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Using mobile phones for medical applications are proliferating due to high-quality embedded sensors. Jaundice, a yellow discoloration of the skin caused by excess bilirubin, is a prevalent physiological problem in newborns. While moderate amounts of bilirubin are safe in healthy newborns, extreme levels are fatal and cause devastating and irreversible brain damage. Accurate tests to measure jaundice require a blood draw or dedicated clinical devices facing difficulty where clinical technology is unavailable. This paper presents a smartphone-based screening tool to detect neonatal hyperbilirubinemia caused by the high bilirubin production rate. A machine learning regression model is trained on a pretty large dataset of images, including 446 samples, taken from newborns' sternum skin in four medical centers in Iran. The learned model is then used to estimate the level of bilirubin. Experimental results show a mean absolute error of 1.807 mg/dl and a correlation of 0.701 between predicted bilirubin by the proposed method and the TSB values as ground truth.

Hypertension (HTN) management continues to be a concern due to challenges with behavioral risk factors. Patient education to modify unhealthy behaviors appears to be effective in managing HTN. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to determine whether individualized face-to-face education and counseling have a beneficial effect on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) in hypertensive patients. Studies were extracted from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Nine studies, comprising 2627 participants, were included. Random effects models were used to pool estimates of mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in SBP and DBP between the intervention and usual care groups. SBP and DBP were significantly reduced at the 6-month (MD = -4.38 mmHg, 95% CI: -6.95 to -1.81; MD = -2.09 mmHg, 95% CI: -3.69 to -0.50, respectively) and 12-month time points (MD = -2.48 mmHg, 95% CI: -3.96 to -1.01; MD = -1.71 mmHg, 95% CI: -2.88 to -0.55, respectively) with intervention. At the 24-month time point, there was a significant change in SBP (MD = -2.13 mmHg, 95% CI: -3.94 to -0.32) with intervention compared with the usual care group. This study showed that individualized face-to-face education and counseling add significant benefits to usual care for lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Background/purpose: Apical root resection pattern affects the stress distribution behavior in the apical region of the resected tooth. The purpose of the study was to compare the biomechanical responses of resected teeth between endodontic microsurgery (horizontal resection) and targeted endodontic microsurgery (round resection). Materials and methods: Five different models were developed. The basic model without resection (NR) was regarded as the control model, and the others involved: horizontal resection without bone grafting (HN), horizontal resection with bone grafting (HG), round resection without bone grafting (RN), and round resection with bone grafting (RG) models. A static load of 100 N was applied to the buccal and palatal cusps of all the teeth in a 30° oblique direction. The maximum von-Mises stress and tooth displacement values were analyzed and compared. Results: Both the HN and RN models exhibited lower stress distribution values on bone compared with the NR (control) model. Regarding maximum stress distribution at the root apex, the stress value of the RN model was slightly higher compared to the HN model, whereas the RG model displayed a slightly lower stress value in comparison with the HG model. For maximum tooth displacement value, there were no significant differences between the HN and RN models, as well as the HG and RG models. Conclusion: The round resection pattern had comparable stress distribution behaviors at the root apex and tooth displacement values with the horizontal resection pattern. Targeted endodontic microsurgery might provide better biomechanical response of the resected tooth after root-end resection.

In order to investigate the effect of planting date on agronomic and physiolocal characteristics of maize hybrids in different groups in Jiroft region of Kerman province, an experiment as a split plot in the randomized complete block design with three replications in the city of Jiroft in the crop year 2017-2018 was conducted. Experimental factors were included planting date as the main factor at three levels of July 27, August 3 and August 10 and different hybrids as a secondary factor at 10 levels of early, late and medium maturing hybrids (701, 703, 705, 706, 707, 201, 260, 400, 370 and 704 as controls). There was a significant difference between the studied hybrids in terms of agronomic and physiological characteristics. The highest number of rows per ear was obtained in hybrid 706 and the highest number of seeds per row was obtained in hybrid 707. Delaying in planting was associated by of increasing stem diameter and biological yield and decreasing of plant height, ear length, number of rows per ear, seed yield, harvest index, GDD to physiological maturity and spad. By Delaing in planting, seed protein percent and proline accumulation increased. The most seed yield was obtained on July 17 in hybrid 260 (18.24 t.ha-1), August 3 in hybrid 210 (17.46 t.ha-1) and August 10 in hybrids 370 and 201 (17.4 and 17.28 t.ha-1). It seems that the delayed planting date due to exposure to unfavorable temperatures during tillering, pollination and granulation, as well as the reduction of the growing period was decreased yield and yield components.

Abstract Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the preventable complications of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study aimed to develop machine learning (ML) models to predict AKI after PCI in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods This study was conducted at Tehran Heart Center from 2015 to 2020. Several variables were used to design five ML models: Naïve Bayes (NB), Logistic Regression (LR), CatBoost (CB), Multi-layer Perception (MLP), and Random Forest (RF). Feature importance was evaluated with the RF model, CB model, and LR coefficients while SHAP beeswarm plots based on the CB model were also used for deriving the importance of variables in the population using pre-procedural variables and all variables. Sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC-AUC) were used as the evaluation measures. Results A total of 4592 patients were included, and 646 (14.1%) experienced AKI. The train data consisted of 3672 and the test data included 920 cases. The patient population had a mean age of 65.6 ± 11.2 years and 73.1% male predominance. Notably, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) had the highest feature importance when training the RF model on only pre-procedural features. SHAP plots for all features demonstrated LVEF and age as the top features. With pre-procedural variables only, CB had the highest AUC for the prediction of AKI (AUC 0.755, 95% CI 0.713 to 0.797), while RF had the highest sensitivity (75.9%) and MLP had the highest specificity (64.35%). However, when considering pre-procedural, procedural, and post-procedural features, RF outperformed other models (AUC: 0.775). In this analysis, CB achieved the highest sensitivity (82.95%) and NB had the highest specificity (82.93%). Conclusion Our analyses showed that ML models can predict AKI with acceptable performance. This has potential clinical utility for assessing the individualized risk of AKI in ACS patients undergoing PCI. Additionally, the identified features in the models may aid in mitigating these risk factors. Graphical Abstract

IntroductionChronic depression and anxiety can be a risk factor for coronary aArtery bypass grafting (CABG) and is an emerging factor after coronary artery disease when the patient is admitted to the hospital and after surgery. We aimed to assess the effect of Escitalopram in treating mild to moderate depressive disorder and improving the quality of life in patients undergoing CABG.MethodsIn this randomized clinical trial, 50 patients undergoing CABG referred to Tehran Heart Hospital from January 2021 to May 2021 and were suffering from mild to moderate depression were randomly assigned to one of the two groups of Escitalopram or placebo. The level of depression was assessed based on Beck’s depression inventory and the quality-of-life status and its domains were assessed based on the SF-36 questionnaire in 2 groups. Measurements were obtained at baseline and at four and eight weeks after treatment. Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, paired, and Wilcoxon tests or ANOVA were used as appropriate.ResultsThere was no significant difference between the level of depression between the two study groups at baseline (P=0.312). There was no significant difference between the quality of life and its domains in the two study groups at baseline (P=0.607). However, the most important effect of Escitalopram was reducing depression scores in the intervention group at weeks 4 and 8 after treatment compared to the placebo group (P0.05).ConclusionEscitalopram was effective in treating mild to moderate depressive disorder and improving quality of life in patients undergoing CABG.Clinical trial registrationhttps://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/, identifier IRCT20140126016374N2.

Background and aims: This study investigates the effect of virtual training on the stress of mothers of children with febrile seizures. Methods: This quasi-experimental research was conducted on 64 mothers of children with febrile seizures in Shahrekord in 2022. The samples were randomly distributed into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received WhatsApp training during three individual and 3 group sessions, and the control group received routine training. Mothers' stress was measured using the Pediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP) questionnaire, completed by two groups before, immediately, and two months after the intervention. Data analysis was done using the SPSS 18 version, descriptive statistics, repeated measure analysis of variance, independent t-test, chi-square, and Fisher tests. Results: Before the intervention, the average total score of stress in frequency level in intervention and control groups was 117.29±20/70 and 122.50±24.69 and in difficulty level in intervention and control groups were 122.21±25.32 and 129.83±3.24. There was no statistically significant difference on the two levels between the groups (P=0.363) and (P=0.285). Immediately after the intervention, the average total score on the two levels in the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (P=0.001) and (P=0.003). Two months after the intervention, the average score on two levels in the intervention group was lower than the control group (P

Introduction: Pregnancy, as one of the most important periods in a woman's life, has many effects on the physical, psychological and functional condition of women. These changes can affect the quality of life and sleep in pregnant women. Exercising during pregnancy can have positive effects on pregnant women. Therefore, the present study was performed with aim to examine the effect of Pilates exercise on the quality of life and sleep in pregnant women. Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial study was performed in 2020 on 60 pregnant women who referred to health centers in Shahrekord. The participants were randomly divided into the intervention and control groups. The pregnant women in the intervention group were required to participate in two Pilates sessions per week for 12 weeks from 20th weeks of pregnancy. At the end of the study (week 38), pregnant women completed the SF-36 quality of life and Petersburg sleep quality questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 23) and t-test and Mann-Whitney test. P

IntroductionHyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is a plant belonging to the genus Mint. The origin of this plant is reported to be Asia Minor and it goes from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea as well as in the sandy areas of the Mediterranean. Usable parts of hyssop are flowering branches, leaves and seeds. Nowadays, the simulation models of growth and development have been used as suitable tools for acknowledging and analyzing the effect of plant, soil and atmosphere parameters for plants growth and development. Over the last two decades, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) has developed and successfully applied the agro-ecological zones (AEZ) methodology and supporting software packages to analysis solutions to various problems of land resources for planning and management for sustainable agricultural development at regional, national and sub-national levels. The issues addressed include linking land-use outputs with other development goals in such areas as food production, food self-sufficiency, cash crop requirements, issues of soil fertility constraints, soil erosion risks and land degradation. This procedure can calculate and present the potential biomass production of any crops under specific climatic condition using climatology parameters. FAO has presented the procedure manual of AEZ Package as a guideline to analyze land suitability for any crops. So, the current research is done to investigate the optimum planting date and forecast the biomass production of Hyssop using the AEZ model. Materials and Methods The experiment was conducted as a split-plot in a completely randomized block design with six planting dates and three replications in 2017-2018. The main factor was different levels of nitrogen fertilizer: 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg/ha and sub-factor was planting dates between 30-day periods from October 17 to March 25. The data of this experiment were used to calibrate the model of AEZ and the data of two years of planting date experiments in the period 2016-2017 were used to evaluate the model, so that the data collected in the first year were used for calibration and the data of the second year were used for evaluation. The index of Physiological Days (PDays) was used for analyzing photoperiod response of Hyssop during different planting date. The procedure of Soltane et al., (2006) was used to calculate PDays index. Results and discussion The AEZ model evaluation results showed that the RMSEn value of the predicted biomass was 10.81%, and the efficiency index (E), the Hyssop adaptation index (D) value, the coefficient of residual mass (CRM) value in the first year for the predicted value was 0.999, 0.98 and 0.06, respectively. The coefficient of determination (R2) was obtained by linear regression analysis of functions between the actual and simulated values in the first year (R2=0.98). The RMSEn, (E), (D) and (CRM) values for the predicted biomass in the second year were 5.96, 0.999, 0.0454 and 0.98%, respectively. These results indicate that the simulated and real values are in good agreement. Consequently, the model simulated the biomass with high accuracy. The results of biomass and yield analyzing using AEZ model indicated limited growth period with in a period in Jiroft station can be occurred from May to September 21, at this period, the plant stops growing and the yield decreases. Based on model estimation values for other related climatology stations: the highest biomass yield for Bam climatology station (2321.9 kg/ha and 23550.2 kg/ha respectively) can be September to early October, the cold stress limitation can be occurred at the planting date from December 1st to February 3th and the heat stress can be occurred on July planting date. In Kahnuj station, limited growth period with high temperature can be occurred from Early May to September 11, the highest biomass performance can (19413.9 kg/ha and 19764.3 kg/ha respectively) be obtained at the planting date from October to early November. Conclusion Given the ability of the AEZ model to analyze the hyssop plant production system, which is able to simulate the effect of different climatic, climatic, soil, managerial and plant variables on plant growth and yield, this model can be widely used in different regions as He used an important decision-making and management tool in research and executive dimensions.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a life-threatening condition affecting an individual's physical and social circumstances. Life expectancy and self-efficacy are required to determine the risk of cardiac complications associated with this disease. This study examined the effect of family-centered intervention via short message service (SMS) on patients with acute MI's life expectancy and self-efficacy in medication regimens.Methods: This study was a randomized, single-blind clinical trial. In 2018, 80 patients hospitalized with acute MI at educational centers affiliated with Shahrekord University were randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups. Routine intervention was performed in the control group. The experimental group was sent four educational text messages weekly for three months. Both groups' life expectancy and belief in their ability to adhere to their prescribed medication regimen were evaluated before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t, paired t, and chi-square tests via SPSS software. Results: The results showed that the mean difference score of total life expectancy change was significantly different between the experimental (12.23± 10.48) and the control group (0.06±7.16) (p < 0.001). The mean difference score of self-efficacy in the experimental group (21.94±12.76) was significantly higher than that in the control group (4.66±9.49) (P

AimA considerable proportion of patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have no standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and cigarette smoking). The outcomes of this population following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are debated. Further, sex differences within this population have yet to be established.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 7,847 patients with ACS who underwent PCI. The study outcomes were in-hospital mortality, all-cause mortality, and major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCE). The association between the absence of SMuRFs (SMuRF-less status) and outcomes among all the patients and each sex was assessed using logistic and Cox proportional hazard regressions.ResultsApproximately 11% of the study population had none of the SMuRFs. During 12.13 [11.99–12.36] months of follow-up, in-hospital mortality (adjusted-odds ratio (OR):1.51, 95%confidence interval (CI): 0.91–2.65, P:0.108), all-cause mortality [adjusted-hazard ratio (HR): 1.01, 95%CI: 0.88–1.46, P: 0.731], and MACCE (adjusted-HR: 0.93, 95%CI:0.81–1.12, P: 0.412) did not differ between patients with and without SMuRFs. Sex-stratified analyses recapitulated similar outcomes between SMuRF+ and SMuRF-less men. In contrast, SMuRF-less women had significantly higher in-hospital (adjusted-OR: 3.28, 95%CI: 1.92–6.21, P

Loneliness results from unfulfilled social relationship expectations (SREs). Little research has investigated how SREs vary by culture and context, how loneliness is experienced in rural Southeast Asia, and how loneliness relates to care provision in later life. The current study qualitatively explored the understanding of loneliness, contextual differences in the content, avenues, and obstacles for SREs, and care provided by Myanmar and Thai people living at the border in Chiang Rai. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Between November and December 2022, 10 focus group discussions were held with 17 migrants from Myanmar and 33 older people from Thailand. Emerging themes from the focus groups shed light on how loneliness differs between cultures and contexts. Loneliness was experienced particularly at night, when people thought about their unmet relationship expectations. Having “nothing to do” and overthinking were closely related to the experience of loneliness, whereas engaging in activities, including caregiving, alleviated loneliness. Compared to Myanmar adults, Thai older adults were more likely to have family members nearby but less likely to share personal problems and feelings of loneliness with others. Fulfilling the SREs of proximity, generativity, and respect was more challenging for Myanmar migrants, who had been unable to return home for years while struggling with financial insecurity.

Background and Objectives: One of the non-pharmacological interventions is gratitude, which has received less attention in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of an educational intervention based on gratitude on the stress and mental health of mothers with preterm infants hospitalized in the NICU. Methods: A quasi-experimental controlled study was conducted on 50 mothers with infants hospitalized in the NICU of Shahrekord City, Iran, who were divided into two intervention and control groups. The intervention group was trained by the researcher in three two-hour sessions every week for two weeks. The results related to mothers’ general health and stress were analyzed by the parental stress questionnaire and Goldberg and Hiller’s general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) before and after the intervention by the paired t-test. Results: The mean stress score of mothers in the intervention group significantly reduced (P0.05) (before training: 35.72 and after training: 34.08). In the intervention group, the mean score of mental health improved significantly two weeks after the gratitude-based training program (P

Abstract Electrical vehicles (EVs) are among the fastest‐growing electrical loads that change both temporally and spatially at distribution networks. Moreover, the existence of uncertain parameters, such as EVs as well as domestic loads in power networks, poses serious operational challenges for them. Accordingly, stochastic studies of system performance are a must. Against this background, this paper aims to present a stochastic multi‐objective method for the problem of simultaneous active and reactive power management as well as harmonic compensation in distribution networks in the presence of EVs and non‐linear devices (NLDs). This method minimizes costs associated with power generation and losses. Besides, it improves the total harmonic distortion of voltage (THDv) at network buses subject to network and EV constraints. In the proposed method, to strike a balance between exploration and exploitation abilities, a hybrid technique named the “PSO‐GA optimization algorithm” was used to take advantage of both the genetic algorithm (GA) and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. Accordingly, the effectiveness of the proposed method was examined on a standard IEEE 33‐bus distribution network populated with EVs equipped with on‐board bidirectional chargers. The results obtained showed that the proposed model improved network power quality indices as well as economic and technical issues of EVs in parking lots.

Purpose: Health-promoting schools have been associated with improvements in the health status of students globally. This study is a secondary analysis study assessing Iranian HPSs. Design/methodology/approach: This was a cross-sectional study on routinely collected data using an external audit 63-item checklist, which was utilized to evaluate 440 HPSs between 2014 and 2017. The mean score for each of the checklists' components was calculated. Nonparametric tests were conducted to investigate the association between the presence of a school caregiver, students' educational level and the school's score. Findings: While the number of five- and four-star schools increased significantly, one- to three-star schools declined. Providing clinical and counseling services had negative growth. Despite the steady growth of the staff's health, this category still had the lowest score among; on the contrary, physical activity had the highest score in 2017. The presence of a full-time school caregiver and middle schools were both significantly correlated with achieving higher scores (p < 0.005). Originality/value: It seems that in addition to developing school facilities to promote physical activities, measures should be taken to promote access to counseling services, considering health issues of students and staff and finally increasing the number of full-time school caregiver.

Down syndrome arises from chromosomal non-disjunction during gametogenesis, resulting in an additional chromosome. This anomaly presents with intellectual impairment, growth limitations, and distinct facial features. Positive correlation exists between maternal age, particularly in advanced cases, and the global annual incidence is over 200,000 cases. Early interventions, including first and second-trimester screenings, have improved DS diagnosis and care. The manifestations of Down syndrome result from complex interactions between genetic factors linked to various health concerns. To explore recent advancements in Down syndrome research, we focus on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies for improved diagnosis and management. Recent developments leverage AI and ML algorithms to detect subtle Down syndrome indicators across various data sources, including biological markers, facial traits, and medical images. These technologies offer potential enhancements in accuracy, particularly in cases complicated by cognitive impairments. Integration of AI and ML in Down syndrome diagnosis signifies a significant advancement in medical science. These tools hold promise for early detection, personalized treatment, and a deeper comprehension of the complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of neurodevelopmental and cognitive profiles, comorbidities, diagnosis, and management within the Down syndrome context. The utilization of AI and ML represents a transformative step toward enhancing early identification and tailored interventions for individuals with Down syndrome, ultimately improving their quality of life.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of cardiovascular death globally, and the most severe form of CAD, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), needs immediate treatment. This study aimed to report patient characteristics and the causes of door–to–balloon time (D2BT) delays in STEMI patients admitted to Tehran Heart Center with a D2BT exceeding 90 minutes. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Tehran Heart Center, Iran, from March 20th, 2020, through March 20th, 2022. Variables consisted of age, sex, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, opium, family history of CAD, in-hospital mortality, primary percutaneous coronary intervention results, culprit vessels, causes of delays, the ejection fraction, triglycerides, and low and high-density lipoprotein levels. Results: The study population was composed of 363 patients (272 males [74.9]) at a mean (SD) age of 60±11.47 years. The leading causes of D2BT delays were the catheterization lab used in 95 patients (26.2) and misdiagnosis in 90 (24.8). Other causes were ST-elevation less than 2 mm in electrocardiograms in 50 patients (13.8) and referral from other hospitals in 40 (110.). Conclusion: The catheterization lab in use and misdiagnosis were the leading causes of D2BT delays. We recommend that high-volume centers allocate an additional catheterization lab with an on-call cardiologist. Improved resident training and supervision in hospitals with many residents are also necessary.

Background and aims: The quality of nurse-patient communication has significant effects on patient care outcomes. Therefore, education of communication skills (CSs) to nurses and nursing students can improve patient care outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of face-to-face education (FTFE) and virtual education (VE) on CSs among nursing students. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2021. Participants were 51 senior nursing students in their internship course in Shahrekord Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahrekord, Iran. They were recruited to the study through a census and were allocated to FTFE and VE groups through the Random Allocation Software. FTFE was provided in two sessions through the lecture and the question and answer methods, while VE was provided in a single online session through simulated multimedia content. Participants’ CSs were assessed before and ten days after the study intervention through a 50-minute Objective Structured Clinical Examination with five consecutive stations on communication with elderly patient, communication with adolescent patient, communication with aggressive patient, communication with illiterate or non-communicative patient, and communication for consent. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (v. 23.0) and through the independent sample t, paired-sample t, and chi-square tests and the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results: The posttest mean scores of CSs in both groups were significantly greater than their corresponding pretest values (P

Abstract Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a universal public health challenge, more prominently so in the low- and middle-income countries. In this study, we aimed to determine prevalence and trends of CAD risk factors in patients with documented CAD and to determine their effects on the age of CAD diagnosis. Materials and methods We conducted a registry-based, serial cross-sectional study using the coronary angiography data bank of the Tehran Heart Center. Adult patients who had obstructive (> 50% stenosis) CAD were included in the study. The prevalence and 11-year trends of conventional CAD risk factors were analyzed by sex and age, and their adjusted effects on the age of CAD diagnosis were calculated. Results From January 2005 to December 2015, data for 90,094 patients were included in this analysis. A total of 61,684 (68.5%) were men and 28,410 (31.5%) were women. Men were younger at diagnosis than women, with a mean age of 60.1 in men and 63.2 in women (p

To evaluate the additive effect of intercropping of potato and quinoa, and weed management on yield and quantitive traits of potato, this study was conducted in a split plot experiment based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications at Jiroft and Kahnooj regions. Weed management treatments (control, without controlling weeds), paraquat herbicide (3 liter per hectare) and manual weeding, were considered as the main plot, and additive intercropping patterns (potato: quinoa in density levels of 5:15, 5:20 and 5:30 plants.m-2) and potato sole cropping (5 plants.m-2) were assigned to sub-plots. Based on the results, intercropping cultivation had significant effects on reducing weed densities and increasing plant height, leaves number per plant, leaf area index, tuber number per plant, tuber yield and marketable tuber yield. Increased densities of quinoa in intercropping cultivation caused an enhancing trend in potato plant height (4.2-9.1 %), leaves number per plant (7.9-16.6 %) and leaf area index (5.6-12.7 %) as compared to potato sole cropping treatment (control). Manual weeding, also decreased in weed density (16.1 %), and increased leaves number per plant (3.7 %), tuber number per plant (9.4 %), tuber yield (6.3 %) and marketable tuber yield (9.8 %) in comparison to that of paraquat herbicide treatment. The highest mean tuber number (7.5 number.plant-1) was observed in the 5:20 intercroping treatment, which resulted in 7.1% increase in the tuber number as compared with the control treatment. Highest tuber yield (4.54 kg.m-2) and marketable tuber yield (4.01 kg.m-2) were also obtained with the 5:20 intercroping treatment under manual weeding at Kahnooj region, and resulted in 69.4 and 20 % increases in tuber yield and marketable tuber yield respectively, as compared with the potato sole cropping without weeding (control treatment) in this region. Generaly, the best results were obtained in potato and quinoa intercropping with density of 5:20 plants.m-2 under manual weeding at Kahnooj region

Masking schemes are the most popular countermeasure to mitigate Side-Channel Analysis (SCA) attacks. Compared to software, their hardware implementations require certain considerations with respect to physical defaults, such as glitches. To counter this extended leakage effect, the technique known as Threshold Implementation (TI) has proven to be a reliable solution. However, its efficiency, namely the number of shares, is tied to the algebraic degree of the target function. As a result, the application of TI may lead to unaffordable implementation costs. This dependency is relaxed by the successor schemes where the minimum number of d + 1 shares suffice for dth-order protection independent of the function’s algebraic degree. By this, although the number of input shares is reduced, the implementation costs are not necessarily low due to their high demand for fresh randomness. It becomes even more challenging when a joint low-latency and low-randomness cost is desired. In this work, we provide a methodology to realize the second-order glitch-extended probing-secure implementation of cubic functions with three shares while allowing to reuse fresh randomness. This enables us to construct low-latency second-order secure implementations of several popular lightweight block ciphers, including Skinny, Midori, and Prince, with a very limited number of fresh masks. Notably, compared to state-of-the-art equivalent implementations, our designs lower the latency in terms of the number of clock cycles while keeping randomness costs low.

Using mobile phones for medical applications are proliferating due to highquality embedded sensors. Jaundice, a yellow discoloration of the skin caused by excess bilirubin, is a prevalent physiological problem in newborns. While moderate amounts of bilirubin are safe in healthy newborns, extreme levels are fatal and cause devastating and irreversible brain damage. Accurate tests to measure jaundice require a blood draw or dedicated clinical devices facing difficulty where clinical technology is unavailable. This paper presents a smartphone-based screening tool to detect neonatal hyperbilirubinemia caused by the high bilirubin production rate. A machine learning regression model is trained on a pretty large dataset of images, including 446 samples, taken from newborns' sternum skin in four medical centers in Iran. The learned model is then used to estimate the level of bilirubin. Experimental results show a mean absolute error of 1.807 mg/dl and a correlation of 0.701 between predicted bilirubin by the proposed method and the TSB values as ground truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic depression and anxiety can be a risk factor for coronary aArtery bypass grafting (CABG) and is an emerging factor after coronary artery disease when the patient is admitted to the hospital and after surgery. We aimed to assess the effect of Escitalopram in treating mild to moderate depressive disorder and improving the quality of life in patients undergoing CABG. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 50 patients undergoing CABG referred to Tehran Heart Hospital from January 2021 to May 2021 and were suffering from mild to moderate depression were randomly assigned to one of the two groups of Escitalopram or placebo. The level of depression was assessed based on Beck's depression inventory and the quality-of-life status and its domains were assessed based on the SF-36 questionnaire in 2 groups. Measurements were obtained at baseline and at four and eight weeks after treatment. Chi-square, Fisher's exact, paired, and Wilcoxon tests or ANOVA were used as appropriate. Results: There was no significant difference between the level of depression between the two study groups at baseline (P=0.312). There was no significant difference between the quality of life and its domains in the two study groups at baseline (P=0.607). However, the most important effect of Escitalopram was reducing depression scores in the intervention group at weeks 4 and 8 after treatment compared to the placebo group (P<0.001). The quality of life and its domains were significantly higher in the Escitalopram group eight weeks after treatment (P=0.004). The amount of drug side effects at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment had no significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Escitalopram was effective in treating mild to moderate depressive disorder and improving quality of life in patients undergoing CABG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An effective approach to preventing cardiovascular issues is the use of mobile health applications to improve modifiable risk factors. This protocol for a randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the development and effectiveness of an educational mobile app that employs an integrated change model to reduce risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) among individuals aged 20 to 69 years. Methods: This study will be a parallel, randomized, single-blind clinical trial utilizing the randomized block design involving 430 participants. The participants will be divided into a control group receiving standard clinical care and an intervention group receiving standard clinical care along with app-based education, over approximately 6 months. Conclusion: This application has been designed to enhance motivation, awareness, and positive habits to reduce risk factors in individuals at increased risk of ASCVD. Consequently, the results could improve cardiovascular health knowledge, manage biological risk factors, and modify cardiac behaviors through mobile applications. This research is expected to present a promising approach to utilizing mobile apps for managing cardiovascular health and contribute to the growing body of research on digital health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Understanding the parenting practices of parents of children with epilepsy can be a practical guide for care and education planners to prevent mental disorders in these children. This study aimed to explain the parenting practices of parents of children with epilepsy in Shahrekord. Materials & Methods This study is a qualitative study with conventional content analysis. Participants in the study consisted of 20 mothers with epileptic children in Shahrekord, who were included in the study by purposive sampling method with maximum variance in terms of child age, number of family children, and child sex. The data collection method was a semi-structured interview using the interview guide. Data analysis was performed using a conventional content analysis at the same time as data collection. Interviews continued until data saturation was reached. Results The present study revealed five main themes in discipline methods, including over-support / over-protection, forcing to support, rejecting, parental conflict in discipline methods, and using harmful discipline methods. Conclusion In conclusion, the experiences of mothers in the present study show that using inappropriate discipline methods can have adverse effects on the mental-emotional and social health of the child in the future and raise the need to design educational interventions to empower parents of epileptic children in coping with parenting stress effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Serial chest computed tomography (CT) scans are used to detect coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and monitor the disease course. This study investigates relationship between total severity score by first chest CT and the outcome of coronavirus COVID-19 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Results A total of 48 patients with a history of CAD (mean age=60.83±3.06 years, 75% male) with positive real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for COVID-19 were included. Outcome was defined as acute respiratory distress syndrome or death. The unadjusted and adjusted effects of the CT score on the outcome were reported through odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Outcome occurred in 17 (35.5%) patients (8 deaths). The CT score was directly and significantly correlated with the outcome in the univariate analysis (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.12–1.70; P=0.003) and remained significant after adjustment for diabetes, hypertension, body mass index, and serum level of highly sensitive C-reactive protein (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.11–2.05; P=0.009). Outcome rate was 24.1% in patients with a CT score 2.5. Conclusions The first chest CT score could be a robust predictor of adverse events in confirmed COVID-19 patients with coronary artery disease.

Background and aims: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is associated with high levels of stress for patients’ family members. Information delivery to family members is a strategy with potential positive effects on their stress. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of intraoperative information delivery via electronic patient tracking system (EPTS) and mobile-based communication (MBC) on stress and coping ability among the family members of patients under CABG surgery. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 80 family members of patients under CABG surgery. Participants were randomly allocated to an EPTS and an MBC group. Intraoperative information delivery to family members in the EPTS and the MBC groups was performed using EPTS and hourly mobile phone contacts, respectively. Data were collected before and after the intervention using the Perceived Stress Scale and the Coping Response Inventory. The SPSS software (v. 22.0) was used for data analysis through the Fisher’s exact, Chi-square, independent-sample t, and paired-sample t tests. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the pretest and the posttest mean scores of stress and coping ability (P>0.05). The mean scores of stress and coping ability did not significantly change in the EPTS group (P>0.05). Moreover, the mean score of coping ability did not significantly change in the MBC group (P=0.429), while the mean score of stress significantly decreased in this group (P=0.009). Conclusion: Intraoperative information delivery to family members through mobile phone contacts is effective in significantly reducing stress among the family members of patients under CABG. Healthcare providers can use the findings of the present study to provide quality care to patients’ family members.

Combined triangular crested weir-rectangular gate is one of the most important structures which controlling the level of water surface, measuring discharge and avoiding the sedimentation behind the weir. In this study, 4 models with different geometric conditions were simulated via Flow-3D software. Then, dimensional analysis was done to evaluate the effect of involved dimensionless parameters on the discharge coefficient. These parameters are h/b, h/d and h/y, where h is the water head over the weir, b is the gate width, d is the gate height and y is the distance between the top of the gate to the bottom of weir. Moreover, four different intelligent system models prepared and the accuracy of these models for estimation of discharge were evaluated and compared with each other. Results show that Flow-3D is very accurate in 3D simulation of this structure. Besides, Statistical indices are good for simulation the water head and discharge coefficient, in this study (RMSE, MAE and MRAE for discharge coefficient are 0.0673, 0.221 and 0.295, respectively). Moreover, results show that in all models the dimensionless parameters of h/b, h/d and h/y has inverse proportion with discharge coefficient. Discharge coefficient of combined weir-gate of this study is in the range of 0.3-0.9. On the other hand, the results of four intelligent system models of MLP, M5P, RBF and GRNN show that the MLP model is the superior model among others and respectively M5P, RBF and GRNN are in the next grade.

Application of intercropping systems is one of the ecological methods for controlling weeds due to maximization of soil cover and plant diversity. In order to study the effect of intercropping system of indigo (Indigofera tinctoria L.) and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) on biodiversity, weeds population changes and plant yield an experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications in the Research Farm of South Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Jiroft, Iran, during 2014-2015 growing season. Treatments were additive and replacement series of intercropping including: I100:H100, I100:H50, I50:H100, I50:H50 and monoculture of indigo and roselle. The results showed that the density and biomass of Amaranth, Cyprus and other weeds (Heliotropium europaeum L., Heliotropium europaeum L. and Portulaca oleracea L.) were significant by intercropping of indigo and roselle. Amaranth weed density in I100:H100, I50:H100 and I100:H50 were 57.44, 81.5 and 70.38%, respectively, lower than roselle monoculture. The highest of Cyprus weed density was in indigo and roselle monoculture and I50:H50 intercropping ratio. The density of other weeds in I50:H50, I50:H100, I100:H50 and I100:H100 ratio were 44.4, 48.2, 51.8 and 77.7 % lower than monoculture. Weed biomass in I100:H100, I10:H50 and I50:H100 ratio were decreased by 25.44, 23.38 and 15.98 % in comparison to monoculture, respectively. The highest yield of roselle (1114.2 kg/ha) and leaf dry weight (3016.7 kg/ha) of indigo was observed in I100: H100 ratio. The values of the land equivalent ratio (LER) in all of intercropping treatments were greater than unit and the highest LER belonged to H100: I100 treatment, indicating that intercropping system outperforms the monoculture in terms of crop productivity and hence weed control.

Pilgrimage as one of the characteristics and the somewhat practical manifestation of religiosity can be studied in all societies. In the course of the experience of modernity, this action in Iran has encountered changes which have not been substantive, but objective. Pilgrimage in Iran has experienced changes in the course of modernity which have transformed this action from a homogeneous and balanced state to a heterogeneous and unbalanced one. The development of various and numerous types of Iranian pilgrimage style indicates change and consequence of the experience of modernity. This study seeks to recognize and understand the heterogeneous elements (recognition of types) in the pilgrimage through focus on the varieties developed by modernity and secularism. In other words, after relating the pilgrimage of Imam Reza (as) to modernity and its elements such as secularization in contemporary Iran, it is necessary to examine and categorize the different kinds of types developed in the context of the pilgrimage in the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (as). The formulation presented in the form of various types of pilgrimage is dedicated to ritualistic, distance, feminine, metropolitan, and political pilgrimage. The methodological approach adopted in this study is qualitative with an emphasis on the ethnographic views. The collected data are also obtained from various sources such as pilgrims’ writings, petitions and travelogues, interviews, observations, auto-ethnography and other quantitative and qualitative sources.

This work introduces second-order masked implementation of LED, Midori, Skinny, and Prince ciphers which do not require fresh masks to be updated at every clock cycle. The main idea lies on a combination of the constructions given by Shahmirzadi and Moradi at CHES 2021, and the theory presented by Beyne et al. at Asiacrypt 2020. The presented masked designs only use a minimal number of shares, i.e., three to achieve second-order security, and we make use of a trick to pair a couple of S-boxes to reduce their latency. The theoretical security analyses of our constructions are based on the linear-cryptanalytic properties of the underlying masked primitive as well as SILVER, the leakage verification tool presented at Asiacrypt 2020. To improve this cryptanalytic analysis, we use the noisy probing model which allows for the inclusion of noise in the framework of Beyne et al. We further provide FPGA-based experimental security analysis confirming second-order protection of our masked implementations.