose prednisolone (1 mg/Kg/dose 24 h before surgery) versus 5-day prednisolone (1 mg/Kg/day before operation) on the bleeding volume and the surgery field quality during FESS. In this mono blind randomized clinical trial, 80 patients with bilateral nasal polyps were randomly assigned in two groups. The first group (A) received a single dose of 1 mg/Kg/dose prednisolone on the day before the surgery. The second group (B) received 1 mg/Kg/day prednisolone for 5 days before the operation. The patients were operated on under general anesthesia through the same protocol. The mean arterial blood pressure was 70-80 mm Hg in both groups. The surgeons were not aware of the patients' group. The bleeding volume and the surgeons' opinion about the surgery field quality were recorded at the end of the procedure and analyzed by Chi-square and t test. The two groups were not significantly different in their overall demographic and clinical characteristics. The mean bleeding volume during the operation was 266.5 ± 96.31 ml in group A and 206 ± 52.81 ml in group B; there was a significant difference between the groups (P value = 0.038). There was no significant difference between the groups in the surgeons' opinion about the surgery field quality (P value = 0.09). In conclusion, unlike a single dose (1 mg/kg/dose), treatment with 5-day prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day) can reduce blood loss during FESS more efficiently and may improve the surgery field quality slightly. But this difference is not clinically significant.

Clinical Rheumatology, 2010

Nowadays, there is a trend toward early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) espe... more Nowadays, there is a trend toward early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) especially in patients with early signs of bone erosion which can be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of following study is to compare the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography (US) and conventional radiography (CR) compared to MRI for early detection of bone erosion in RA patients. In 12 patients with RA diagnosis, 120 first to fifth metacarpophalangeal joints and 96 second to fifth proximal interphalangeal joints were examined. Non-contrast MRI, US and CR were performed for bone erosion evaluation. For further analysis, the patients were divided in two equal groups according to disease activity score (DAS28). The overall sensitivity and specificity of US compared to MRI in detecting bone erosion were 0.63 and 0.98, respectively with a considerable agreement (kappa = 0.68, p < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of CR compared to MRI in detecting bone erosion were 0.13 and 1.00, respectively (kappa = 0.20, p < 0.001). In patients with more active disease, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.67 and 0.99 (kappa = 0.74, p < 0.001) compared to 0.59 and 0.97 (kappa = 0.61, p < 0.001) for the rest of patients according to DAS28. Conclusively, these findings reveal an acceptable agreement between US and MRI for detection of bone erosion in patients with early RA but not CR. US might be considered as a valuable tool for early detection of bone erosion especially when MRI is not available or affordable. Besides, it seems the US could be more reliable when the disease is more active.

Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2011

American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 2014

The most commonly accepted method in evaluation of the mechanical properties of metals would be t... more The most commonly accepted method in evaluation of the mechanical properties of metals would be the tension test. Its main objective would be to determine the properties relevant to the elastic design of machines and structures. Investigation of the engineering and true Stress-strain relationships of three specimens in conformance with ASTM E 8 -04 is the aim of this paper. For the purpose of achieving this aim, evaluation of values such as ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, percentage of elongation and area reduction, fracture strain and Young's Modulus was done once the specimens were subjected to uniaxial tensile loading. The results indicate that the properties of steel materials are independent from their thickness and they generally yield and fail at the same stress and strain values. Also, it is concluded that the maximum true stress values are almost 15% higher than that of the maximum engineering stress values while the maximum true strain failure values are 1.5% smaller than the maximum engineering strain failure values.

American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 2014

Behavior assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures with irregularities in elevation comp... more Behavior assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures with irregularities in elevation compared to regular ones is the objective of this study. Multi-story Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame buildings either regular or irregular in elevation are presented in this paper. The regulations of the International Building Code (IBC 2009) were incorporated in the design of several multi-story Reinforced Concrete Moment Resisting Frames (RCMRFs) with different types of setbacks along with regular frames in elevation. Ten input motions were assigned to all frames to perform nonlinear time history analyses using IDARC 2d v 7 . Drift ratios and plastic hinge rotations, based on FEMA 356, were the criteria for investigation of seismic performance of all frames. It is concluded from the results that life safety (LS) level requirements in terms of occurrence of setback in elevation will not be satisfied. Also, maximum damage will occur near the setback elements. Hence, strengthening such elements through the use of improved criteria in IBC 2009 [16] along with defining and proposing new indicators and methods that could predict the seismic behavior of vertically irregular buildings is of great importance.

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2013

The purpose of this research is to investigate awareness, intentions/support, and the contextual ... more The purpose of this research is to investigate awareness, intentions/support, and the contextual elements among higher education students in the University of Tehran (UT) in order to find the gap(s) in social entrepreneurship education in Iran. The authors used Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour as the theoretical framework. The research questions are based on a revised version of Kirby and Ibrahim's (2011) questionnaire. A survey was conducted in three faculties of UT. These faculties were selected intentionally, to evaluate the social entrepreneurship gaps for post-graduates of entrepreneurship, management, and engineering, and to capture varied orientations. Findings show a significant rate of intention towards and awareness of the concept among respondents, but a lack of sufficient attention to contextual elements and adequate support. Investigating social entrepreneurship intention and education is lacking in Iran's higher education and this study is one of the first in the country.