Evaluation of the sustainability of rural areas and application of the Delphi fuzzy technique and the artificial neural network: A case study of rural areas of northern Savadkouh County

Nowadays, paying attention to the issue of sustainability, especially in rural areas, has become a pivot in the policies and plans of countries in the world. Identifying the status of rural areas in terms of sustainability can be of great help in this regard. The purpose of this study is to assess the sustainability of rural areas in northern Savadkouh. The study used a descriptive method to analyze and collect data through a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study consisted of the villagers living in the villages of northern Savadkouh. A combination of the Delphi fuzzy technique and the artificial neural network was used to analyze the data. At the first, using the Delphi fuzzy method, the stability indices were localized. Then, using the artificial neural network method, the rural areas were divided into two clusters. The results showed that there was proper and balanced stability in the rural areas of the study area (CV = 0.062). In addition, the results of the One-Sample T-test showed a significant difference among the indexes except for the empathy index and the gender ratio. Also, in all the three dimensions of sustainability, the human and natural supports of the rural areas of the northern Savadkouh region had a good balance and equality. Finally, the findings showed that the villages of Burkhill and Ikew ranked first and second, and the villages of Hajikla and Baikorka ranked 14th and 15th in this regard

HBS Ag seroclearance and seroconversion time in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection

Background: Hepatitis B Surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance and seroconversion (development of antibodies against HBsAg) can increases the survival of Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the percentage and timing of HBsAg seroclearance and seroconversion in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Methods: 1026 patients with CHB infection who referred to a private clinic were included. These patients had been followed-up for an average of 15 years. The patients whose HBs Ag was cleared from the blood and remained negative until the end of follow-up were designated as HBs Ag serocleared and the patients whose HBs Ab was positive during follow-upwas designated as HBs Ag seroconverted. The time of seroclearance and seroconversion of patients was recorded. Liver function tests, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and Hepatitis B early antigen (HBe Ag) status were extracted from the patients’ medical records. Data were analysis with SPSS 17. Results: The duration of follow-up was from 2 to 410 months and most patients were males (58.2). The survival rate of HBs Ag positivity after 5, 10 and 15 years were 95.6, 89.4 and 80.7, and 98, 93.5 and 84.9 of patients had not yet developed anti-HBs antibodies after 5, 10 and 15 years, respectively. Age, gender and taking medication had no effect on HBs Ag clearance from the blood or anti-HBs production Conclusion: The HBs Ag seroconversion is a rare occurrence, but the incidence of this may increase with time, age and drug consumption. Though there was no relationship in our patients &#160

Evaluation the helicobacter pylori infection in asthmatic children compared to control group

Background: Asthma is a highly prevalent chronic respiratory disease in children. Moreover, the underlying causes of asthma exacerbation are important because they are effective in controlling and preventing asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the helicobacter pylori infection in controlled and uncontrolled asthmatic children compared to healthy children. Methods: This case- control study was done on 120 children aged 6-14 years with moderate to severe asthma. Diagnosis of asthma was performed according to GINA criteria with respect to the history and clinical examination. In addition, 120 healthy children without asthma were considered as the control group. Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test was evaluated for all patients. In addition to the above information, age, sex, duration of asthma and gastrointestinal symptoms were also recorded for each patient. Data were analyzed using SPSS15, Chi-square and Fisher's exact test and T-test. Results: The mean age of children in the asthmatic and healthy children was 8.3±2 and 8.5±2.3, respectively (p=0.479). Totally, 57.5% and 58.3% of children were boys in the control group, and in asthmatic group, respectively. Thirty percent of children in the control group and 8.3% of children with asthma were H. pylori positive (p=0.000). Mean duration of asthma in children with H. pylori positive (3.3±1.55) and H. pylori negative (3.33±1.56) stool antigen showed no significant difference (p=0.944). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that there was an inverse relation between helicobacter pylori infection and asthma

Psychometric properties of Persian version of wound-QOL questionnaire among older adults suffering from chronic wounds

BackgroundPatients with chronic wounds experience various biopsychosocial problems which severely affects their quality of life (QoL). Thus, a Persian instrument to assess the QoL of these patients is required. This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the wound-QOL questionnaire.MethodsThis methodological study was performed on Iranian patients during 2021–2022. The translation was carried out via forward-backward method. Face validity was addressed with 10 patients and content validity with 12 wound specialists. Construct validity was also assessed by performing exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 100) and convergent validation with EQ-5D-3L plus Pain VAS Score and known-groups validity. The reliability was assessed by internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and test–retest.ResultsA total of 100 patients with chronic wounds were included in the study. Two factors with cumulative variance of 65.39% were extracted during EFA. The results revealed a significant and high correlation between the total scores of wound-QOL questionnaire, the Persian version of EQ-5D-3L (p = 0.000, r = 0.502), and Pain score (0–10; p = 0.000, r = 0.627). The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.743 and stability of the questionnaire (α = 0.872) was confirmed. In confirming the known-groups validity, the results showed that this tool can differentiate the QOL of patients with different wounds.ConclusionThe Persian version of the wound-QOL questionnaire is a valid and reliable questionnaire which can measure the QoL of patients with chronic wounds. This instrument can be used in clinical evaluation as well as research purposes across the Iranian population

Successful IgM-enriched immunoglobulin treatment in severe COVID-19 pneumonia: a case report

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has turned into one of the most considerable challenges worldwide. The optimal treatment strategy, particularly in severely ill patients, is still unrecognized. IgM-enriched immunoglobulin (Pentaglobin®, Biotest AG, Dreieich, Germany) contains IgM, IgA and IgG against a variety of pathogens representing passive immune protection for affected individuals and it may be effective in the treatment of COVID-19. On March 16, 2020, a 32-year-old woman presented to Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, Iran. On admission, the peripheral oxygen saturation (O2 Sat) was 84%. Spiral chest computed tomography (CT) scan revealed bilateral ground-glass opacification (GGO) involvement. On March 19, 2020, the clinical condition was deteriorated, and her O2 Sat decreased to 70% in ambient air. Treatment with IgM-enriched immunoglobulin was immediately initiated over the course of three days (total dose for the patient was calculated to be 1500 ml). On the seventh day of hospitalization, the patient was discharged with satisfactory general condition, without any complaints, and with stable vital signs and O2 Sat of 95% on room air. In conclusion, IgM-enriched immunoglobulin could be considered as a potential option for the treatment of severely ill patients with COVID-19