Search

Abstract Background Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is characterized by the co-occurrence of various metabolic risk factors, significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This study investigates the potential of hematological indices, specifically the neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR) and lymphocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LHR), as predictors of MetS in a population from southern Iran. Methods Utilizing baseline data from the Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Diseases (BKNCD) Cohort, part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN), A total of 2,684 participants aged 35–70 years were analyzed. Participants were evaluated using the Iranian National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria to diagnose MetS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to assess the predictive validity of NHR and LHR across different demographic categories. Results The mean LHR and NHR values were significantly higher in individuals diagnosed with MetS (P

Background: The association between dietary patterns and chronic diseases and mortality risk has been demonstrated in recent studies. Considering that dietary patterns can provide an approach that is comprehensive to both disease prevention and treatment, this study was conducted to find out prominent dietary patterns among Bandare-Kong participants. Materials and Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study was performed on Bandare-Kong non-communicable disease (BKNCD) Cohort study participants aged 35-70. A food frequency questionnaire was used to determine food intake. The factor analysis method with the principal component analysis approach was employed to extract major dietary patterns. Results: Healthy, Western, and traditional diets were identified as the three major dietary patterns. The healthy pattern was the prominent dietary pattern (10.2%). Healthy, Western, and traditional nutritional patterns explain 10.20%, 6.30%, and 4.28% of the variance in food intake, respectively. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that consumption of a healthy dietary pattern in BKNCD participants tended to be high, followed by Western as the second pattern. It is recommended that further longitudinal studies be conducted to assess the role of dietary patterns in cardiometabolic disease incidence.

Abstract Background Obesity is a significant public health issue associated with various chronic diseases. Research has indicated that chia seeds have the potential to improve cardiometabolic health. However, due to the diversity of research and inconsistencies in study design, further investigation is needed to fully understand their clinical effects on overweight individuals. This review aims to comprehensively analyze the available evidence on the effects of chia seeds on cardiometabolic indices in overweight populations through a meta-analysis. Methods A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases from their inception until 01-03-2024 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of chia on cardiometabolic indices in overweight subjects. The search strategy incorporated both Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Following the screening, ten RCTs were finally included. The data, including subject characteristics, study design, and changes in serum biomarkers, were extracted and analyzed using Stata software version 18. Results The meta-analysis results reveal that chia supplementation no significant changes in lipid profile, including triglycerides (TG) (MD: − 5.80 mg/dL, p = 0.47), total cholesterol (TC) (MD: − 0.29 mg/dL, p = 0.95), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (MD: 1.53 mg/dL, p = 0.33), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (MD: 0.63 mg/dL, p = 0.88). Similarity fasting blood glucose (FBG) (MD: − 0.03 mg/dL, p = 0.98), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (MD: − 0.13%, p = 0.13), and insulin levels (MD: 0.45 µIU/mL, p = 0.78). However, chia seed supplementation was associated with a significant reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP) (MD: − 1.18 mg/L, p

Background: Toxocara canis is one of the most important causes of animal toxocariasis with global distribution. We aimed to find out the seroprevalence of toxocariasis in dogs in a rural area in Fars Province, south of Iran. Methods: Dogs blood samples were collected from 60 dogs in three rural areas in the Sar Mashhad region, Fars Province. Dog sera were evaluated for anti-Toxocara antibodies by an indirect ELISA method. The association between the seropositivity and age, gender, and the sampling location were statistically evaluated. Results: Serological assay detected anti-Toxocara antibodies in sera of 32 out of 60 dogs, corresponding to a seroprevalence of 53.3%. The rate of seropositivity was higher in the male dogs. The rate of seropositivity was higher in old dogs. This rate increased with increasing age, however, the association between age and Toxocara seropositivity was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The high prevalence of Toxocara infection in dogs in the current study area confirms that infected dogs are an important source of Toxocara infection for their owners and people who are in close contact with these animals, especially children.

Abstract Background Obesity is one of the major determinants of blood pressure. This study aimed to determine the optimal sex- and age-specific cut-off points of anthropometric indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), wrist circumference (WrC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-height ratio (WHtR), to screen for hypertension (HTN) in a cohort of Iranian adults aged 35 to 70 years, and to compare the predictive performance of the indices based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Methods This population-based study was carried out on the participants aged 35 to 70 years of the Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Diseases (BKNCD) Cohort Study, a part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). Using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and Youden's J index, optimal sex- and age-specific cut-off points of the anthropometric indices in association with HTN were calculated. Results This study included a total of 2256 females and 1722 males. HTN was diagnosed in 736 females (32.6%) and 544 males (31.6%). The optimal cut-off of WC for HTN was 90 cm in males and 95 cm in females, with an area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of 0.60 and 0.64, respectively. For HC, the optimal cut-off was 95 cm for males and 108 cm for females (AUROC = 0.54 for both). Moreover, WrC optimal cut-offs were 17 cm for males (AUROC = 0.56) and 15 cm for females (AUROC = 0.57). As for BMI, the optimal cut-off was 25 kg/m2 in males and 27 kg/m2 in females (AUROC of 0.59 and 0.60, respectively). Also, a cut-off of 0.92 was optimal for WHR in males (AUROC = 0.64) and 0.96 in females (AUROC = 0.67). On the other hand, WHtR optimal cut-offs were 0.52 for males and 0.60 for females (AUROC of 0.63 and 0.65, respectively). Conclusions WHR and WHtR, as anthropometric indices of obesity, were demonstrated to be significant predictors of HTN. Further, we suggest using WHR (cut-off point of 0.92 for males and 0.96 for females) and WHtR (cut-off point of 0.52 for males and 0.60 for females) as measures of preference to predict HTN among the southern Iranian population. Further multicenter longitudinal studies are recommended for a more accurate prediction of HTN.

Objectives: Bee venom (BV) therapy is performed by a bee sting or subcutaneous injection of BV. However, there is not much information on the effect of BV on blood parameters after entering the body. This project aimed to assess the side effects of subcutaneous BV injections in healthy rats by measuring the hematological and biochemical parameters.Methods : Various amounts of BV, including 100, 200, and 500 (μg/day), were subcutaneously injected into rats for 30 days. The results showed that BV affected the metabolism of the liver, kidney, and glands.Results : An increase in blood sugar and a decrease in other biochemical parameters, including cholesterol, triglyceride, urea, creatinine AST, ALT, ALP, and phosphorous, were observed. Results : also showed increased counts of white blood cells, neutrophils (%), and platelets and decreased levels of red cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit.Conclusion : This study demonstrates that BV therapy in medical clinics requires routine care and testing to prevent eventual metabolic and anemia side effects.

Due to their vast spread, sewerage networks are exposed to considerable damages during severe earthquakes, which may lead to catastrophic environmental contamination. Multiple repairs in the pipelines, including pipe and joint fractures, could be costly and time-consuming. In seismic risk management, it is of utmost importance to have an intelligent tool for assessing seismic vulnerability index at any given point in time for such important utilities as sewerage networks. This study uses a weight-factor methodology and proposes an online GIS-based intelligent algorithm to evaluate the seismic vulnerability index (VI) for metropolitan sewerage networks. The proposed intelligent tool is capable of updating VI as the sewerage network conditions may change with time and at different locations. The city of Shahr-e-Kord located on the high risk seismic belt is selected for a case study to which the proposed methodology is applied for zoning the vulnerability index in GIS. Results show that the overall seismic vulnerability index for the selected study area ranges from low to medium but that it increases in the southern parts of the city, especially in the old town where brittle pipes have been laid

Over the past decade, mixed methods research has gained particular attention in social and behavioral research as a considerable number of studies investigated theoretical and methodological aspects of conducting mixed methods research. In applied linguistics, however, mixed methods research is a new approach and little research exists on theoretical and methodological issues related to mixed-method designs. The present study has explored the research designs in which qualitative and quantitative components were combined in the field of applied linguistics. A qualitative analysis of 205 research articles published in seven peer reviewed applied linguistics journals over a period of 14 years revealed that two major categories of mixed-method designs were used in the studies (i.e., sequential and concurrent). Also, subcategories similar to those used in social research emerged in a good number of studies (i.e., triangulation, embedded designs, exploratory designs, explanatory designs). However, the findings further indicated that applied linguistics researchers did not draw on the previously known designs from social research and adopted a pragmatic approach to integrating qualitative and quantitative strands. The findings of this study may help us develop an enhanced understanding of how mixing can be systematically utilized in applied linguistics research.

Background: To assess the endothelial function via noninvasive method, in pregnant women with preeclampsia compared to to normotensive pregnant women. Materials and Methods: Brachial artery diameter was measured via ultrasound, in 28 women with preeclampcia in case group and normotensive pregnant women in control group, at rest, after inflation of sphygmomanometer cuff up to 250-300 mmHg, immediately after deflation of the cuff, 60-90 minutes later and 5 min after administration of sublingual trinitroglycerin (TNG). Results of these measurements as well as demographic characteristics of participants in both groups were recorded in special forms. Data were analyzed via Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16, using t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Results: The mean of brachial artery diameter at rest in the case and control groups was 4.49 ± 0.39 and 4.08 ± 0.38 mm, respectively (P = 0.1). Also the results showed that the brachial artery diameter, immediately after deflation of the cuff, was 4.84 ± 0.4 and 4.37 ± 0.30 mm in the case and control groups (P < 0.001), respectively. The mean brachial artery diameter, 60-90 s after deflation of the cuff, was 4.82 ± 0.41 and 4.42 ± 0.38 mm in the case and control groups (P < 0.00), respectively. The brachial artery diameter, 5 min after sublingual NO administration, was 4.95 ± 0.6 and 4.40 ± 0.45 mm in case and control groups (P < 0.001), respectively. Applying of repeated measures ANOVA showed that the mean difference between case and control groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Current study concluded that there is no difference in endothelium-dependent vasodilation between women with preeclampsia and pregnant women with normal blood pressure.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction probably has a role in the etiology of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). The aim of this study was determining of the relationship between endothelial dysfunction and SSNHL. Materials and Methods: In a case-control study, 30 patients with SSNHL and 30 otherwise healthy age and sex-matched controls were studied. Demographic data gathered included age, gender, family history of SSNHL, and history of smoking, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Laboratory data included measurement of hemoglobin, fasting blood sugar (FBS) and lipid profile. Endothelial function was assessed by measuring flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Results: The two groups were the same in age (47.9 ± 9.3 and 48.1 ± 9.6 years, P = 0.946) with female/male ratio of 1:1 in both groups. Diabetes and dyslipidemia were more frequent in patients than controls (20% vs. 0%, P = 0.024). Brachial artery diameter was greater in patients than controls before (4.24 ± 0.39 vs. 3.84 ± 0.23 mm, P < 0.001) and after ischemia (4.51 ± 0.43 vs. 4.28 ± 0.27 mm, P = 0.020), but FMD was lower in patients than controls (6.21 ± 3.0 vs. 11.52 ± 2.30%, P < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that FMD was associated with SSNHL independent from FBS and lipid profile (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] =0.439 [0.260-0.740], P = 0.002). Conclusion: Endothelial dysfunction, among other cardiovascular risk factors, is associated with SSNHL. This association is independent from other cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes and dyslipidemia.

Background: This study was conducted on patients with tuberculosis (TB), based on regional needs and the outbreaks of the contagious disease, particularly those diagnosed with the smear-positive during 2014 - 2016. The regions neighboring this province, low health information, poorly equipped hospitals/medical clinics, high rate of welfare, the illegal entrance of foreigners to the province are necessities that have to be mentioned. Objectives: Spreading awareness of the disease in the province and the examination of possible ways to control and prevent its spreading are the purposes of this study. Methods: First, the information concerning the files of 250 patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis was collected in Zahedan's Tuberculosis Coordinator and the diagnostic criterion for the studied participants was a microscopic observation of the sputum. All patients had a chest X-ray and were examined every two months by an infectious disease specialist who diagnosed them with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. As the observations were incomplete, we could not apply the regular methods and SPSS software to estimate the survival probability (function); instead, we used Generalized Turnbull's Estimator (GTE) and R software to calculate the non-parametric conditional probability of the patient's survival and recovery times. For Instance, for the ith person, Li and Ri have been considered based on the last positive result and the first negative result of the disease, respectively. Results: Among 250 studied patients, four patients are right censored and the rest of them are interval censored. The patients' age ranged from 10 to 91 years, the average age of diagnosis in infected males is 58.54 with a standard deviation (SD) of 19.10 years and females was 55.40 with an SD of 18.09 years. During this period there were no major differences between males and females. Moreover, 49.2% of the patients infected via sexual transmission were males and 50.8% of the patients were females. Conclusions: In this study, the patients' weight was considered an effective variable in the evaluation of the survival function (the possibility of conditional survival) and we considered the effect of factors such as sex, the previous diagnosis of diabetes/AIDS, the previous history of being in contact with people with TB disease, and a history of imprisonment on the survival probability. As we can see, all the auxiliary variables mentioned above, are significantly effective in the course of the patient's treatment and recovery (survival) time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the interesting fields that attracted many researchers in recent years is the smart structures. The piezomaterials, because of their ability in converting both mechanical stress and electricity to each other, are very applicable in this field. However, most of the works available used various inexact two-dimensional theories with certain types of simplification, which are inaccurate in some applications such as thick shells while, in some applications due to request of large displacement/stress, thick piezoelectric panel is needed and two-dimensional theories have not enough accuracy. This study investigates the dynamic steady state response and natural frequency of a piezoelectric circular cylindrical panel using exact three-dimensional solutions based on this decomposition technique. In addition, the formulation is written for both simply supported and clamped boundary conditions. Then the natural frequencies, mode shapes, and dynamic steady state response of the piezoelectric circular cylindrical panel in frequency domain are validated with commercial finite element software (ABAQUS) to show the validity of the mathematical formulation and the results will be compared, finally.