Heavy Domain Wall Fermions: The RBC and UKQCD charm physics program

We review the domain wall charm physics program of the RBC and UKQCD collaborations based on simulations including ensembles with physical pion mass. We summarise our current set-up and present a status update on the decay constants $f_D$, $f_{D_s}$, the charm quark mass, heavy-light and heavy-strange bag parameters and the ratio $\xi$.Comment: 8 pagers, 4 figures, conference proceedings for Lattice2017 submitted to EPJ Web of Conference

The decay constants fD{\mathbf{f_D}} and fDs{\mathbf{f_{D_{s}}}} in the continuum limit of Nf=2+1{\mathbf{N_f=2+1}} domain wall lattice QCD

We present results for the decay constants of the $D$ and $D_s$ mesons computed in lattice QCD with $N_f=2+1$ dynamical flavours. The simulations are based on RBC/UKQCD's domain wall ensembles with both physical and unphysical light-quark masses and lattice spacings in the range 0.11--0.07$\,$fm. We employ the domain wall discretisation for all valence quarks. The results in the continuum limit are $f_D=208.7(2.8)_\mathrm{stat}\left(^{+2.1}_{-1.8}\right)_\mathrm{sys}\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $f_{D_{s}}=246.4(1.3)_\mathrm{stat}\left(^{+1.3}_{-1.9}\right)_\mathrm{sys}\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $f_{D_s}/f_D=1.1667(77)_\mathrm{stat}\left(^{+57}_{-43}\right)_\mathrm{sys}$. Using these results in a Standard Model analysis we compute the predictions $|V_{cd}|=0.2185(50)_\mathrm{exp}\left(^{+35}_{-37}\right)_\mathrm{lat}$ and $|V_{cs}|=1.011(16)_\mathrm{exp}\left(^{+4}_{-9}\right)_\mathrm{lat}$ for the CKM matrix elements

Early insulin glargine initiation in iranian people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes: Glycemic control, and adverse events

To explore glycemic control, and adverse events of Iranian people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes after initiation of long-acting basal insulin, glargine. People with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes that was on at least two oral anti-diabetic drugs (OAD) were enrolled in this observational prospective study. Insulin glargine was prescribed by physicians in the course of routine clinical practice. Patients were followed for 24 weeks. Insulin doses were titrated to reach fasting blood sugar (FBS) target between 90 mg/dl and 130 mg/dl. HbA1c and adverse events were recorded at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Form a total of 292 participants, 243 patients completed the study. HbA1c, FBS, postprandial glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but not body mass index decreased during the study. The proportion of poorly controlled patients (HbA1C>9) decreased from 172 (58.9) to 39(13.4), and 21(7.2) during follow up. Controlled glycemia (HbA1C<7) was detected in 7(2.4), 48 (16.4) and 56 (19.2) of patients at baseline, week 12 and week 24. Hypoglycemia was reported in 5.1 and 3.4 of the participants in the week at 12 and 24, respectively. Patients felt more satisfied with their blood glucose control, timing and choices of meals, and hypo/hyperglycemic experiences. Insulin glargine initiation in people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes on 2 OADs is associated with significant improvement in metabolic control. Insulin glargine has good safety profile and well tolerated by the patients. © 2018 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Prehypertension; patient awareness and associated cardiovascular risk factors in an urban population in Iran

Background: This study was to estimate the frequency of prehypertension and to characterize patient awareness and associated cardiovascular risk factors in an urban population in Iran. Methods: During a hypertensive awareness program, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 2036 people. All participants completed a questionnaire about their demographic and anthropometric indices and were asked about symptoms, risk factors and preventive measures of hypertension. Data were compared between prehypertensive and non-hypertensive groups. Results: Prehypertension was detected in 30 (n=611) of the subjects. Previous CHD, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia were more prevalent in low prehypertension group compared to high normal blood pressure. The male sex, increasing age and body weight were positively associated with the rate of prehypertension. Only 8 of participants with prehypertension were aware about the symptoms of hypertension, 12 correctly mentioned at least three risk factors of hypertension, and 48 explained appropriate preventive measures. Conclusion: Prehypertension was prevalent in this population. Age, body weight, male sex, and previous CHD were the major determinants. Furthermore, hypertension awareness was alarmingly poor. Therefore, hypertension prevention programs focused on increasing public awareness are essential

Knowledge of physicians regarding the management of Type two Diabetes in a primary care setting: the impact of online continuous medical education

Background: To explore the impact of an online continuing medical education (CME) program on physicians� knowledge about the management of type two diabetes. Methods: An online CME program was designed and uploaded in the CME platform, Department of Education, Ministry of health, Iran. A 28-item questionnaire was used for the assessment. In the beginning, a case scenario was introduced. Then, participants were asked to follow and answer to a pretest assessment. Details of the educational content were provided afterward. Finally, the participants took part in the same post-test exam 4 weeks later. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test was used to compare the measurements. In addition, the Mann-Whitney test was applied to compare knowledge indices between the general practitioners (GPs) and internists. Results: Five hundred twenty-six primary care physicians participated in this study. There was a significant positive effect regarding diagnosis confirmation (10.3 difference, P = 0.0001). Moreover, a smaller effect was observed in relation to the importance of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at diagnosis (5.2 difference, P = 0.0006). The effect was positive in relation to the self-reported HbA1c testing frequency: more than 90 of the participants answered correctly in the post-test exam (7.6 difference, P = 0.0001). Considering improved knowledge in the treatment of diabetes, there was a very significant difference in response to questions targeting advice on a healthy diet, and physical activity; 27.7 (P = 0.000), and 18.7 (P = 0.000), respectively. In addition, the program had a positive impact on various aspects of treatment with oral glucose-lowering drugs (OGLDs). Moreover, the intervention difference was 25, and 34.4 for the questions targeting the appropriate type of insulin, and insulin initiation regimen after OGLD failure. Subgroup analyses revealed that the intervention increased the rate of correct responses among the GPs in various domains of knowledge in diagnosis and treatment. The initial differences between the GPs and internists no longer remained significant after the intervention. Conclusion: Knowledge of Iranian primary health care professionals in diabetes management has significant shortcomings. This is concerning because they are at the front line of patient care. We demonstrate the effectiveness of online CME on improving GPs knowledge in the management of type 2 diabetes. © 2020, The Author(s)

Early insulin glargine initiation in iranian people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes: Glycemic control, and adverse events

To explore glycemic control, and adverse events of Iranian people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes after initiation of long-acting basal insulin, glargine. People with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes that was on at least two oral anti-diabetic drugs (OAD) were enrolled in this observational prospective study. Insulin glargine was prescribed by physicians in the course of routine clinical practice. Patients were followed for 24 weeks. Insulin doses were titrated to reach fasting blood sugar (FBS) target between 90 mg/dl and 130 mg/dl. HbA1c and adverse events were recorded at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Form a total of 292 participants, 243 patients completed the study. HbA1c, FBS, postprandial glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but not body mass index decreased during the study. The proportion of poorly controlled patients (HbA1C>9) decreased from 172 (58.9) to 39(13.4), and 21(7.2) during follow up. Controlled glycemia (HbA1C<7) was detected in 7(2.4), 48 (16.4) and 56 (19.2) of patients at baseline, week 12 and week 24. Hypoglycemia was reported in 5.1 and 3.4 of the participants in the week at 12 and 24, respectively. Patients felt more satisfied with their blood glucose control, timing and choices of meals, and hypo/hyperglycemic experiences. Insulin glargine initiation in people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes on 2 OADs is associated with significant improvement in metabolic control. Insulin glargine has good safety profile and well tolerated by the patients. © 2018 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Hybrid Planning and Control for Multiple Fixed-Wing Aircraft under Input Constraints

This paper presents a novel hybrid control protocol for de-conflicting multiple vehicles with constraints on control inputs. We consider turning rate and linear speed constraints to represent fixed-wing or car-like vehicles. A set of state-feedback controllers along with a state-dependent switching logic are synthesized in a hybrid system to generate collision-free trajectories that converge to the desired destinations of the vehicles. The switching law is designed so that the safety can be guaranteed while no Zeno behavior can occur. A novel temporary goal assignment technique is also designed to guarantee convergence. We analyze the individual modes for safety and the closed-loop hybrid system for convergence. The theoretical developments are demonstrated via simulation results.Comment: Best Student Paper Finalist, AIAA-SciTech GNC Conference, 201

Quantification of rigidity in Parkinson's disease

In this paper, a new method for quantification of rigidity in elbow joint of Parkinsonian patients is introduced. One of the most known syndromes in Parkinson's disease (PD) is increased passive stiffness in muscles, which leads to rigidity in joints. Clinical evaluation of stiffness in wrist and/or elbow, commonly used by clinicians, is based on Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating System (UPDRS). Subjective nature of this method may influence the accuracy and precision of evaluations. Hence, introducing an objective standard method based on quantitative measurements may be helpful. A test rig was designed and fabricated to measure range of motion and viscous and elastic components of passive stiffness in elbow joint. Measurements were done for 41 patients and 11 controls. Measures were extracted using Matlab-R14 software and statistic analyses were done by Spss-13. Relation between each computed measure and the level of illness were analyzed. Results showed a better correlation between viscous component of stiffness and UPDRS score compared to the elastic component. Results of this research may help to introduce a standard objective method for evaluation of PD. © 2007 Biomedical Engineering Society

Diagnostic accuracy of body mass index and fasting glucose for the prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus after assisted reproductive technology

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), first-trimester fasting blood sugar (FBS), and the combination of (BMI+FBS) cut-points for at-risk pregnant women conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART) to better predict the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in infertile women. Materials and Methods: In this nested case-control study, 270 singleton pregnant women consisted of 135 (GDM) and 135 (non-GDM) who conceived using ART were assessed. The diagnosis of GDM was confirmed by a one-step glucose tolerance test (O-GTT) using 75 g oral glucose. BMI was classified base on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The relationship between BMI, FBS, and BMI+FBS with the risk of GDM development was determined by logistic regression and adjusted for confounding factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the value of BMI, FBS, and BMI+FBS for the prediction of GDM. Results: The GDM group had significantly higher age, BMI, family history of diabetes, and history of polycystic ovary syndrome in comparison with the non-GDM group (P&lt;0.05). Overweight and obese women had 3.27, and 5.14 folds increase in the odds of developing GDM, respectively. There was a 17 increase in the risk of developing GDM with each 1 mg/dl increase in fasting glucose level. The cut points for FBS 84.5 mg/dl (72.9 sensitivity, 74.4 specificity), BMI 25.4 kg/m 2 (68.9 sensitivity, 62.8 specificity), and BMI+FBS 111.2 (70.7 sensitivity, 80.6 specificity) was determined. Conclusion: The early screening and high-quality prenatal care should be recommended upon the co-occurrence of high FBS (�84.5 mg/dl) in the first-trimester of the pregnancy and the BMI (�25.4 kg/m2) in pre-pregnancy period in women undergone ART. The combination of BMI and FBS is considered a better prediction value. © 2019, Royan Institute (ACECR). All rights reserved

Serum levels of CTRP3 in diabetic nephropathy and its relationship with insulin resistance and kidney function

Background C1q TNF related protein 3 (CTRP3) is an adipokine secreted from adipose tissue. Previous studies have suggested that CTRP3 improves insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation. Human studies have evaluated circulating levels of this adipokine in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetic retinopathy, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery diseases. However, circulating levels of this adipokine in patients with diabetic nephropathy have not been evaluated. The present study aimed to assess serum levels of CTRP3 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic nephropathy (T2DM-NP) and its relationship with metabolic and inflammatory markers. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on 55 controls, 54 patients with T2DM, and 55 patients with T2DM-NP. Serum levels of CTRP3, adiponectin, TNF-α, and IL-6 were measured by ELISA technique. Results Serum levels of CTRP3 were significantly lower in patients with T2DM (257.61 ± 69.79 ng/mL, p < 0.001) and T2DM-NP (222.03 ± 51.99 ng/mL, p < 0.001) compared to controls (328.17 ± 80.73 ng/mL), and those with T2DM-NP compared to T2DM group. CTRP3 was independently associated with HOMA-IR (r = -0.327, p < 0.05) and adiponectin (r = 0.436, p < 0.01) in T2DM group. In T2DM-NP patients, CTRP3 independently was associated with eGFR (r = 0.428, p < 0.01) and HOMA-IR (r = -0.436, p < 0.01). Furthermore, CTRP3 revealed a ability to differentiate T2DM-NP patients from controls (area under curve (95 confidence interval): 0.881 (0.820�0.943) and p < 0.001). Conclusion Decreased serum levels of CTRP3 in patients with T2DM and diabetic nephropathy and its association with pathologic mechanism in these patients suggested a possible role for CTRP3 in pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy; nevertheless, further studies are required in this regard. © 2019 Moradi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited