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Broadband antireflection layers have been fabricated by two dimensional (2D) photonic crystals (PCs) with tapered pillars on the Si substrate. These PCs have been produced by interference lithography and reactive ion etching (RIE) techniques. The effect of depth and the filling factor (FF) of the PCs on the reflectance magnitude and bandwidth has been investigated. The obtained reflectance was less than 1% in the broad spectral range from 400 to 2100 nm. Our numerical simulation shows the PC pillars slope has an essential effect in the reduction of the reflection. However, our results show that the existence of RIE grasses in the PCs, which are created in the RIE process, does not influence the performance of the antireflection layer. This leads to a simpler fabrication process.

Background: This study aims to investigate the clinical and demographic features of underlying medical conditions and the potential relationship between underlying diseases and the increased rate of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19., Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 350 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the Masih Daneshvari Hospital from February-July 2021. All participants had confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis based on symptoms and/or positive PCR test or chest X-ray results. Data was collected from medical records on demographics, disease severity, symptoms, underlying conditions like diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, renal disease/transplantation, and outcomes like hospital stay, ICU admission, and mortality. Relationships between age, underlying diseases, and mortality were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.", Results: A total of 350 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were included in the study, with an average estimated age of (60.8±15.4). The age group of 56 and above had the highest morbidity rate, which accounted for 50% of the total participants. Among the COVID-19 patients, diabetes was the most common underlying medical condition, accounting for 31.4% of the cases. High blood pressure was present in 27.1% of the patients, and 17.1% of the total participants had coronary heart disease (CHD). Additionally, 10.9% of the participants were overweight, and 30 of them had previously experienced kidney failure or transplantation. Moreover, the study found that 40% of patients with diabetes died, while the mortality rate was 38.3% in patients with CHD and 47.4% in overweight participants. High blood pressure patients had a mortality rate of 43.2%, and patients with renal failure or kidney transplantation had a significantly increased risk of mortality at 83.3%. The research also revealed a significant and direct relationship between mortality rate, age group, and underlying disease among the patients (P<0.05)., Conclusion: The findings of the present study hold significant implications for preventive interventions and policy adoption, particularly in relation to the use of calendar age as the key criterion for risk evaluation. These results underscore the need for a more precise and focused approach to prioritizing patients with identified risk factors., (Copyright© 2023 National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.)

In this research, first, the Z-scan technique is used to measure the nonlinear optical properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to indicate the high nonlinear coefficients. Second, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, vertically pumped, all-optical modulator is produced based on a rGO-coated multimode optical microfiber. The effect of the microfiber curvature, microfiber diameter, and substrate materials is investigated and optimized. Also, a simulation based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is performed. The modulation depth increased to 4.2 dB by the external low-power ultraviolet pump laser (300 mW) for modulators based on the multimode microfibers. The presented process is a simple, cost-effective route to fabricate, and it is easy to use the device.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a hemodynamic and pathophysiological disease defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure of ≥20 mm Hg. Pulmonary hypertension severity and prognosis play an essential role in the management of these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with PH referred to Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, Iran., Materials and Methods: A total of 61 patients with PH referred to Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran were enrolled. Patients' information such as age, sex, type of PH, echocardiographic data, and blood cell count, including platelet, lymphocyte, and neutrophil count, hemoglobin, and RDW, were collected in each follow-up., Results: Out of 61 patients with PH, 27 (44.3%) were male, and 34 (55.7%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 43.19 ± 2.25 years. Our results showed that during hospitalization, PLR decreased from 13.2 to 9.7, and NLR also decreased from 4.49 to 3.08. Neither PLR nor NLR was associated with gender. However, both PLR and NLR showed a significant difference between deceased vs. discharged patients and were significantly lower in the patients who died., Conclusion: Both PLR and NLR decreased during hospitalization in patients with PH, and this decrease was greater in the patients who died, suggesting these indicators as potential prognostic markers for the disease., (Copyright© 2022 National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.)

More than a year after the onset of the coronavirus disease pandemic in 2019, the disease remains a major global health issue. During this time, health organizations worldwide have tried to provide integrated treatment guidelines to control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at different levels. However, due to the novel nature of the disease and the emergence of new variants, medical teams' updating medical information and drug prescribing guidelines should be given special attention. This version is an updated instruction of the National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD) in collaboration with a group of specialists from Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran, which is provided to update the information of caring clinicians for the treatment and care of COVID-19 hospitalized patients., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022, Author(s).)

Background: Altered heart rate variability (HRV) has been associated with a number of disorders affecting autonomic tone, including recent myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and diabetic neuropathy. Furthermore, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been shown to be associated with characteristic disturbances in heart rhythm. In this study, using HRV frequency analysis, an attempt has been made to diagnose or possibly diagnose OSA., Materials and Methods: Using Somnologica version 3.3.1 software (Medcare-Embla), polysomnographic recordings were done. Electrocardiographic signals were digitalized with a sampling rate of 250 Hz. Using the HRV analysis report of this software, low-frequency (LF) and high- frequency (HF) information and LF to HF ratio (LF/HF) were obtained at 5-min intervals, then at cutting points 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50, which indicate the intensity of the apnea and hypopnea index (AHI), were analyzed with mean and standard deviation of HRV frequencies., Results: According to the results reported in this study, comparison of mild, moderate, and severe cases led to no significant differences, while frequency-domain analysis displayed significant LF/HF increase in more severe AHI cases. This can probably be applied in screening high-risk patients, reducing the application of PSG in high probable cases, and providing an estimate of prognosis of potentials patients for the physicians., Conclusions: In the study of frequency-domain analysis, LF/HF increases in more severe AHI cases. These can probably be applied in screening high-risk patients, reducing the application of PSG in high probable cases., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Advanced Biomedical Research.)

A novel boomerang-like alumina based antireflective coating with ultra-low reflectance has been produced for light incidence angles form 0 up to 45°. Boomerang-like alumina nanostructures have been fabricated on the BK7 glass substrates by dip-coating and surface modification via hot water treatment. To achieve the lowest residual reflectance, the effect of dip-coating rate and hot-water temperature in the treatment process has been investigated and optimized. To further investigate the boomerang-like alumina nanostructure and extract its graded refractive index profile by fitting the measured reflectance spectrum with the simulated one, a simulation based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method has been performed. The average reflectance measured at normal incidence for double-sided coated BK7 glass substrates is only 0.3% in the visible spectral region. Considering both sides, the average reflectance of the substrate decreased in the spectral range of 400-700 nm down to 0.4% at incidence angles of 45° by applying the boomerang-like alumina antireflection coatings. The optimized single layer boomerang-like alumina coating on the curved aspheric lens exhibited a low average reflectance of less than 0.14% and an average transmittance of above 99.3% at normal incidence. The presented process is a simple and cost-effective route towards broadband and omnidirectional antireflection coatings, which have promising potential to be applied on substrates having large scales with complex geometric shapes., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

A coarse-to-fine optical microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer based on the Fabry-Pérot (FP) interferometer is proposed. The mechanical structure consists of a proof mass that is suspended by four L-shaped springs. The deflection of the proof mass due to the applied acceleration is detected using two FP cavities that comprise the system's optical system. Using coarse-to-fine measurement and the dual wavelength method simultaneously increases the sensitivity of the accelerometer as well as the linear measurement range. The optical simulation shows that the sensitivity of the proposed device is 10 times as high as that of a similar optical MEMS accelerometer with one FP cavity. In addition, the proposed optical system is insensitive to the displacements of the proof mass in the orthogonal directions, which considerably reduced the cross-axis sensitivity. The minimum feature size of the structure is 15 µm and the optical signal is conducted completely through the optical fibers, facilitating the device fabrication. Here are the results of the simulation: mechanical sensitivity of 190 nm/g, optical sensitivity of 8 nm/g, linear measurement of ±5 g , and first resonance frequency of 1141 Hz.

Background: In December 2019, pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan, China. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the most frequently observed complication in COVID-19 patients with high mortality rates., Objective of Study: To observe the clinical effect of plasmapheresis on excessive inflammatory reaction and immune features in patients with severe COVID-19 at risk of ARDS., Materials and Methods: In this single-center study, we included 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Masih Daneshvari Hospital, in March 2020 in Tehran, Iran. COVID-19 cases were confirmed by RT-PCR and CT imaging according to WHO guidelines. Plasmapheresis was performed to alleviate cytokine-induced ARDS. The improvement in oxygen delivery (PaO 2 /FiO 2) , total number of T cells, liver enzymes, acute reaction proteins, TNF-α and IL-6 levels were evaluated., Results: Inflammatory cytokine levels (TNF-α, IL-6), and acute phase reaction proteins including ferritin and CRP were high before plasmapheresis. After plasmapheresis, the levels of PaO 2 /FiO 2 , acute phase reactants, inflammatory mediators, liver enzymes and bilirubin were significantly reduced within a week (p < 0.05). In contrast, although the number of T helper cells decreased immediately after plasmapheresis, they rose to above baseline levels after 1 week. Nine out of fifteen patients on non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) survived whilst the six patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) died., Conclusion: Our data suggests that plasmapheresis improves systemic cytokine and immune responses in patients with severe COVID-19 who do not undergo IMV. Further controlled studies are required to explore the efficacy of plasmapheresis treatment in patients with COVID-19., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The coronavirus disease COVID-19 was first described in December 2019. The peripheral blood of COVID-19 patients have increased numbers of neutrophils which are important in controlling the bacterial infections observed in COVID-19. We sought to evaluate the cytotoxic capacity of neutrophils in COVID-19 patients. 34 confirmed COVID-19 patients (29 severe, five mild disease), and nine healthy controls were recruited from the Masih Daneshvari Hospital (Tehran, Iran) from March to May 2020. Polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells were isolated from whole blood and incubated with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labelled methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). Bacterial growth was determined by measuring the florescence of co-cultures of bacteria and neutrophils and reported as the lag time before exponential growth. The number of viable bacteria was determined after 70 hours as colony-forming units (CFU). The immunophenotype of tested cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. Isolated neutrophils have higher surface expression of CD16 and CD62L with negative markers for PMN-MDSC. Bacterial growth in the presence of SA (22 ± 0.9 versus 9.2 ± 0.5 h, P < .01) and PA (12.4 ± 0.6 versus 4.5 ± 0.22, P < .01) was significantly reduced in COVID-19 patients. After 70 h incubation of PMN with bacteria (SA and PA), CFUs were significant increased in COVID-19 patients SA (2.6 ± 0.09 × 10 8  CFU/mL-severe patients and 1.4 ± 0.06 × 10 8  CFU/mL-mild patients, P < .001) and PA (2.2 ± 0.09 × 10 9  CFU/mL-severe patients and 1.6 ± 0.03 × 10 9  CFU/mL-mild patients, P < .001). Gentamycin proliferation assays confirmed the presence of intracellular bacteria. Reduced bacterial killing by neutrophils from COVID-19 patients may be responsible for the high bacterial yield seen in these patients., (© 2021 The Scandinavian Foundation for Immunology.)

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 112M patients and resulted in almost 2.5M deaths worldwide. The major clinical feature of severe COVID-19 patients requiring ventilation is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) possibly associated with a cytokine storm., Objectives: To elucidate serum levels of TNF-α and soluble TNF-Receptor 1 (sTNFR1) in patients with severe and mild COVID-19 disease as determinants of disease severity., Methods: We determined serum TNF-α and sTNFR1 concentrations in 46 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 (17 patients with severe disease within the intensive care unit [ICU] and 29 non-severe, non-ICU patients) and 15 healthy controls upon admission using ELISA. Subjects were recruited between March-May 2020 at the Masih Daneshvari Hospital Tehran, Iran., Results: Serum levels of sTNFRI were significantly higher in ICU patients (P<0.0001) and non-ICU patients (P=0.0342) compared with healthy subjects. Serum sTNFR1 were significantly higher in ICU patients than in non-ICU patients (P<0.0001). Serum TNF-α levels were greater in ICU and non-ICU patients than in the healthy subjects group (p<0.0001). The sTNFRI concentration in ICU (r=0.79, p=0.0002) and non-ICU (r=0.42, p=0.02) patients positively correlated with age although serum sTNFRI levels in ICU patients were significantly higher than in older healthy subjects. The sTNFRI concentration in ICU patients negatively correlated with ESR., Conclusions: The study demonstrates higher sTNFRI in ICU patients with severe COVID-19 disease and this be a biomarker of disease severity and mortality. Future studies should examine whether lower levels of systemic sTNFR1 at admission may indicate a better disease outcome., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Mortaz, Tabarsi, Jamaati, Dalil Roofchayee, Dezfuli, Hashemian, Moniri, Marjani, Malekmohammad, Mansouri, Varahram, Folkerts and Adcock.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effects of dexamethasone administration in patients with mild to moderate acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study included 50 patients who were randomly assigned to the dexamethasone group or control group. Dexamethasone was administered at a dose of 20 mg/day from day 1-5 and then at 10 mg/day from day 6-10. The need for invasive mechanical ventilation, death rate, duration of clinical improvement, length of hospital stay, and radiological changes in the computed tomography scan were assessed. The results revealed that 92% and 96% of patients in the dexamethasone and control groups, respectively, required noninvasive ventilation (P = 0.500). Among them, 52% and 44% of patients in the dexamethasone and control groups, respectively, required invasive mechanical ventilation (P = 0.389). At the end of the study, 64% of patients in the dexamethasone group and 60% of patients in the control group died (P = 0.500); the remaining patients were discharged from the hospital during the 28-day follow-up period. The median length of hospital stay was 11 days in the dexamethasone group and 6 days in the control group (P = 0.036) and the median length of hospital stay was 7 days in the dexamethasone group and 3 days in the control group (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the other outcomes. This study showed that corticosteroid administration had no clinical benefit in patients with COVID-19-induced mild to moderate ARDS., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Opioids are used widely as analgesics and can play an important role in agonist maintenance therapy for opium dependence. Despite their benefits, the negative effects on the respiratory system remain an important side effect to be considered. Ataxic breathing, obstructive sleep apnea, and most of all central sleep apnea are among these concerns. Obstructive sleep apnea leads to various metabolic, cardiovascular, cognitive, and mental side effects and may result in abrupt mortality. Buprenorphine is a semisynthetic opioid, a partial mu-opioid agonist with limited respiratory toxicity preferably used by these patients, as it is accompanied by significantly lower risk factors in the development of obstructive and central sleep apnea. In this manuscript, the case of a patient is reported who underwent methadone maintenance therapy which was shifted to buprenorphine in order to observe possible changes in sleep-related breathing disorders. The results of this study indicate a reduction in these problems through the desaturation and apnea hypopnea index of methadone substituted by buprenorphine while no change in sleepiness was observed.

Purpose: Acetazolamide is utilized as a treatment which falls effective in treating some type of CSA. Hence, it might be effective as far as opium addicts who suffer from CSA are concerned., Materials and Method: The current study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study ( clinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02371473). The whole procedures were identical for both placebo and acetazolamide phases of clinical research. There were 14 CSA more than 5/h and more than 50% of apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Out of these 14 patients, 10 volunteered to participate in the study. Fast Fourier transformation was used to separate heart rate variability (HRV) into its component VLF (very low frequency band), LF (low frequency band), and HF (high frequency band) rhythms that operate within different frequency ranges., Result: There are significant results in terms of decreased mix apnea and central apnea together due to acetazolamide compared with placebo (P < 0.023). Time of SatO 2 < 90% is decreased as well (P < 0.1). There is also decrease of SDNN and NN50 after treatment with acetazolamide respectively (P < 0.001). Regarding fast Fourier transformation, there is increase of pHF and decrease of pLF after acetazolamide treatment (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Acetazolamide seems to be effective in improving oxygenation and a decrease of mixed and central apnea events together. In HRV analysis section, LF power has decreased significantly, which may more likely improve prognosis of the patients.

Background: Considering that tracheostomy is being done for huge amount of critically ill patients, the ideal time for this procedure is still controversial among different intensive care units (ICU)., Materials and Methods: 70 intubated patients were included in our study which was sorted into two subgroups: half of our patients received an early tracheostomy (ET) within 1-10 days post intubation and the rest received late tracheostomy (LT) within 11-21 days after getting intubated., Results: 61.9% of the study population was male and the mean age was of 54 + 10.5 years. ET group mean Mechanical Ventilation (MV) duration was 8.11±4.9 days and was 16.3 ± 6.01 in the LT group (p<0.05) with a mean sedation duration of 6.1 ± 4.4 vs. 12.0 ± 6.5 (ET vs. LT) (p<0.05). Mean time of weaning process from ventilator was 2.7 ±2.3 for ET group and 5.5 ± 5.0 for LT group (p<0.05). The Mean ICU stay was 18.8 ± 2.2 in the ET group, and 22.1 ± 4.1 in the LT group (p: 0.98) at the same time. Length of stay at hospital for two group of patients did not show a meaningful difference (p= 0.279)., Conclusion: Early tracheostomy decreases duration of mechanical ventilation and sedation use and more rapid weaning process in those patients who will require mechanical ventilation. Our findings revealed that tracheostomy timing has no significant impact on rate of hospital mortality and LOS at ICU and hospital., (Copyright© 2020 National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.)

Background: The clinical characteristics of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were diverse and unspecific. Here, we identified the associated factors with surviving of COVID-19 ICU patients based on the clinical characteristics of patients admitted to one of the Corona Centre Hospitals of Iran., Materials and Methods: This cohort study was performed retrospectively from February to June 2020 on 133 COVID-19 patients admitted to 4 intensive care units of Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Demographic, medical, clinical manifestation at admission, laboratory parameters and outcome data were obtained from medical records. Also the SOFA and APACHE II scores were calculated. All data were analyzed using SPSS (version 23, IBM Corp.) software., Results: The median (IQR) age of the patients was 62.0 (54.0-72.0) years in total. RT-PCR of throat swab SARS-CoV-2 in 80 patients (60.2%) was positive. Total mortality rate was 57.9 percent (77 patients). Dyspnea, hypertension and chronic pulmonary diseases were significantly common in non-survivors than survivors (p<0.05). Both SOFA and APACHE II scores were significantly higher in the non-survivors (p<0.05). Also other significant differences were observed in other parameters of the study., Conclusion: The mortality rate of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU is generally high. Dyspnea as initial presentation and comorbidity, especially hypertension and pulmonary diseases, may be associated with higher risk of severe disease and consequent mortality rate. Also, higher SOFA and APACHE II scores could indicate higher mortality in patients admitted to ICU., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright© 2020 National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.)

Background: Inflammatory mediators are an important component in the pathophysiology of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to assess the effects of reducing inflammatory mediators using hemoperfusion (HP) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) on the mortality of patients with COVID-19., Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included. All patients had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Patients were divided into three groups, namely, HP, CRRT and HP+CRRT. The primary outcome was mortality and the secondary outcomes were oxygenation and reduction in inflammatory mediators at the end of the study., Results: Patients were not different at baseline in demographics, inflammatory cytokine levels, and the level of acute phase reactants. Half of the patients (3 out of 6) in the HP+CRRT group survived along with the survival of one patient (1 out of 2) in the HP group. All four patients in the CRRT group died. Serum creatinine (SCr), Interleukin-1 (IL1), Interleukin-6 (IL6), Interleukin-8 (IL8), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2 ), O 2 saturation (O 2 sat), and hemodynamic parameters improved over time in HP+CRRT and CRRT groups, but no significant difference was observed in the HP group (All Ps > 0.05)., Conclusion: Combined HP and CRRT demonstrated the best result in terms of mortality, reduction of inflammatory mediators and oxygenation. Further investigations are needed to explore the role of HP+CRRT in COVID-19 patients., Competing Interests: Competing interests Not applicable., (Copyright© 2020 National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.)

Background: Intensive care unit acquired weakness (ICUAW) is a known complication in ICU patients, especially in those with severe underlying diseases. The cause and pathogenesis of ICUAW are still unknown. This study examined the incidence rate of ICUAW in intensive care units (ICUs) of the Masih-Daneshvari Hospital., Materials and Methods: This descriptive-comparative study was conducted on 160 patients admitted in the ICUs, including an acute respiratory infectious ICU (TB-ICU) and medical ICU. The total number of patients was 80 in each of the ICUs. Demographic information was obtained from the patients after the initial examination and Medical Research Council (MRC) score was done on daily basis. EMG was performed on the 2 nd and 8 th days of the admission. ICUAW diagnosis was used in cases with MRC scores under 48., Results: Among the patients, 68.6% were male and the mean age was 59.13±18. 68 years. The final outcomes were 48.4% mortality and 51.6% discharge, which were 41% and 59% in the TB-ICU and 56.7% and 43.3% in the medical ICU, respectively. By defining electromyography as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of ICUAW diagnosis based on the MRC score definition were about 70% and 83%, respectively. The comparison ICUAW patients in the two ICUs in terms of mortality showed no significant difference between them., Conclusion: It is concluded that nearly half of ICU-admitted patients develop ICUAW that causes a higher mortality rate. Therefore, new plans should be developed to reduce the rate of ICUAW and subsequent death, as well as other possible morbidities., (Copyright© 2020 National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.)

Background: Sleep complaints are common problems in the general population and insomnia and sleep disorders place significant economic and social burdens on the community. Postmenopausal women are 2.6 to 3.5 times more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) compared to non-menopausal women. In this study, we evaluated sleep disorders and mental health in postmenopausal women., Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study and the samples were selected from postmenopausal women above 50 years who had participated in a survey entitled, "Evaluation of Sleep Disorders among Adults in Tehran" in 2017. Cluster sampling method was applied with proportional allocation. A total of 4021 samples were collected, 2075 of which belonged to women. In addition, 174 out of 2075 samples were related to postmenopausal women over the age of 50. The data were analyzed using the statistical package IBM SPSS version 22.0. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant., Results: In this study, 118 (67.8%) women had insomnia for less than three months, and 23 (13.2%) women had insomnia for more than three months. The prevalence of STOPBANG parameters in this group of postmenopausal women was 37% and significantly related to Body mass index (BMI) and neck circumference at P < 0.001 and 0.006, respectively. There was no significant relationship between social dysfunction and insomnia. However, anxiety in General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was significantly associated with insomnia, sleepiness, sadness, and irritability., Conclusion: Our results indicate that the impact of insomnia symptoms, OSA comorbidity and mental disorders could extend far beyond. The use of urgent health care and quality of life issues is essential for long-term mental and physical well-being; if there is no treatment in the menopause population, there will be serious mental and physical complications., (Copyright© 2020 National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.)

In this paper, an easy and cost-efficient method to create a single anti-reflective layer on a silicon substrate is presented. In this experiment, by using the silver nanoparticles on a silicon substrate at room temperature, a porous nanostructure is created. This nanostructure significantly reduces the reflection and increases the transmission in a wide spectral range. By using this method, a porous layer on one side of the silicon substrate is fabricated. The results show that the reflection reduces to 31% and the transmission increases to 68% in the 3500-5000 nm spectral range, and these values are close to the reflection and transmission of a sample with ideal one-sided anti-reflection.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors flagged that name of the author 'Batoul Khoundabi' had been provided with an incorrect spelling: 'Batoutl' was given in place of 'Batoul'.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a fatal illness. Despite many improvements in the treatment of these patients, there is no unique prognostic variable available to track these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, as a noninvasive biomarker, with disease severity and treatment outcome., Methods: Thirty-six patients (29 women and 7 men, mean age 38.4 ± 11.3 years) with IPAH referred to the outpatient's clinic of Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were enrolled into this pilot observational study. Echocardiography, six-minute walking test (6MWT), FeNO, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and the functional class of patients was assessed before patients started treatment. Assessments were repeated after three months. 30 healthy non-IPAH subjects were recruited as control subjects., Results: There was no significant difference in FeNO levels at baseline between patients with IPAH and subjects in the control group. There was also no significant increase in FeNO levels during the three months of treatment and levels did not correlate with other disease measures. In contrast, other markers of disease severity were correlated with treatment effect over the three months., Conclusion: FeNO levels are a poor non-invasive measure of IPAH severity and of treatment response in patients in this pilot study.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Patients with PH who require critical care usually have severe right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. Although different groups of PH have different etiologies, pulmonary vascular dysfunction is common in these groups. PH can lead to increased pulmonary artery pressure, which can ultimately cause RV failure. Clinicians should be familiar with the presentations of this disease and diagnostic tools. The contributing factors, if present (e.g., sepsis), and coexisting conditions (e.g., arrhythmias) should be identified and addressed accordingly. The preload should be optimized by fluid administration, diuretics, and dialysis, if necessary. On the other hand, the RV afterload should be reduced to improve the RV function with pulmonary vasodilators, such as prostacyclins, inhaled nitric oxide, and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, especially in group 1 PH. Inotropes are also used to improve RV contractility, and if inadequate, use of ventricular assist devices and extracorporeal life support should be considered in suitable candidates. Moreover, vasopressors should be used to maintain systemic blood pressure, albeit cautiously, as they increase the RV afterload. Measures should be also taken to ensure adequate oxygenation. However, mechanical ventilation is avoided in RV failure. In this study, we reviewed the pathophysiology, manifestations, diagnosis, monitoring, and management strategies of PH, especially in intensive care units., (Copyright© 2019 National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.)

Background: The prognostic role of the electrocardiogram (ECG) in PH is not fully known. We aimed to evaluate ECG abnormalities in severe PH, the association of ECG patterns with known prognostic factors and to determine whether ECG abnormalities were associated with decreased survival in patients with severe PH., Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients with severe PH were included. Clinical assessment included basic demographics, complete physical examination, determination of WHO FC, measurement of N-terminal pro-BNP, 12-lead electrocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography, right heart catheterization (RHC) and six minute walk test (6MWT)., Results: Heart rate was correlated with NT-proBNP (r=0.54; p-value: 0.0001) and was higher in patients with severe RV dysfunction (93±12 vs. 83±4 bpm in moderate RV dysfunction). P-pulmonale was present in 51.9% of the patients and was significantly associated with severe RV dysfunction. qR in V1 (48.1%) was significantly associated with 6MWT and severe RV dysfunction. Overall, 10 patients died. Based on Kaplan-Meier results, median survival time was 38 months and estimated survival at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years was 88%, 80% and 71 % respectively. In Cox regression analysis WHO FC, 6MWT, pericardial effusion, NT-pro BNP, heart rate, ST depression in V1 to V3, and presence of qR in V1 were predictors of mortality. After controlling for covariates, only NT-proBNP was independently associated with decreased survival., Conclusion: ECG changes including P-pulmonale, qR pattern in V1, and heart rate indicative of right ventricular dysfunction are associated with prognostic factors in severe PH and may be a useful tool in the follow-up.

Background: Right heart catheterization is the gold standard test for diagnosis and clinical assessment of the patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). In recent years, the usefulness of cheaper and non-invasive tests in the follow-up of PH patients is being studied. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between serum uric acid level and severity of pulmonary hypertension in PH patients., Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, serum uric acid was measured in 110 patients with PH (63 women; mean age [±SD] was 52.83±17.88 years). Pulmonary arterial pressure and severity of right ventricular dysfunction were assessed using RHC and echocardiography, respectively., Results: Serum uric acid was higher in PH patients with severe RV dysfunction, compared to mild and moderate dysfunction (7.8mg/dl [IQR: 5.8-9.2] in severe dysfunction, versus 4.7 mg/dl [3.87-5.82] in mild dysfunction and 5 mg/dl [3.5-6.95] in moderate dysfunction. Serum uric acid was significantly correlated with pulmonary artery systolic pressure (r=0.51, P<0.001). Serum uric acid level also had a significant positive correlation with the World Health Organization functional class of the patients (r=0.49, P<0.001). Serum uric acid level greater than 5.7 mg/dl was found to be the most sensitive and specific points for predicting severe RV dysfunction in PH patients (sensitivity 76.6%, specificity 71.4%; AUC=0.79, P<0.001) ., Conclusion: Serum uric acid is correlated with the severity of symptoms and RV dysfunction in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Further studies are recommended with larger sample size in this regard.