More on -Normal Operators in Hilbert Spaces

We study some properties of (,)-normal operators and we present various inequalities between the operator norm and the numerical radius of (,)-normal operators on Banach algebra ℬ(ℋ) of all bounded linear operators ∶ℋ→ℋ, where ℋ is Hilbert space

Identification of Mycobacterium species isolated from patients using high-performance liquid chromatography in Tehran during 2014-2015

Background: Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are defined as mycobacteria other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), which do not cause tuberculosis or leprosy. Early and precise diagnosis of NTM is particularly important for the correct epidemiological control and specific treatments. The aim of this study was to identify the mycobacterium species isolated from patients referred to hospitals in Tehran using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, a collection of isolates (n=20) was obtained from clinical specimens submitted to the Masoud Laboratory in Tehran, Iran, during 2014-2015. The strains were isolated from sputum, urine, blood, and various sterile body fluid specimens. Chromatography was conducted at a flow rate with a curvilinear gradient of methanol and methylene chloride, beginning at 98 methanol containing 2 methylene chloride and ending at 35 methanol contained in 65 methylene chloride. Results: From a total of 20 clinical isolates, 8 isolates (40) were identified as Mycobacterium abscessus, 6 isolates (30) M. tuberculosis, 3 isolates (15) M. intracellulare and 3 isolates (15) M. fortuitum. Conclusion: For the proper treatment, rapid differentiation between MTB and NTM should be performed in persons who are diagnosed with or are suspected of having infectious TB disease. So, the HPLC method can be suggested as a cost-effective, specific and reliable method for rapid identification of MTB and differentiation of NTM strain from positive cultures isolated from clinical specimens

Naltrexone; as an efficient adjuvant in induction of Th1 immunity and protection against Fasciola hepatica infection

Toxic effects of available therapeutics are major drawbacks for conventional management approaches in parasitic infections. Vaccines have provided a promising opportunity to obviate such unwanted complications. In present study, we examined immune augmenting capacities of an emerging adjuvant, Naltrexone, against Fasciola hepatica infection in BALB/c mice. Seventy BALB/c mice were divided into five experimental groups (14 mice per group) including 1- control (received PBS), 2- vaccine (immunized with F. hepatica E/S antigens), 3- Alum-vaccine (immunized with Alum adjuvant and E/S antigens), 4- NLT-vaccine (immunized with NLT adjuvant and E/S antigens), and 5- Alum-NLT-vaccine (immunized with mixed Alum-NLT adjuvant and E/S antigens). Lymphocyte stimulation index was assessed by MTT assay. Production of IFN-γ, IL-4, IgG2a and IgG1 was assessed by ELISA method. Results showed that NLT, either alone or in combination with alum, can induce immune response toward production of IFN-γ and IgG2a as representatives of Th1 immune response. Also, using this adjuvant in immunization experiment was associated with significantly high proliferative response of splenocytes/lymphocytes. Utilization of mixed Alum-NLT adjuvant revealed the highest protection rate (73.8%) in challenge test of mice infected with F. hepatica. These findings suggest the potential role of NLT as an effective adjuvant in induction of protective cellular and Th1 immune responses against fasciolosis. © 2018 Elsevier Inc

Pediatrics Functional Constipation and school-Whether are linked?

Background: Functional Constipation (FC) is one of the important digestive disorders in pediatrics. Its prevalence varies in different communities. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of FC in our area between the school children and the impact of school on it. Methods: This study was done on 4 to 12 years old children of nine schools and kindergartens of Amirkola, (2007). After completing the constipation questionnaires by parents and children, all constipated children referred to gastroenterologist to confirm the diagnosis of functional constipation. All children were followed in summer when they didn’t go to school and in next year-the winter of 2009. Age, sex, the incidence of constipation in the school time and the summer holiday, health status of the toilets in school and the age of children were recorded when they learned to clean themselves. Results: Of all 493 studied cases the prevalence of FC was 21.3% (105 cases). There was no significant difference between the genders (p=0.913). All 99 constipated cases were reevaluated for constipation in summer and only 25 (18 boys and 7girls) of them were constipate. In the next school year the number of constipated case reaches to 90 cases again that there was significant relation between constipation and school months (p<0.01). Conclusions: The prevalence of FC in children was significantly high and school attendance had a great impact on it. We advise that the awareness of school officials and parents can reduce the prevalence of FC

A systematic review of sarcopenia prevalence and associated factors in people living with human immunodeficiency virus

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) appear to be at an increased risk of sarcopenia, which can have a devastating effect on their life due to consequences such as physical disability, poor quality of life, and finally death. This systematic review examined sarcopenia prevalence and its associated factors in PLWH. A systematic search was conducted using the keywords in the online databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane databases from the dates of inception up to May 2022. The retrieved articles underwent a two-step title/abstract and full-text review process, and the eligible papers were selected and included in the qualitative synthesis. Data relating to the study population, purpose of study, gender, age, race, body mass index, medical history, paraclinical results and antiretroviral therapy as associated factors of sarcopenia were extracted. In addition, the prevalence of sarcopenia in PLWH and its promoting and reducing factors were also extracted. We reviewed the 14 related studies for identifying of sarcopenia prevalence and its associated factors in PLWH. The total number of PLWH in all the reviewed studies was 2592. There was no criterion for the minimum number of people with HIV and the lowest number of PLWH was 27, and the highest number was 860. Some studies reported a significantly higher prevalence of sarcopenia in HIV-infected individuals compared with HIV-negative controls as follows: 24.2–6.7%, 15–4% and 10–6%, respectively. We showed that, age (30–50 years), being female, >5 years post-HIV diagnosis, multiple vertebral fractures, cocaine/heroin use and lower gamma-glutamyl transferase level were the main promoting factors of sarcopenia. Higher educational level, employment, physical exercise, calf circumference >31 cm, and gait speed >0.8 m/s were also factors to reduce sarcopenia. Sarcopenia prevalence in PLWH is higher than HIV-negative population. Given the importance and prevalence of sarcopenia among PLWH and its associated consequences (i.e., mortality and disability), determining its risk factors is of great importance. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders

Solving a capacitated p-median location allocation problem using genetic algorithm: a case study

Facility location-allocation problems have various applications in private and public sectors. A capacitated p-median problem is considered in this work which is computationally NPHard. The primary goal of this paper was to determine a set of p-facilities location in which all demand points are allocated and its average distance traveled from the customers' location to the selected p-facilities is minimized. In addition, the model also considered supplier's allocation for p facilities. A real world case study has been addressed, and genetic algorithm which consists of crossover and mutation operators was proposed in order to solve the problem. Computational results for different values of p were generated, and finally the optimum solution based on minimum cost was reported

Modeling the Local Rainfall Effects on Millimeter-Wave Propagation Using Homogeneous Meteorological Areas

The prediction of rain rate is one of the important topics in analyzing wireless communication systems, particularly in the analysis of broadband satellite links operating in the Ku-band (12-18 GHz), K-band (18-26.5 GHz), and Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz). A perfect physical model for the rain attenuation requires some parameters which are not available in most places on the Earth. This letter shows how to use the climatology skills to recognize homogeneous meteorological areas for two different countries and how to generalize the rain-rate attenuation prediction model of one city to another. The proposed method is then compared with the International Telecommunication Union model and the method of moments to confirm the results

The Relationship between Serum Uric Acid and Blood Sugar Levels in the Elderly Diabetic Patients of Amirkola City

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Several studies have indicated that serum uric acid increases in patients with pre-diabetes and the early of type 2 diabetes mellitus. As diabetes continues and blood sugar goes uncontrolled, the level of serum uric acid drops again. This study aimed to determine the relationship between serum uric acid and blood sugar levels in the elderly, diabetic patients of Amirkola city. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was a part of Amirkola Health and Ageing Project (AHAP). Blood samples were obtained from all the patients in order to measure the Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) and blood uric acid levels. Afterwards, the relationship between the serum uric acid and Blood Glucose was evaluated. FINDINGS: Of the 1525 older people aged 60 and over, 351(23%) were known to have type 2 diabetes and 116 people was diagnosed as diabetes mellitus based on the measurements of FBS. Data analysis revealed an inverse relationship between FBS and serum uric acid level (p=0.012, r=-0.054) and age (p=0.001, r=-0.090) whereas there was a direct relationship between FBS and Body Mass Index (BMI) (p=0.001, r=0.115). CONCLUSION: According to the findings of this study, FBSis inversely correlated with the serum uric acid and age whereas there is a direct correlation between BMI and FBS