Generalized Lindley Distribution

In this paper, we introduce a three–parameter generalization of the Lindley distribution. This includes as special cases the exponential and gamma distributions. The distribution exhibits decreasing, increasing and bathtub hazard rate depending on its parameters. We study various properties of the new distribution and provide numerical examples to show the flexibility of the model. We also derive a bivariate version of the proposed distribution

Effects of Sesamin on the Glycemic Index, Lipid Profile, and Serum Malondialdehyde Level of Patients with Type II Diabetes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus is the most prevalent endocrine disorder associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Considering the possible effects of sesamin, the most important sesame lignan, on the prevention of metabolic disorders leading to diabetes, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of sesamin supplementation on glycemic indices, serum levels of lipid profile and Malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with type II diabetes. METHODS: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 44 patients with type II diabetes referring to the endocrine clinic of Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran (IRCT: 2014061818134N1). Patients were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control. Patients of the intervention group received a daily dose of sesamin (200 mg capsules), and control subjects were administered with an equivalent dose of placebo. Anthropometric indices, fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin level, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were evaluated before and eight weeks after the intervention. FINDINGS: Comparison of different indices before and after the intervention indicated that sesamin significantly decreased the serum levels of FBS (138.59±36.89 versus 172.50±53.9 mg/dl) (p=0.016), HbA1c (7.51±1.14% versus 8.28±1.55%) (p=0.002), TC (141.50±29.03 versus 164.54±45.96 mg/dl) (p=0.015), and LDL-C (73.86±18.34 versus 89.22±32.96 mg/dl) (p=0.008) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Moreover, after eight weeks of sesamin treatment in the intervention group, a significant reduction was observed in TG (139.04±78.46 versus 168.31±68.45 mg/dl) (p=0.021), MDA (1.93±0.30 versus 2.21±0.55 µmol/L) (p=0.023), waist circumference (101.65±9.78 versus 103.77±10.84 cm) (p=0.006), and body adiposity index (34.90±5.68 versus 36.02±5.56) (p=0.000). No significant differences were observed in the other studied variables. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, daily administration of sesamin (200 mg) significantly improved the glycemic index, lipid profile, and serum MDA levels in type II diabetic patients. Therefore, sesamin could be effective in the prevention and control of type II diabetes complications

Smile satisfaction and its related indicators in students of School of Dentistry, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences (2013-2014)

Background: Smile is one of the most important factors determining the attractiveness of a person and has an important role in his mood and influence on others. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the smile satisfaction and its related indicators in the students of School of Dentistry affiliated to Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 80 students of School of Dentistry in Qazvin during 2013-2014. Digital photograph was provided from students’ smile. Smile esthetics of pictures was evaluated by three faculty members of restorative and orthodontics departments based on visual analogue scale. Smile satisfaction was evaluated by the students. Smile line ratio, buccal corridor ratio and symmetric ratio were measured by Photo shop CS5 software. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Findings: Mean smile esthetics score was 59±10.5 and 71±9.4 in male and female students, respectively and the difference was statistically significant. Mean self-reported smile satisfaction was 73.7±7.8% and 72.4±17.9% in male and female students, respectively and the difference was not statistically significant. Smile line ratio was significantly different between male and female students, but the differences in buccal corridor ratio and symmetric ratio was not statistically significant. There was positive significant correlation between smile line ratio and smile esthetics score. Among the morphometric indices, only smile line ratio had significant correlation with smile satisfaction in male students. Conclusion: The correlation between smile line ratio and smile satisfaction indicates the high capability of this morphometric index for evaluating smile satisfaction