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Objectives Cardiac surgeries initiate oxidative stress, increasing organ dysfunction development and mortality. The present study investigated the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, as an antioxidant enzyme, in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass (CABG) and heart valve replacement surgeries. Methods A prospective study was performed on patients with proven coronary artery disease (CAD) or valvular heart disease (VHD) candidates for on- or off-pump CABG and valve replacement surgery. Serum SOD activity was measured preoperatively, at 24 h postoperatively, and at the time of discharge. In addition, echocardiography was performed before surgery and at discharge. Results A total of 48, 51, and 47 patients were enrolled in the on-pump, off-pump CABG, and valve replacement groups, respectively. Baseline serum SOD activity showed no significant association with BMI, age, and blood pressure in either CAD or VHD patients. The SOD values decreased at the 24 h postoperative time and then increased at the time of discharge in all groups, except for a slight decrease in the on-pump group. The changes in serum SOD values were not significantly different for the three surgical groups. Conclusions The serum SOD activities fell significantly after CABG and valve replacement surgery. Further investigation is emphasized for the role of SOD in oxidative stress after cardiac surgery.

ObjectivesOsteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease in the world, becoming more prevalent with increasing age, and causes a significant burden on individuals and society. So far, several factors have been identified in association with OA of the knee joint. Age is the most crucial uncontrollable risk factor for OA. There are conflicting results regarding the relationship between patellofemoral joint orientation and OA. This study aims to elucidate the relationship between patellofemoral joint alignment and OA evidence.Material and methodsA total of 277 MRIs performed at Imam Reza Hospital during the first half of 2017 were included. Patients were divided into two groups, under 50 years old and over 50 years old. Femoral sulcus angle (SA) and depth (SD), lateral patellar displacement (LPD), tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TTTG), lateral patellofemoral angle (LPFA), and Insall-Salvati index were measured in axial and sagittal images. The morphology of the patellofemoral articular cartilage was evaluated and the grade of joint damage was determined. P-value < 0.05 was considered as significant.ResultsSignificant correlations between SA (p-value = 0.01), SD (p-value < 0.001), Insall-Salvati index (p-value < 0.001), LPD (p-value = 0.02) values and OA in patients less than 50 years old were observed. A weak correlation was observed between SD and Insall-Salvati index values with increasing grade of articular cartilage damage (r = 0.21 and r = 0.21, respectively).ConclusionsPatellofemoral joint asymmetry in the younger people was significantly associated with joint cartilage damage and premature patellofemoral joint OA. Joint misalignment by stressing the articular cartilage causes joint cartilage changes that may be congenital or due to bone injuries such as trauma and surgery.

Today, humans live in a world surrounded by electromagnetic fields. Numerous studies have been conducted to discover the biological, physiological, and behavioral effects of electromagnetic fields on humans and animals. Given the biological similarities between monkeys and humans, The present research aimed to examine Visual Memory (VM), hormonal, genomic, and anatomic changes, in the male rhesus macaques exposed to an Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Field (ELF-MF).Four male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were used. For the behavioral tests, the animals should be fasting for 17 hours. For the tests such as visual memory, the animal's cooperation was necessary. Using the radiation protocol, we exposed two monkeys to a 12-Hz electromagnetic field with a magnitude of 0.7 μT (electromagnetic radiation) four hours a day for a month. Before and after the exposure, a visual memory test was conducted using a coated device (visible reward) on a movable stand. Ten milliliters of blood was obtained from the femoral artery of each monkey, and half of it was used to examine cortisol serum levels using the MyBioSource kit (made in the USA). The other half of the blood was used to extract lymphocytes for assaying expressions of Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) genes before and after radiation using the PCR method. Anatomic studies of the amygdala were carried out based on pre- and post-radiation Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).Research results indicated that visual memory in male primates increased significantly after exposure to the 12-Hz frequency. Hormonal analysis at the 12-Hz frequency showed a decrease in cortisol serum levels. However, visual memory and serum cortisol levels did not change considerably in male primates in the control group. There was no considerable amygdala volumetric difference after exposure to the 12-Hz frequency. The expression of the GR genes decreased in the 12-Hz group compared to the control group.In short, these results indicated that ELF might benefit memory enhancement because exposure to the 12-HZ ELF can enhance visual memory. This outcome may be due to a decrease in plasma cortisol and or expression of GR genes. Moreover, direct amygdala involvement in this regard cannot be recommended.The effects of Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (ELF-EMF) of 12 Hz on monkeys were studied.The results showed a reduction in the serum cortisol levels and the expression of GR genes.The amygdala anatomical area changes were not significant in the experimental group.In the experimental group, visual memory (delay of 30- and 60-s evaluation) improved after exposure to a frequency of 12 Hz.Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields are among the most important factors affecting humans. This study aimed to determine the fields of 12-Hz frequency on the visual memory changes of male monkeys. The importance of research is due to the cognitive similarity of monkeys to humans. The findings of the research can be attributed to humans. Behavioral, hormonal, genetic, and anatomical studies indicated improvement in visual memory (test monkeys versus control monkeys). This study demonstrates the effect of the 12-Hz frequency on the monkey's visual memory. Researchers can study 12-Hz frequency in other cognitive indices.

The extensive school closures due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic resulted in prolonged water stagnation within schools' plumbing for longer durations than routine schools' holidays and summer breaks.

PURPOSE The possible association between history of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer (LC) has attracted researchers' attention for several decades. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to assess the association between previous pulmonary TB infection and LC risk. METHODS A Systematic and comprehensive search was performed in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, clinical key, Web of Science and Google Scholar, in articles and abstracts published from 1987 to 2021. Thirty-two articles (involving 50,290 cases and 846,666 controls) met the inconclusive criteria. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2.2 software was used for this meta-analysis. RESULTS The result of this meta-analysis demonstrates that pre-existing active pulmonary TB increases the risk of LC (RR = 2.170, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.833-2.569, p

PurposeThis study evaluated the influence of the coronavirus pandemic on the healthcare and non-cold pharmaceutical care distribution supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThe model involves four objective functions to minimize the total costs, environmental impacts, lead time and the probability of a healthcare provider being infected by a sick person was developed. An improved version of the augmented e-constraint method was applied to solve the proposed model for a case study of a distribution company to show the effectiveness of the proposed model. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the sensitive parameters. Finally, two robust models were developed to overcome the innate uncertainty of sensitive parameters.FindingsThe result demonstrated a significant reduction in total costs, environmental impacts, lead time and probability of a healthcare worker being infected from a sick person by 40%, 30%, 75% and 54%, respectively, under the coronavirus pandemic compared to the normal condition. It should be noted that decreasing lead time and disease infection rate could reduce mortality and promote the model's effectiveness.Practical implicationsImplementing this model could assist the healthcare and pharmaceutical distributors to make more informed decisions to minimize the cost, lead time, environmental impacts and enhance their supply chain resiliency.Originality/valueThis study introduced an objective function to consider the coronavirus infection rates among the healthcare workers impacted by the pharmaceutical/healthcare products supply chain. This study considered both economic and environmental consequences caused by the coronavirus pandemic condition, which occurred on a significantly larger scale than past pandemic and epidemic crises.

The trace elements copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are essential for maintaining oxidative balance, and cardiac surgery is known to provoke an increase in oxidative stress. We investigated the variations in serum Zn and Cu concentrations before and after surgery in patients undergoing on- and off-pump CABG and heart valve replacement. We performed a prospective study on patients undergoing on- or off-pump CABG, or heart valve replacement surgery (48, 51, and 47 patients, respectively). Venous blood samples were obtained, and serum Cu and Zn concentrations were measured preoperatively, 24 h postoperatively, and the time of discharge. In addition, echocardiography was carried out on all patients before surgery and again on the day of discharge. We found the temporal changes in Cu, Zn, and Zn/Cu ratio were significantly different in all three groups of surgery (p 0.05). In each group, Cu and Zn values and Zn/Cu ratio decreased at the 24-h postoperative time and rose at the discharge time. There were no significant differences between surgery groups in the changes induced in Zn or Cu values (p 0.05). In conclusion, the concentrations of Cu and Zn were markedly reduced after on- and off-pump CABG and valve replacement surgery. This may suggest that supplementary Zn and Cu administration could be beneficial during open-heart surgeries. However, more long-term studies with more patients are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and social resilience of women affected by floods in Delgan. The statistical population of the study was all urban and rural women over 15 years old affected by the flood of 2020 in Delgan city, whose number was estimated at 34,280 people. The statistical sample of the research was 256 women and the sampling was done by simple random sampling. Data collection tools included a Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis method in AMOS software. The results showed that there was a direct relationship between family support and resilience. There was also an inverse relationship between friends support with resilience (Positive acceptance of change and safe relationships and Spiritual Influences) and Significant others' support with resilience (Personal competence, Self-Control and spiritual influences) of women affected by flood. On the other hand, there was a direct relationship between the Significant Others' support and resilience (Positive acceptance of change and safe). Overall, the results showed a positive relationship between social support and resilience of flood-affected women. Keywords Social Support, Social Resilience, Women, Flood Extended Abstract In the list of the most common natural disasters, flood is in the first place. Disasters do not affect men and women in the same way, and in the meantime, they have a more significant impact on women. False assumptions and prejudices, as well as ignorance, lead women to face a host of discriminatory and exploitative situations in post-disaster situations. The fact is that the consequences of natural disasters cannot be prevented entirely, so the capacity of people to live and resist these disasters must be improved. The new approach to reducing the effects of natural disasters is to make people resilient to natural disasters. Resilience is a concept that describes how people cope with unexpected situations and means stubbornness in the face of stress, the ability to return to normal functioning after a stressful event, and surviving and trying through adverse conditions. Flood resilience has mainly measured with the concept of physically, environmentally and spatial resilience and with a geographical approach, little research has looked at resilience in its social context studied people affected by natural hazards and disasters such as floods. The previous study in the situation of natural disasters in Iran, such as flood, shows that residents of flooded areas do not have the necessary resilience to floods and need social support from family, friends and others. Social support from family, friends and important others plays a prominent role in strengthening and expanding people's resilience in the face of natural hazards and disasters such as a flood. Given that little research has studied the effects of social support on women's social resilience in the face of the flood, therefore, this study intends to investigate the relationship between social support from family, friends and others with social resilience of women affected by flood in Delgan county. Specifically, the main issue of the study is what effect does social support from family, friends and others have on the social resilience of women affected by the flood in Delgan county in Sistan and Baluchestan province? The study is descriptive-correlational research. The statistical population of the study was all urban and rural women over 15 years old affected by the flood in 2020 in Delgan city, whose number was estimated at 34,280 people. The sample includes 256 women aged 15 years and above affected by flood in Delgan county were selected by random sampling method. In order to data collection, Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale and Perceived Social Support Questionnaire were used. The results showed that among the three components of social support, the highest mean was allocated to the support from others, and the lowest mean was assigned to the component of friends' support. Also, the compound mean and standard deviation of the total perceived social support score were 3.95 and 0.29, respectively. Among the five components of resilience, the highest mean was assigned to spiritual influences (M = 3.13, SD = 0.49), and the lowest mean given to trust in one's instincts (SD = 0.68, SD = 2.08) M); also the average mean and standard deviation of the total resilience score are equal to 2.52 and 0.43, respectively. The correlation matrix of the research variables showed that the correlation of the predictor and criterion variables was significant in most cases (P

Heavy metals (HMs) are persistent and toxic environmental pollutants that pose critical risks toward human health and environmental safety. Their efficient elimination from water and wastewater is essential to protect public health, ensure environmental safety, and enhance sustainability. In the recent decade, nanomaterials have been developed extensively for rapid and effective removal of HMs from water and wastewater and to address the certain economical and operational challenges associated with conventional treatment practices, including chemical precipitation, ion exchange, adsorption, and membrane separation. However, the complicated and expensive manufacturing process of nanoparticles and nanotubes, their reduced adsorption capacity due to the aggregation, and challenging recovery from aqueous solutions limited their widespread applications for HM removal practices. Thus, the nanofibers have emerged as promising adsorbents due to their flexible and facile production process, large surface area, and simple recovery. A growing number of chemical modification methods have been devised to promote the nanofibers' adsorption capacity and stability within the aqueous systems. This paper briefly discusses the challenges regarding the effective and economical application of conventional treatment practices for HM removal. It also identifies the practical challenges for widespread applications of nanomaterials such as nanoparticles and nanotubes as HMs adsorbents. This paper focuses on nanofibers as promising HMs adsorbents and reviews the most recent advances in terms of chemical grafting of nanofibers, using the polymers blend, and producing the composite nanofibers to create highly effective and stable HMs adsorbent materials. Furthermore, the parameters that influence the HM removal by electrospun nanofibers and the reusability of adsorbent nanofibers were discussed. Future research needs to address the gap between laboratory investigations and commercial applications of adsorbent nanofibers for water and wastewater treatment practices are also presented.

This research evaluates the application and performance of two methods of Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) in real time control and operational management of a large-scale water transfer system. Metaheuristic approaches are computationally common but do not guarantee the global optimality of their solution. On the other hand, a main limitation for these algorithms is the inability to solve large-scale optimization problems due to curse of dimensionality. Model Predictive Control is a modern control method that has been developed for industrial problems and owes its success to easy and effective applicability of constraints on state and control variables. In this research, a multi-objective optimization problem is designed for the Zarrinehrood water transfer system, the largest water transfer line in Middle East, and is solved using MPC and PSO. Two objective functions of maintaining the safe stored water in reservoirs and reducing the fluctuations in pump stations are defined. Results show that the proposed MPC model yields high capability to satisfy all constraints while fluctuations in pump stations are decreased and the volume of stored water in reservoirs meets the lowest error in the vicinity of the safe volume. Performance of MPC in optimizing management of a large-scale water transfer systems like Zarrinehrood with spontaneity in demand sector is better than PSO. However, defining the equations required to perform MPC with respect to the metaheuristic algorithm is more complicated and needs high accuracy to correctly look for the optimal solution.

Extensive building closures due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic resulted in long-term water stagnation within the plumbing of large buildings. This study examined water chemical quality deterioration in ten large buildings after prolonged stagnation caused by the closure of a university campus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Volume-based and constant-duration flushing protocols were implemented to replace stagnant water with fresh drinking water. The effectiveness of the developed water flushing protocols was examined by monitoring the disinfectant residuals, heavy metal concentrations and temperature for water samples collected from the buildings' point of entry (POE) and select water fixtures. More than 14 m3 of water were flushed in all ten large buildings. The results demonstrated a significantly greater average total chlorine residual concentration in POE water samples collected after flushing (1.1 mg L−1) compared to the stagnant condition (0.6 mg L−1). For water samples collected from fixtures during the extended stagnation, chlorine was absent in 71% of samples from academic buildings and 69% of samples from athletic buildings. The effectiveness of flushing practices is underscored by increasing the median total chlorine concentration from

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is described as a systemic and chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory polyarthritis. Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG3) is a membrane glycoprotein expressed on activated, exhausted, and regulatory T cells. LAG3 plays a major role in the function of Treg cells. LAG3 also has a soluble form (sLAG3) with a controversial role. Objective: To evaluate the serum level of sLAG3 in rheumatoid arthritis patients in comparison with healthy subjects and assess its association with the disease activity. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 105 patients with RA referred to Ghaem hospital of Mashhad, Iran. We divided the participants into four groups: 1) 35 untreated patients with newly diagnosed RA, 2) 35 active RA patients, 3) 35 patients in the remission phase of the disease, and 4) 35 healthy individuals matched in terms of age and sex. After completing the interview and questionnaire, the sLAG3 was evaluated by commercial ELISA. Results: The serum level of sLAG3 significantly increased in RA patients (76.78 ng/ml) as compared with the healthy participants (51.67, p=0.002). However, there was no significant difference between RA patients in the remission phase of the disease (114.11 ng/ml) and those with moderate to high disease activity (63.06 ng/ml, p=0.076). Conclusion: This study provided insights into the role of sLAG3 in the immunopathogenesis of ‎RA disease, but further investigations are also warranted.

Historically, the first step in treating cyanide (CNChart review: A single-center, retrospective case series of patients who received 5 or 10 g of hydroxocobalamin from 01/01/2011 through 04/30/2019. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.Chart reviewWe observed a noteworthy temporal association between the formation of methemoglobinemia and the administration of hydroxocobalamin. This does not appear to be an artifact of the CO-oximeters. This could have profound implications for patients who are already hypoxemic or have impaired oxygen carrying capacity from carboxyhemoglobin.

The weathering and contaminant transport behavior of both primary (PMPs) and secondary microplastics (SMPs) are interrelated to their original physiochemical features and variations within the environment. This study examines the influence of PMPs' intrinsic characteristics (polymer structure and crystallinity) and SMPs' extrinsic features (surface oxidation and external sediments attachment) on the photodegradation kinetics, and subsequently Pb(II) and Zn(II) uptake from stormwater. For this purpose, high density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) with different degrees of crystallinities were produced as PMPs, and their photodegradation behaviors were compared with original polymers. Furthermore, the SMPs generated by abrasion and surface oxidation of PMPs and the virgin PMPs underwent accelerated photodegradation, and the changes of their crystallinity, surface chemistry, and morphology were examined. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) studies revealed the formation of cracks and different oxidized functionalities on MPs surface due to UV photodegradation. The vinyl and carbonyl indices calculated using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy demonstrated an elevated photodegradation rate for SMPs compared to the PMPs. Moreover, the Differential Scanning Colorimetry (DSC) demonstrated an increasing percentage of crystallinity in all MPs due to the photodegradation. The percent crystallinity of HDPE pellets increased after photodegradation from 49.8 to 62.6 and it increased from 17.2 to 38.9 for LDPE pellets respectively. The greater level of increase in crystallinity for LDPE in comparison to HDPE upon photodegradation was referred to as LDPE's greater amorphous content and branched structure. A greater level of metal uptake was obtained for photodegraded LDPE pellets as 2526 μg/m

INTRODUCTION: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated gastric cancer is a distinct molecular subtype of gastrointestinal carcinomas as defined by the Cancer Genome Atlas. METHODS: In the present study 237 samples from Iranian patients diagnosed with gastric cancer and gastroduodenal disease were retrospectively examined for EBV infection by quantitative Real-Time PCR. RESULTS: Of the 237 samples tested, EBV DNA was detected in 37 samples (15.6%), in 13 of the 81 gastric cancer cases (16%), and 24 of the 156 non-cancerous samples (15.4%). The EBV infection rate was found higher in patients with gastric ulcer (35%) and duodenal ulcer (21.9%) compared to patients with gastric cancer (16%) and gastritis (19.6%). The EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) copy number in the gastric cancer group (mean = 2.14×10(−1) with range of 2.14×10(−2) to 4.10×10(−1) copies/ cell) was higher than gastroduodenal diseases group (mean = 1.39×10(−2) with range 1.11×10(−3) to 2.35×10(−2) copies/ cell), and this difference was statistically significant (P >0.001) CONCLUSION: The higher number of copies of EBV-EBER in the gastric cancer group compared to the non-cancer group confirmed the possible role of EBV in inducing cancer.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare type of venous thromboembolism mostly affecting young adults. Despite improved imaging studies, the diagnosis is usually delayed by several days. An average diagnostic delay of seven days from the onset of symptoms is still reported for this condition, and it is crucial for radiologists to detect this potentially lethal condition in routine imaging studies. In this study we aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of multi-detector brain CTA in diagnosing acute CVT. We searched our Picture Archiving and Communicating System (PACS) of our tertiary-level academic hospital between March 2016 and March 2019, and collected all patients for whom both contrast-enhanced MRV and brain CTA were acquired at the same admission. A total of 242 patients were found on our PACS database who met our criteria. In the blinded multidetector-row computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA) evaluation, there was a sensitivity of 96.1%, specificity of 98.6% and accuracy of 98.3% for MDCTA in detecting CVST. In the emergency settings, and in centers in which MRI scanners are not available, MDCTA can be used instead of CE-MRV for diagnosis of CSVT with a good sensitivity and specificity.

Papaver armeniacum hairy roots were induced by four Rhizobium rhizogenes strains on three explants (shoot, root, and hypocotyl). Also, the effects of two concentrations (100 and 200 μM) of methyl jasmonate (MJ) and salicylic acid (SA) were assessed on productions of papaverine, noscapine, thebaine, morphine, and codeine and expression of some related genes (TYDC, DBOX, BBE, SalAT, T6ODM, and COR) in P. armeniacum L. hairy root culture at 24 and 48 h after elicitation. R. rhizogenes strain C58C1 induced the highest hairy root rate on hypocotyl explant. Application of 100 μM MJ resulted in the highest contents of thebaine, codeine, and morphine by enhancing the expression of SalAT, COR, and T6ODM genes, respectively, while application of 100 μM SA resulted in the highest contents of papaverine and noscapine by upregulating DBOX and BBE genes, respectively. 100 μM MJ can be used as an effective elicitor in P. armeniacum hairy root culture to increase studied morphinan alkaloids. Also, SA can be suggested for enhancing papaverine and noscapine contents in P. armeniacum hairy root culture. It may be due to that there is a SA- and MJ-signaling crosstalk, which results in reciprocal antagonism between SA and MJ signaling pathways. The effects of MJ and SA elicitors on benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) production were level-dependent.

Background and Objective: Laboratory-based education is one of the basic pillars of change in the management of teaching and learning of students of basic medical sciences. In this study, we designed a workshop with a new approach to teach Real time –PCR technique to postgraduate students of basic medical sciences and to evaluate the practical skills learned in the workshop, we used the standard OSPE assessment. Methods: In this study, 18 graduate students of Babol university of medical sciences were included and they were divided into two groups of intervention and control. Pre-test was performed in both groups. The intervention group was provided with an electronic content (including theoretical and practical outlines of the workshop) before participating in the workshop. At the end of the workshop and before the OSPE assessment, a post-test was taken from all participants. On the third day of the workshop, the performance of students in practical and laboratory skills of Real time-PCR technique was evaluated using OSPE examination. Findings: Pre-test and post-test scores of the intervention group in both cognitive and skill domains were higher than the control group. High satisfaction of students in each of OSPE stations in both groups indicates their acceptance of this approach. Conclusion: Using the OSPE examination in practical and laboratory courses is a good way to both assess and learn skills.

Background: To compare thyroid volume, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free t4 and the prevalence of thyroid nodules between obese and non-obese subjects. Also, the association between BMI and insulin resistance status with various parameters of thyroid gland was evaluated. Methods: Fifty–two patients with obesity and 38 volunteers aged 20-50 years with normal body mass index (BMI), were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Patients with diabetes, history of thyroid disorders, and patients, who were taking medications that influence their blood glucose or insulin levels or modified thyroid function tests, were excluded. TSH, free t4, insulin and glucose and thyroid sonography were carried out and the results compared between two groups. P

The morphology, structure and optical properties of zinc sulfide (ZnS) thin films prepared through radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering have been analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, and multifractal analyses. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that all ZnS thin films show a single peak at around 29.6°, which has been ascribed to the (111) planes of sphalerite phase, indicating that the growth direction of the films is the [111] direction. UV–Vis–NIR transmittance spectra were used to determine the refractive index of the samples, their thickness, and their band gap energy, showing the optical and semiconductor properties a clear dependence of the film thickness. Finally, ZnS thin films were characterized and analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements and multifractal analyses for a complex and precise interpretation of the 3-D surface microtexture characteristics. The multifractal examinations of the samples revealed a particular distribution at the nanometric level associated with multifractal surface characteristics. These experimental results are corroborated, presented, and discussed together with the essential stereometric parameters of the thin films. The combination of the different experimental information and the comprehensive stereometric and multifractal analyses provide new and deeper insight into the ZnS thin films that would be exploited to develop novel micro-topography models.

For a positive integer m and a Hilbert space H an operator T in B ( H ) , the space of all bounded linear operators on H , is called m-selfadjoint if ∑ k = 0 m ( − 1 ) k ( m k ) T ⁎ k T m − k = 0 . In this paper, we show that if T ∈ B ( H ) and the spectrum of T consists of a finite number of points then it is m-selfadjoint if and only if it is an n-Jordan operator for some integer n. Moreover, we prove that if T is m-selfadjoint then T is nilpotent when it is quasinilpotent. Then we characterize m-selfadjoint weighted shift operators. Also, we show that if T is m-selfadjoint then so is p ( T ) when p ( z ) is a polynomial with real coefficients. After that, we investigate an elementary operator τ and a generalized derivation operator δ on the Hilbert-Schmidt class C 2 ( H ) which are m-selfadjoint. Finally, we prove that no m-selfadjoint operator on an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space, can be N-supercyclic, for any N ≥ 1 .

The rising trend in water conservation awareness has given rise to the use of water-efficient appliances and fixtures for residential potable water systems. This study characterized the microbial dynamics at a water-efficient residential building over the course of one year (58 sampling events) and examined the effects of water stagnation, season, and changes in physicochemical properties on the occurrence of opportunistic pathogen markers. Mean heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) were typically lowest upon entering the building at the service line, but increased by several orders of magnitude at the furthest location in the building plumbing. Legionella spp. and Mycobacterium spp. were detected in the plumbing, with the highest detection occurring in the summer months. Log-transformed HPC were significantly correlated with total cell counts (TCC) (rs = 0.714, p < 0.01), Legionella spp. (rs = 0.534, p < 0.01), and Mycobacterium spp. occurrence (rs = 0.458, p < 0.01). Reduced water usage induced longer stagnation times and longer stagnation times were weakly correlated with an increase in Legionella spp. (rs = 0.356, p < 0.001), Mycobacterium spp. (rs = 0.287, p < 0.001), TCC (rs = 0.216, p < 0.001) and HPC (rs = 0.395, p < 0.001). Interrelationships between seasonal shifts in water chemistry and genus-level genetic markers for opportunistic pathogens were revealed. This study highlights how drinking water microbiology varies seasonally and spatially throughout a low-flow plumbing building and highlights the possible unintended consequences associated with reduced water usage and increases in stagnation.

Acute cerebral vein thrombosis is usually seen as increased attenuation in brain non-contrast computed tomography. It is so helpful to define measurable parameters for subjective evaluation of sinus thrombosis in non-enhanced brain computed tomography, especially where advanced neuroimaging techniques are not available. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of venobasilar attenuation ratio and venobasilar attenuation difference in the evaluation of acute cerebral venous sinuous thrombosis in non-enhanced brain CT scan. Fifty confirmed cases of acute cerebral vein thrombosis were sex- and age-matched with 73 subjects who did not have the condition. Average venous sinus attenuation, Hounsfield to hematocrit ratio, basilar artery density, venobasilar attenuation ratio and venobasilar attenuation difference were measured. Mean attenuation was 65.8 in thrombosed and 44.9 in non-thrombosed sinuses (P

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the one-year prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, common comorbidities and demographic information among negative- and positive rRT-PCR in health care workers (HCW), hospitalized and outpatients. Also, the association between SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) and the outcomes of patients were analyzed in Babol, northern Iran. METHODS: This large retrospective cross-sectional study was performed between March 2020 and March 2021. The records of 19232 hospitalized, outpatients and HCW suspected to COVID-19 were collected from teaching hospitals in the North of Iran. RESULTS: Out of the 19232 suspected to COVID-19 patients, 7251 (37.7%) had a positive rRT-PCR result; 652 (9%), 4599 (63.4%) and 2000 (27.6%) of those were categorized as HCW, hospitalized and outpatients, respectively. Moreover, between the hospitalized and the outpatient group, 10.2 and 0.8% cases died, whereas no death cases were reported in the HCW. Furthermore, it seems that death rate was significantly different between the three groups of Ct value, the highest mortality in those with Ct between 21 and 30 (group B=7.6%) and the lowest in the group with the highest Ct (between 31 and 40 = 5.5%) (p

The changes in the local and global dynamics of azide-labelled lysozyme compared with that of the wild type protein are quantitatively assessed for all alanine residues along the polypeptide chain. Although attaching -N3 to alanine residues has been considered to be a minimally invasive change in the protein it is found that depending on the location of the alanine residue, the local and global changes in the dynamics differ. For Ala92, the change in the cross-correlated motions are minimal, whereas attaching -N3 to Ala90 leads to pronounced differences in the local and global correlations as quantified by the cross-correlation coefficients of the Cα atoms. We also demonstrate that the spectral region of the asymmetric azide stretch distinguishes between alanine attachment sites, whereas changes in the low frequency, far-infrared region are less characteristic.

The spectroscopy and structural dynamics of a deep eutectic mixture (KSCN/acetamide) with varying water content is investigated from 2D IR (with the C-N stretch vibration of the SCN$^-$ anions as the reporter) and THz spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics simulations correctly describe the non-trivial dependence of both spectroscopic signatures depending on water content. For the 2D IR spectra, the MD simulations relate the steep increase in the cross relaxation rate at high water content to parallel alignment of packed SCN$^-$ anions. Conversely, the non-linear increase of the THz absorption with increasing water content is mainly attributed to the formation of larger water clusters. The results demonstrate that a combination of structure sensitive spectroscopies and molecular dynamics simulations provides molecular-level insights into emergence of heterogeneity of such mixtures by modulating their composition.

Historically, the first step in treating cyanide (CN-) toxicity utilized antidotes to induce methemoglobinemia. This is concerning in patients who are already hypoxemic or have elevated carboxyhemoglobin. Hydroxocobalamin (OHCbl) is now the first-line antidote for CN- toxicity and is not known to induce methemoglobinemia. We observed elevated methemoglobin (MetHb) levels in several patients treated with OHCbl and sought to investigate the incidence of MetHb formation following administration of OHCbl. Chart review: A single-center, retrospective case series of patients who received 5 or 10 g of hydroxocobalamin from 01/01/2011 through 04/30/2019. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. In-vitro study: Discarded blood was separated into whole blood and plasma samples. OHCbl and normal saline was added to reach 0×, 1×, 2×, and 4× peak therapeutic concentrations and analyzed at times 0, 2, and 4 h after administration. Chart review: Twenty-seven cases of OHCbl administration were identified. The median age was 53 years (IQR 38 − 64) and 20 (74.1%) were male. Exposure to a house fire or smoke inhalation was the reason for OHCbl administration in 21 (77.8%) patients. Five (18.5%) patients received 10 g of OHCbl while the rest received 5 g. Six (22.2%) patients developed methemoglobinemia, all after 5 g OHCbl administration; four had been exposed to fire and smoke, two received the medication for severe acidosis of unknown etiology not related to fire or smoke. The median peak level was 7.1% (IQR 2.2 − 16.4%) at a median time of 11.4 h post-administration. Two patients received methylene blue (MB), neither responded. Death occurred in 17 (63%) cases. In-vitro study: We observed a dose dependent elevation in total hemoglobin but did not detect any increase in MetHb. We observed a noteworthy temporal association between the formation of methemoglobinemia and the administration of hydroxocobalamin. This does not appear to be an artifact of the CO-oximeters. This could have profound implications for patients who are already hypoxemic or have impaired oxygen carrying capacity from carboxyhemoglobin.

Azido-modified alanine residues (AlaN$_3$) are environment-sensitive, minimally invasive infrared probes for the site-specific investigation of protein structure and dynamics. Here, the capability of the label is investigated to query whether or not a ligand is bound to the active site of Lysozyme and how the spectroscopy and dynamics change upon ligand binding. The results demonstrate specific differences for center frequencies of the asymmetric azide stretch vibration, the long time decay and the static offset of the frequency fluctuation correlation function - all of which are experimental observables - between the ligand-free and the ligand-bound, N$_3$-labelled protein. Changes in dynamics can also be mapped onto changes in the local and through-space coupling between residues by virtue of dynamical cross-correlation maps. This makes the azide label a versatile and structurally sensitive probe to report on the dynamics of proteins in a variety of environments and for a range of different applications., Comment: Main manuscript: 21 pages and 6 figures, SI: 13 pages and 17 figures

This work focuses on the low frequency Drude response of bulk-insulating topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ films. The frequency and field dependence of the mobility and carrier density are measured simultaneously via time-domain terahertz spectroscopy. These films are grown on buffer layers, capped by Se, and have been exposed in air for months. Under a magnetic field up to 7 Tesla, we observe prominent cyclotron resonances (CRs). We attribute the sharp CR to two different topological surface states (TSSs) from both surfaces of the films. The CR sharpens at high fields due to an electron-impurity scattering. By using magneto-terahertz spectroscopy, we confirm that these films are bulk-insulating, which paves the way to use intrinsic topological insulators without bulk carriers for applications including topological spintronics and quantum computing., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1502.04577

The local hydration around tetrameric hemoglobin (Hb) in its T0 and R4 conformational substates is analyzed based on molecular dynamics simulations. Analysis of the local hydrophobicity (LH) for all residues at the α1 β2 and α2 β1 interfaces, responsible for the quaternary T → R transition, which is encoded in the Monod–Wyman–Changeux model, as well as comparison with earlier computations of the solvent accessible surface area, makes clear that the two quantities measure different aspects of hydration. Local hydrophobicity quantifies the presence and structure of water molecules at the interface, whereas “buried surface” reports on the available space for solvent. For simulations with Hb frozen in its T0 and R4 states, the correlation coefficient between LH and buried surface is 0.36 and 0.44, respectively, but it increases considerably if the 95% confidence interval is used. The LH with Hb frozen and flexible changes little for most residues at the interfaces but is significantly altered for a few select ones: Thr41 α, Tyr42 α, Tyr140 α, Trp37 β, Glu101 β (for T0) and Thr38 α, Tyr42 α, Tyr140 α (for R4). The number of water molecules at the interface is found to increase by [Formula: see text]% for T0 → R4, which is consistent with earlier measurements. Since hydration is found to be essential to protein function, it is clear that hydration also plays an essential role in allostery.

Ladybird beetles have successfully been used to control different pests. Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius) and Oenopia conglobata contaminata)Menetries((Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are two dominant and efficient predators of the common pistachio psylla, Agonoscena pistaciae (Hem.: Psyllidae) in Iran. In the current study, the impact of two diets, i.e., nymphs of A. pistaciae and eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lep.: Pyralidae), were investigated on the cold hardiness, supercooling point (SCP), and lethal temperature of different life stages of the coccinellids. The results suggested that the eggs of E. kuehniella are a suitable diet for both predators. In general, beetles of O. conglobata contaminata were more cold tolerant than those of C. sexmaculata. The SCP of the adults of C. sexmaculata, feeding on psyllid was about −15 °C, whereas the SCP of the beetles, feeding on the eggs of flour moth, was about −19 °C. However, the diets had no significant effects on the SCP of O. conglobata contaminata. For both ladybird beetles, eggs were the most sensitive stage, and adulthood was the most tolerant developmental stage. No eggs survived at zero and subzero temperatures. The survival of C. sexmaculata increased from 6.25% for adults fed on psyllids to 13.75% for those fed on flour moth eggs after 24 h exposure to cold at −4 °C. The survival of O. conglobata contaminata adults after exposure to cold at −4 °C for 24 h raised from 28.75% for adults fed on psyllids to 42.50% for those fed on flour moth eggs. Regardless of the diet, both beetles were considered to be chill-intolerant insects as the most mortality occurred above the SCP.

Purpose- To identify and prioritize factors influencing the creation of rural entrepreneurship opportunities in Iran Design/methodology/approach- A deductive approach was adopted. In this applied research, a mixed method was employed, which consisted of a descriptive-analytical method and a survey. The main data gathering tool was questionnaire. The research population comprised of university professors specialized in the field of rural entrepreneurship, rural entrepreneurs, rural managers and rural experts (n=30). In the first step, based on a review of literature, indicators influencing the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities were identified, and then the ANP-DEMATEL was used for evaluation and prioritization of the indicators. Findings- Based on cause-effect chart, the economic and infrastructural factors were assigned to the category of causes and individual, socio-cultural and political factors to the category of effects. On the other hand, the economic and political factors had the highest and lowest interaction with other factors, respectively. The results of the integrated analytical network process (ANP) and DEMATEL method showed that the economic factor had the greatest effect followed by infrastructural, sociocultural and individual components (with slight weight difference). The political component with the value of 0.1253 not only had the lowest importance, but was significantly different from other factors in terms of weight values. Research limitations/implications- Measuring the effects of factors influencing the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities along with their interrelation and mutual impact using a system approach or ISM technique. Practical implications- Given the myriad of problems affecting rural areas, such as unemployment, migration of rural labor to urban areas and diminished sense of belonging, among other things, it is essential to pay greater attention to entrepreneurship and its implementation to achieve sustainable rural development. Besides, by identifying the root causes and factors influencing rural entrepreneurship, it is possible to offer solutions for organizing entrepreneurship. If policy makers, planners, and rural managers adopt these strategies, sustainable rural development could be reinforced. Originality/value- Providing the most important indicators influencing the creation of rural entrepreneurship opportunities, prioritizing and measuring the impact of those factors on each other using ANP-DEMATEL method. In particular, the results of this research can benefit managers and decision makers in the field of rural entrepreneurship. The results can also be beneficial to universities, higher education institutions and students.

The changes in the local and global dynamics of azide-labelled lysozyme compared with that of the wild type protein are quantitatively assessed for all alanine residues along the polypeptide chain. Although attaching -N3 to alanine residues has been considered to be a minimally invasive change in the protein it is found that depending on the location of the alanine residue, the local and global changes in the dynamics differ. For Ala92, the change in the cross-correlated motions are minimal, whereas attaching -N3 to Ala90 leads to pronounced differences in the local and global correlations as quantified by the cross-correlation coefficients of the Cα atoms. We also demonstrate that the spectral region of the asymmetric azide stretch distinguishes between alanine attachment sites, whereas changes in the low frequency, far-infrared region are less characteristic.

Introduction: By crossing the borders of cities and countries, air pollution is now a global problem so that it can be claimed that there is no sound and clean air. This study aimed to investigate the effect of meteorological parameters on the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in the air of Arak city. Materials and methods: In this study, Arak city was divided into three regions using geographic information system (GIS). Based on air pollution monitoring stations in Arak city, it was tried to select one station from each region for analysis. Meteorological parameters including temperature (°C), relative humidity (٪), precipitation (mm), and wind speed (m/s), were obtained from Arak Meteorological Organization. Finally, the association between the concentration of PM (PM2.5 and PM10) and meteorological parameters were evaluated by SPSS. Results: Annual changes in PM (PM2.5 and PM10) showed that the average particle concentrations were 25.34 and 46.81 µg/m3 in the study periods, respectively. It was also found that the citizens of Arak were 2.5 times more exposed to PM (PM2.5 and PM10) pollutants than the standard recommended by the World Health Organization. Our findings also showed strong positive linear correlations of wind velocity and temperature with PM2.5 and PM10, as well as relative humidity with PM10, and negative correlations of precipitation with PM2.5 and PM10, as well as relative humidity with PM2.5. Conclusion: The distribution map of Arak city indicated that the citizens of Shariati station and the governor's office were facing high concentrations of pollutants, posing them to a serious threat. Moreover, more pollution was recorded toward the north and northwest of the city. To protect the health of citizens in Arak, therefore, it is necessary to adopt appropriate policies and rules to reduce the concentrations of PM and other pollutants in the air of this city.

This experiment assessed the effectiveness of two interventions; mental imagery and physical training as compared to a control group, on their ability to improve visuomotor accuracy, measured by scores achieved on a visuomotor task. For mental imagery participants had to imagine throwing a dart and for physical training participants physically practised dart throwing. Measurements were recorded pre-intervention, after two weeks of training (Mid-intervention), after five weeks of training (Outcome Measure 1) and two weeks after training (Outcome Measure 2). Comparison of Mid-intervention, Outcome Measure 1 and Outcome Measure 2 with baseline showed both interventions to significantly increase performance on dart throwing compared to the Control group. Our findings show that, as well as traditional physical practise, mental imagery can effectively improve performance on a fine visuomotor task. This is an important finding highlighting possible applications of mental imagery in those with limited motor abilities to maintain or enhance motor movement.

Organophosphorus insecticides such as diazinon (DZN) are used worldwide in industry, veterinary practice, and agriculture. They may induce oxidative stress in different tissues. The use of antioxidants can protect tissues against oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the prophylactic and therapeutic roles of vitamin E against DZN–induced oxidative damage and biochemical alterations in various tissues of male Wistar rats. Thirty rats were divided into five groups: Control group received only corn oil as DZN solvent, DZN group received 100 mg/kg of DZN, E group received 150 mg/kg of vitamin E, E-DZN group received vitamin E and then dosed with DZN and DZN-E group received DZN and then dosed with vitamin E. All injections were carried out intraperitoneally. Plasma and various tissues were prepared and evaluated. Results showed that acute administration of DZN caused a significant induction of oxidative damage in the tested tissues via increased malondialdehyde level and some plasma biochemical indices, depletion of glutathione (GSH), reduced cholinesterase activity and change in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione-S transferase. Treatment of rats with vitamin E resulted in an elevation in the level of GSH, normalizing the antioxidant enzymes activities and decreasing lipid peroxidation, although all these tests did not return to the normal level in certain tissues. The findings of this study suggest that both prophylactic and therapeutic treatments of rats with vitamin E provide a protective role against DZN-induced oxidative stress and cholinergic hyperactivity through free radicals scavenging and membrane stabilizing.

Current knowledge about the potential impacts of microplastics (MP) on vadose zone hydrology is scarce. The primary goal of this study was to address some of the limitations of previous research by developing more reliable and conclusive statistical evidence to better understand whether MP pollution can potentially cause hydrological impacts. We examined the effects of MP shape (type), as well as the magnitude of pollution (MP/soil mass ratio, λ) on water holding capacity (WHC) and bare soil water evaporation (ER) of fine sand, under controlled laboratory conditions. Three different shapes (types) of MP—fiber (polyacrylic), strand (polymethyl methacrylate), and pellet (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), with six environmentally relevant MP concentration levels (MP/soil mass ratio), all ≤1.5%, were studied. Statistical regressions and non-parametric analyses of variance (i.e., Kruskal–Wallis analysis) indicate that MP pollution has a substantial potential to change WHC and late-stage evaporation, even at relatively low MP concentrations, but has minimal impacts on early stage evaporation of the studied fine sand. The magnitude of the impacts depends on individual MP shape (type) and concentration, connoting those MP impact mechanisms are complex. These findings suggest that the global issue of growing soil–MP pollution should be regarded as a concerning environmental and water resources stressor that could potentially cause widespread environmental change by altering soil-water dynamics at the watershed scale.

The accelerated use of plastic products for agricultural practices has raised global concern regarding their negative impacts on soil health. This study aims to better understand the combined influence of polymer characteristics and environmental conditions on microplastic photodegradation within the agricultural soil system. For this purpose, the photodegradation behavior of low density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics was studied through accelerated UVA radiation experiments under two different relative humidity (RH

BackgroundLupoid cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) is known as a rare but serious complication of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) resistant to conventional treatments.Sodium chlorosum,a pro-oxidative preparation of pharmaceutical sodium chlorite (NaClO2), has been successfully used for the treatment of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions (OWCL) and of some LCL cases in Afghanistan. This clinical trial study aimed to evaluate the effect of a last resort therapy with topical 0.09%sodium chlorosumon LCL in Iran.MethodsTwenty Iranian patients (12 women and 8 men) with LCL refractory to treatment were included in this salvage study. A magistral preparation ofsodium chlorosum(10 mM NaClO2in amphiphilic basic cream) was applied twice daily to the lesions for 6 weeks and continued up to 12 weeks in patients who showed a clinical response within the first 6 weeks. Responders were followed up for a maximum of 1 year. Lesions were photographed during weekly visits. Disappearance of erythema and indurated lesions were rated as complete clinical response.ResultsPatients with a mean age of 28.6 (±24.3) and with an ACL proven lesion history of 3.8 (±1.4) years were treated for an average of 7.9 (±1.8) weeks. At the end of the treatment period (12th week), a complete response was observed in 9 of 20 patients (45%). During the one-year follow-up period, LCL lesions recurred in 4 of these 9 patients (with one patient showing only a tiny lesion) and one case lost to follow up whereas the other four remained completely lesion-free. Mild temporary side-effects such as erythema and itching were seen in 4 of 20 patients (20%).ConclusionsTopicalsodium chlorosumshowed promising therapeutic results and can be considered as safe, painless, and relatively effective treatment for LCL, an ethical prerequisite for a two-armed controlled trial.Trial registrationThis study was registered in Iranian registry of clinical trials on 2019-02-02 with registration numberIRCT20190114042356N1.

Rinosinusite cronica con poliposi e livelli sierici di vitamina D.La patogenesi della rinosinusite cronica (CRS) è ancora oggetto di discussione, ma è già noto che vari fattori infiammatori siano responsabili dei diversi sottotipi di CRS. È stato dimostrato che la carenza di vitamin D3 potrebbe essere associata a CRS con poliposi nasosinusale (CRSwNP). In questo lavoro abbiamo studiato i livelli sierici di vitamina D3 nei pazienti con CRSwNP e la sua associazione con la gravità della malattia. In questo studio cross-sectional sono stati arruolati 166 casi con CRSwNP e 172 soggetti sani. I livelli sierici di vitamina D3 sono stati misurati e confrontati in entrambi i gruppi. Inoltre è stata valutata la relazione tra livello di vitamina-D3 sierica e stato allergico del paziente e gravità della malattia (clinicamente e sulla base di imaging tomografico computerizzato e endoscopia nasale) tra i pazienti con CRSwNP. Il livello sierico di vitamina D3 nel gruppo CRSwNP era significativamente inferiore rispetto al gruppo di controllo (P0,0001). Dopo aver controllato i possibili fattori confondenti, l’aumento del livello di vitamina D ha mostrato un effetto protettivo nei pazienti CRSwNP (OR = 0,69 95% CI: 0,62-0,76). Una correlazione negativa è stata trovata tra il livello sierico di vitamina D3 e il punteggio di Lund-Mackay (LMS) (P0,0001, R = – 0,66), il punteggio di Lund-Kennedy (LKS) (P0,0001, R = – 0,71) e il test dell’outcome sino-nasale-22 (P0,001, R = – 0,49). Il livello sierico di vitamina D nel gruppo CRSwNP era significativamente inferiore rispetto al gruppo di controllo. La gravità della malattia, basata su imaging, criteri endoscopici e clinici, era inversamente associata al livello sierico di vitamina D.The pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is still unknown, but it is accepted that various inflammatory factors are responsible for the different CRS subtypes. Vitamin D3 has been shown to alter inflammatory mediators in some diseases and its deficiency might also be associated with CRS with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP). Herein, we investigated serum vitamin D3 levels in patients with CRSwNP and its association with disease severity. In a cross-sectional study, 166 cases with CRSwNP and 172 healthy subjects were enrolled. Serum vitamin D3 levels were measured and compared in both groups. Furthermore, the relationship between serum vitamin-D3 level and the patient’s allergic status and severity of disease (clinically and based on computed tomographic imaging and nasal endoscopy) among patients with CRSwNP was assessed. Serum vitamin D3 level in the CRSwNP group was significantly lower than in the control group (P0.0001). After controlling for possible confounding factors, an increase in vitamin D level showed a protective effect in CRSwNP (OR = 0.69 95% CI:0.62-0.76). A negative correlation was found between serum vitamin-D3 level and the Lund-Mackay score (LMS) (P0.0001, R = – 0.66), the Lund-Kennedy score (LKS) (P0.0001, R = – 0.71) and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (P0.001, R = – 0.49). Serum vitamin D level in the CRSwNP group was significantly lower than the control group. Disease severity, based on imaging, endoscopic and clinical criteria, was inversely associated with serum vitamin D levels.

Introduction: Lower-limb varicose is a common disorder, which is caused in some occupations and is exacerbated over time, imposing direct and indirect costs on individuals and the community. The present study aimed to validate the Persian version of Aberdeen varicose vein questionnaire (AVVQ). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 patients with varicose veins referring to Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran in 2014. The subjects were selected via census sampling. The AVVQ was translated into Persian, and its reliability and validity were assessed using face, content, criterion, and construct validity and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for reliability. To evaluate content validity, the content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated, and the criterion validity was determined based on Pearson’s correlation-coefficient. In addition, the correlation of the obtained score of each questionnaire item with the total score was verified. Results: The mean age of the patients was 43±16 years. Content validity was assessed based on Lawshe’s method and CVR index of >0.7. The mean score achieved in the AVVQ was 62.3± 8.8, and significant correlations were observed between the total score of AVVQ and physical domain (PConclusion: According to the results, assessment of the score of quality of life in varicose patients could be an effective approach to the development of proper interventions to improve their quality of life.