Search

Background: The damaging effect of exposure to loud noise on the structures of internal ear has been studied from many years ago. The effect of drill-generated noise on the non-operated ear is one of the problems that are less discussed. This study aims to evaluate the hearing loss that occurs in the non-operated ear in patients who undergo mastoidectomy by use of PTA (pure tone audiometery) and DPOAE (distortion product otoacoustic emission). Materials and Methods: In this descriptive- analytic study, 49 patients who underwent mastoidectomy in Amir-Alam and Iman Khomeini hospitals, were evaluated for noise trauma generated by drilling on the non-operated ear. Patients were between 9-55 years old (mean age= 29) and they consisted of 25 males and 24 females. The patient's preoperative state were measured by PTA and DPOAE on the opposite ear also the postoperative state were re-evaluated by PTA and DPOAE. Results: As a result, in 4 cases a significant change in PTA thresholds were observed, while two of them showed recovery after one month. Seven cases showed significant change in DPOAE amplitudes, of whom five cases recovered later. Conclusion: In conclusion, the drill-induced hearing loss on the non-operated ear occurs in a few patients and it is often reversible.

As a part of the host-defense system of many organisms, defensins are considered a suitable option for treating infection agents. Using the molecular dynamics simulation, this work studied the effects of two important human antimicrobial peptides, human β-defensin 2 and human α-defensin 5 on the SARS-CoV-2 membrane. The results demonstrate that defensin peptides notably alter the bilayer membrane's structure and physicochemical activity leading to a hydrophobic mismatch that impacts transmembrane protein channel function. This study elucidates the antiviral mechanisms of defensins and their therapeutic potential, offering valuable insights for researchers in virology and public health seeking novel medications.

Kimura's disease (K.D) is an uncommon, benign, chronic inflammatory condition of unknown etiology and pathogenesis involving subcutaneous tissue; presenting as a tumor like lesion with a predilection for the head and neck region. If parotid gland is affected clinically it is often confused with parotid tumor with lymph node metastasis. It is difficult to diagnosis before tissue biopsy and fine middle aspiration (FNA) has only limited value. There is no evidence of malignant transformation and occasional spontaneous resolution occurs. Various treatment modalities have been suggested in the management of this condition but none is proved best and recurrence is common. we describe a 33 - year- old man with KD who presented with left parotid mass.

Introduction: This study examines the efficacy and safety of three COVID-19 booster vaccines including mRNA-based vaccines (BNT162b2 (BioNTech/Pfizer) and/or mRNA-1273 (Moderna)), Non-Replicating Viral-Vector vaccines (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca) and/or Ad26. COV2.S (Johnson & Johnson)), and Protein Subunit vaccine (SpikoGen) in immunosuppressed patients. Methods: Relevant articles were systematically searched using medical subject heading (MeSH) and keywords “COVID‐19” and “booster dose” or “booster vaccine” or ‘’fourth dose” in the online databases of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. To identify eligible studies, a two-phase screening process was implemented. Initially, three researchers evaluated the studies based on the relevancy of the title and abstract. Results: A total of 58 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The findings suggest that booster doses offer greater protection against the disease than the primary dose. The study also compared various vaccine types, revealing that viral vector and nucleic acid vaccines outperformed inactivated vaccines. Results indicated that individuals receiving booster doses experienced superior outcomes compared to those without boosters. Vaccination against COVID-19 emerged as the most effective preventive measure against infection and symptom severity. Elevated antibody levels post-booster dose vaccination in the population signaled robust immune responses, underscoring the benefits of supplementary vaccine doses. Conclusion: This systematic review highlights preliminary evidence supporting the immunologic outcomes and safety of COVID-19 vaccine boosters in enhancing immune responses against SARS-CoV-2. However, further research is needed to determine optimal timing intervals between primary vaccination series and boosters while considering global equity issues and variant-specific considerations.

Background: Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), a rare genetic disorder characterized by kidney cysts, shows complex clinical and genetic heterogeneity. This study aimed to explore the genetic landscape of ARPKD in Kuwait and examine the intricate relationship between its genes and clinical presentation to enhance our understanding and contribute towards more efficient management strategies for ARPKD. Methods: This study recruited 60 individuals with suspected ARPKD from 44 different families in Kuwait. The participants were of different ethnicities and aged 0–70 years. Additionally, 33 were male, 15 were female, and 12 had indeterminant sex due to congenital anomalies. Comprehensive clinical data were collected. Mutations were identified by next-generation whole exome sequencing and confirmed using Sanger sequencing. Results: Of the 60 suspected ARPKD cases, 20 (33.3 %) died within hours of birth or by the end of the first month of life and one (1.7 %) within 12 months of birth. The remaining 39 (65.0 %) cases were alive, at the time of the study, and exhibited diverse clinical features related to ARPKD, including systematic hypertension (5.0 %), pulmonary hypoplasia (11.7 %), dysmorphic features (40.0 %), cardiac problems (8.3 %), cystic liver (5.0 %), Potter syndrome (13.3 %), developmental delay (8.3 %), and enlarged cystic kidneys (100 %). Twelve mutations, including novel truncating mutations, were identified in 31/60 cases (51.7 %) from 17/44 families (38.6 %). Additionally, 8/12 (66.7 %) mutations were in the PKHD1 gene, with the remaining four in different genes: NPHP3, VPS13P, CC2D2A, and ZNF423. Conclusions: This study highlights the spectrum of clinical features and genetic mutations of patients with ARPKD in Kuwait. It highlights the necessity for personalized approaches to improve ARPKD diagnosis and treatment, offering crucial insights into managing ARPKD.

Multi-host communities are perfect scenarios for the emergence and spread of pathogens, threatening the recovery of endangered, isolated, or inbred populations, such as the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in northwestern Spain. The population recovery in recent years has forced bears to occupy highly anthropized areas, increasing their interaction with human and domestic animals, with potential consequences for global health. During 2022–2023 a survey of parasites, bacteria and viruses shared between wildlife, domestic animals and humans was performed in this population using non-invasive surveillance, i.e., bear fecal samples (n = 73) and sponge-based sampling of trees (n = 42; 14 rubbed trees and 28 control trees). Pathogen detection rates were defined as the percentage of qPCR or culture-positive samples. Generalized linear models were fitted to assess their relationship with environmental variables including dispersion of the human population, and percentage of agricultural and periurban habitats in a 6 km-buffer around each sample. Canine Adenovirus type 1 (45.2%), Giardia spp. (15.1%), Salmonella spp. (12.3%), and extended-spectrum-beta-lactamases (ESBL) Escherichia coli (1.4%) were identified in fecal samples. In contrast, only five sponges from three rubbed and two control trees resulted positive to E. coli (14.3%). The results suggest that several pathogens are common in the Cantabrian brown bear population and that anthropization of the territory modulates their prevalence and richness.The effective design of management programs for bear conservation will require a one-health approach, in which genetic analysis of non-invasive samples can be key tools for the sanitary surveillance at the wildlife-livestock-human interface.

The increasing carbon emissions in Malaysia necessitate accurate methods to track and control pollution levels. This study focuses on predicting carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations in Petaling Jaya using various machine learning models, and two important parameters, CO concentration and time, were considered in the analysis. Six distinct machine learning models were assessed to gauge their predictive capabilities. These models encompassed a range of regression modeling techniques namely; Linear, Tree, Gaussian Process, Ensemble of Trees, Support Vector, and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) modelling. The Matern 5/2 Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) model consistently outperformed other models across all scenarios, demonstrating high R2 values and low RMSE, MSE, and MAE values. Specifically, in scenarios 1, 2, 3, and 4, the Matern 5/2 model exhibited the lowest RMSE (0.084–0.088) and highest R2 (0.97), highlighting its reliability and robustness in predicting CO concentrations. Additionally, the Rational Quadratic model achieved an R2 of 0.97 with an RMSE of 0.088 in scenario 1, while the Quadratic SVM excelled in scenario 3 with an R2 of 0.965 and low RMSE, MSE, and MAE values (0.085, 0.007, and 0.066). These findings provide valuable insights for environmental protection, renewable energy transition, energy efficiency, sustainable land use planning, and public awareness. However, acknowledging the study's single-area focus and potential limitations in representing diverse regions, further research is warranted to explore carbon emissions across varied areas and enhance the generalizability of the findings.

In this study, we undertake a systematic study of historic market volatility spanning roughly five preceding decades. We focus specifically on the time series of the realized volatility (RV) of the S&P500 index and its distribution function. As expected, the largest values of RV coincide with the largest economic upheavals of the period: Savings and Loan Crisis, Tech Bubble, Financial Crisis and Covid Pandemic. We address the question of whether these values belong to one of the three categories: Black Swans (BS), that is, they lie on scale-free, power-law tails of the distribution; Dragon Kings (DK), defined as statistically significant upward deviations from BS; or Negative Dragons Kings (nDK), defined as statistically significant downward deviations from BS. In analyzing the tails of the distribution with RV>40, we observe the appearance of “potential” DK, which eventually terminate in an abrupt plunge to nDK. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced with the increase in the number of days over which the average RV is calculated—here from daily, n=1, to “monthly”, n=21. We fit the entire distribution with a modified Generalized Beta (mGB) distribution function, which terminates at a finite value of the variable but exhibits a long power-law stretch prior to that, as well as a Generalized Beta Prime (GB2) distribution function, which has a power-law tail. We also fit the tails directly with a straight line on a log-log scale. In order to ascertain BS, DK or nDK behavior, all fits include their confidence intervals and p-values are evaluated for the data points to check whether they can come from the respective distributions.

Abstract Introduction Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is the most common food allergy in infants. As this food allergy indicates a wide range of clinical syndromes due to immunological reactions to cow’s milk proteins, we aimed to evaluate the status of micronutrients in infants suffering from cow’s milk allergy. Methods In this historical cohort study, infants with CMA were divided into two equal groups: breastfeeding and diet formula feeding. Data were gathered by a form, including the micronutrients such as iron, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin D. Groups were compared and data were analyzed by the IBM SPSS version 21. Results This study involved 60 six-month-old infants, and the findings revealed no significant difference between the two groups concerning magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin D. However, infants in the formula-feeding group exhibited significantly elevated mean serum levels of iron and selenium, whereas breastfed infants displayed higher levels of calcium. Conclusion The findings of this research revealed a significant difference in calcium, selenium, and iron levels between formula-fed and breastfed infants, even though all variables were within the normal range for both groups. In light of these results, conducting further studies with a larger sample size and extended follow-up periods becomes imperative.

The success of software projects is closely linked to accurate effort estimation, driving continuous efforts by researchers to refine estimation methods. Among various techniques, the analogy-based approach has emerged as a widely-used method for software effort estimation. However, there is still a need to improve its accuracy and reliability. This study aims to enhance software effort estimation in analogy-based methods by introducing a hybrid approach that combines multiple regression methods with feature weighting. The proposed approach evaluates various regression models, integrating them with analogy-based estimation using a weighted combination of project features. The objective is to improve the precision of effort estimation by optimizing similarity functions and project attribute weights. Experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid model significantly outperforms traditional analogy-based methods, achieving superior accuracy across various software project datasets. The findings highlight the potential of this approach to offer a more dependable foundation for software effort estimation, contributing to the success of software projects.

Abstract For more than one billion people living in coastal regions, coastal aquifers provide a water resource. In coastal regions, monitoring water quality is an important issue for policymakers. Many studies mentioned that most of the conventional models were not accurate for predicting total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) in coastal aquifers. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an accurate model for forecasting TDS and EC as two main parameters for water quality. Hence, in this study, a new hybrid deep learning model is presented based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNE), Long Short-Term Memory Neural Networks (LOST), and Gaussian Process Regression (GPRE) models. The objective of this study will contribute to the sustainable development goal (SDG) 6 of the united nation program which aims to guarantee universal access to clean water and proper sanitation. The new model can obtain point and interval predictions simultaneously. Additionally, features of data points can be extracted automatically. In the first step, the CNNE model automatically extracted features. Afterward, the outputs of CNNE were flattened. The LOST used flattened arrays for the point prediction. Finally, the outputs of the GPRE model receives the outputs of the LOST model to obtain the interval prediction. The model parameters were adjusted using the rat swarm optimization algorithm (ROSA). This study used PH, Ca + + , Mg2 + , Na + , K + , HCO3, SO4, and Cl− to predict EC and TDS in a coastal aquifer. For predicting EC, the CNNE-LOST-GPRE, LOST-GPRE, CNNE-GPRE, CNNE-LOST, LOST, and CNNE models achieved NSE values of 0.96, 0.95, 0.92, 0.91, 0.90, and 0.87, respectively. Sodium adsorption ratio, EC, magnesium hazard ratio, sodium percentage, and total hardness indices were used to evaluate the quality of GWL. These indices indicated poor groundwater quality in the aquifer. This study shows that the CNNE-LOST-GPRE is a reliable model for predicting complex phenomena. Therefore, the current developed hybrid model could be used by private and public water sectors for predicting TDS and EC for enhancing water quality in coastal aquifers.

Abstract Background: Overweight and obese people face several health problems. Female obesity has been shown to reduce fertility in the general population. Assisted reproductive technology outcomes in obese cases are widely studied, but the results are inconclusive. Objective: This study aimed to compare live birth rate (LBR) among women with 4 different types of body mass index (BMI). Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data of 1611 women, who were candidates for fresh and frozen embryo transfer cycles, was extracted from 2051 medical files at the Reproductive Sciences Institute, Yazd, Iran from May 2019-May 2021. The participants were divided into 4 groups (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese) according to their BMI, and LBR was considered to be the main outcome. Results: Of 1611 women, 39 were underweight, 585 were normal, 676 were overweight, and 311 were obese. Underweight women had the lowest LBR (12.8%), but there was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.55). In addition, LBR was compared in the 4 BMI groups according to age, type of transfer cycle (fresh or freeze), and cause of infertility, and there was comparable LBR in the 4 BMI groups. However, metaphase 2 oocyte rate, doses of gonadotropin usage in the cycles, and estradiol level had statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). Conclusion: According to our study, obesity does not affect LBR in the IVF cycle, regardless of fresh or frozen embryo transfer cycles, different age groups, and causes of infertility.

BACKGROUND: There are no nationwide studies on mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) among foreign-born populations that include detailed information about country of birth and information about socioeconomic position. The objective was to investigate the risk of mortality after CABG considering socioeconomic position, sex and country of birth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included all 72 333 patients undergoing a first isolated CABG in Sweden, during 1995 - 2007 of whom 12.7% were foreign-born. The patients were classified according to educational level, sex, and country of birth and were followed up to December 2007. We estimated the risk of short and long term mortality after CABG in a multivariable model adjusted for age, calendar year of surgery, diabetes, educational level, and waiting time for surgery. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated based on the Cox proportional hazard model. FINDINGS: There were 15,284 deaths during the follow-up, 10.4% of whom were foreign-born. The foreign-born patients were 3 to 4 years younger than Sweden-born patients at the time of CABG surgery. There were no significant differences in overall early or late mortality between foreign-born and Sweden-born men and women after CABG. All-cause mortality differed in between regions and was highest in foreign-born men from Eastern Africa (HR 3.80, 95% CI 1.58-9.17), China (HR 3.61, 95% CI 1.50-8.69), and in Chile (HR 2.12, 95% CI 1.01-4.47). Patients with low level of education had worse survival compared to those with longer than 12 years of education irrespective of sex and country of birth. This difference was more pronounced among foreign-born women (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.00-2.33). CONCLUSION: This national study showed higher CABG mortality in patients from lower socioeconomic position. Early and late mortality did not differ after isolated CABG in foreign-born and Sweden-born patients.

In this article, an active electrically small Horn antenna for very high frequency (VHF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) frequencies is presented. The proposed horn antenna has a height of 5 cm and a diameter of 4.28 cm which can cover 6-12 GHz without a special active circuit with the VSWR of less than 2. A Non-foster Active Adaptation Circuit is used to reduce the antenna input frequency from 164 MHz to 880 MHz. Good matching is visible between the simulation results and the measurement of the antenna reflection coefficient with the active matching circuit. The proposed structure has more than 137 % bandwidth. With the proposed active antenna, the problem of non-portability of VHF and UHF Horn antenna antennas has been solved. Finally, by analyzing the time domain, the stability of the circuit is examined, and the results of the stability test show that the system, including the antenna and the circuit, is stable. The antenna and the matching circuits are simulated by CST microwave studio and advanced design system, respectively.

Background & Aims Oral presentation skills play an important role in the personal, academic and professional success. It is the most common method of educational assessment in higher education settings. This study aims to determine the oral presentation competency of nursing students from Ardabil university of medical sciences (AUMS). Materials & Methods This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2023 on 274 nursing students from AUMS, who were selected using a convenience sampling method. The data collection tool were a demographic form and Chiang’s oral presentation evaluation scale (OPES). The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 20, using independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Results The total score of OPES was 58.81±7.75. The scores of the dimensions of accuracy in content, effective communication, and clarity of speech was 4.01±0.348, 3.72±0.658, and 4.02‌±‌0.673, respectively. Competency was higher in Persian speaking students than in Azari-speaking students. Also, students with a history of more oral presentation and reading of public speaking books obtained higher scores. Conclusion Considering the importance of oral presentations for nurses, it is recommended that nursing professors in AUMS and the educational system in Iran pay more attention to promote this skill in Azeri-speaking nursing students.

Introduction. Since May 2022, an unusually large number of new monkeypox infections-a previously rare viral zoonotic disease, mainly reported from central and western Africa has been reported globally, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency in July 2022. We aimed to systematically review the monkeypox virus epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, presentations, and outcomes. Materials and methods. Our aim is to systematically review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, manifestations, and outcomes of Monkeypox disease. We searched the keywords in the online databases of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science and investigated all English articles until December 2022. In order to ascertain the findings, this study adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. In order to optimize the quality, this review study benefits from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. To minimize any probable bias risk, we utilized the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) risk assessment tool. Results. The most prevalent symptoms were rash and fever. The infection was accompanied by different complications such as, but not limited to, encephalitis (mainly in children), septicemia, bacterial cellulitis, retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscesses, etc. A wide range of hospitalization from 3.7% to 100% has been reported. The mortality rate ranged from 0% to 23%, which mainly occurred in infants and children. High mortality of the monkeypox rate was reported among pregnant women. The mortality rate of monkeypox is lower among women and those who received the smallpox vaccine compared to men and those who did not receive the vaccine. A wide range of the overall second-rate attack was reported, which is more pronounced in unvaccinated patients. Conclusion. In our systematic review of 35 studies on monkeypox, we cast light on the existing evidence on its epidemiology, pathogenesis, manifestation, and outcomes. Further studies are needed to elucidate the natural history of the disease in various patients’ population, as well as detailing the monkeypox attack rate.

Background: Hepatitis C, caused by the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), is the second most common form of viral hepatitis. The geographical distribution of HCV genotypes can be quite complex, making it challenging to ascertain the most prevalent genotype in a specific area. Methods: To address this, a review was conducted to determine the prevalence of HCV genotypes across various provinces and as a whole in Pakistan. The scientific literature regarding the prevalence, distribution, genotyping, and epidemiology of HCV was gathered from published articles spanning the years 1996–2020. Results: Genotype 1 accounted for 5.1% of the patients, with its predominant subtype being 1a at 4.38%. The frequencies of its other subtypes, 1b and 1c, were observed to be 1.0% and 0.31% respectively. Genotype 2 had a frequency of 2.66%, with the most widely distributed subtype being 2a at 2.11% of the patients. Its other subtypes, 2b and 2c, had frequencies of 0.17% and 0.36% respectively. The most prevalent genotype among all isolates was 3 (65.35%), with the most frequent subtype being 3a (55.15%), followed by 3b (7.18%). The prevalence of genotypes 4, 5, and 6 were scarce in Pakistan, with frequencies of 0.97%, 0.08%, and 0.32% respectively. The prevalence of untypeable and mixed genotypes was 21.34% and 3.53% respectively. Estimating genotypes proves to be a productive method in assisting with the duration and selection of antiviral treatment. Different HCV genotypes can exhibit variations in their response to specific antiviral treatments. Different genotypes may have distinct natural histories, including variations in disease progression and severity. Some genotypes may lead to more rapid liver damage, while others progress more slowly. Conclusions: This information can guide screening and testing strategies, helping to identify individuals at higher risk of developing severe complications. Studying the distribution of HCV genotypes in a population can provide valuable insights into the transmission dynamics of the virus.

Background: Endometriosis is defined as the existence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. This disease is responsible for about 15% of the indications for assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Materials and Methods: This study is a retrospective cross-sectional study on 1382 women aged 18-42 who underwent ART in Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute during 2018-2022. Women were divided into two groups: women with endometriosis (N = 173) and women with a tubal factor or unexplained infertility as the control group (N = 1209). Chemical and clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates were compared. Results: Women with endometriosis had significantly (P < 0.001) lower retrieved oocytes (7.73 ± 5.52 vs 11.53 ± 7.46), metaphase II oocytes (6.27 ± 4.72 vs 9.37 ± 6.62), and the total number of obtained embryos (3.95 ± 3.52 vs 6.13 ± 5.02). Chemical (P = 0.001) and clinical (P = 0.028) pregnancy rates were lower in women with endometriosis, while live birth rates showed no difference between the two groups (P = 0.069). Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that endometriosis can disturb reproductive outcomes after ART.