Randomized Lagrangian Stochastic Approximation for Large-Scale Constrained Stochastic Nash Games

In this paper, we consider stochastic monotone Nash games where each player's strategy set is characterized by possibly a large number of explicit convex constraint inequalities. Notably, the functional constraints of each player may depend on the strategies of other players, allowing for capturing a subclass of generalized Nash equilibrium problems (GNEP). While there is limited work that provide guarantees for this class of stochastic GNEPs, even when the functional constraints of the players are independent of each other, the majority of the existing methods rely on employing projected stochastic approximation (SA) methods. However, the projected SA methods perform poorly when the constraint set is afflicted by the presence of a large number of possibly nonlinear functional inequalities. Motivated by the absence of performance guarantees for computing the Nash equilibrium in constrained stochastic monotone Nash games, we develop a single timescale randomized Lagrangian multiplier stochastic approximation method where in the primal space, we employ an SA scheme, and in the dual space, we employ a randomized block-coordinate scheme where only a randomly selected Lagrangian multiplier is updated. We show that our method achieves a convergence rate of $\mathcal{O}\left(\frac{\log(k)}{\sqrt{k}}\right)$ for suitably defined suboptimality and infeasibility metrics in a mean sense.Comment: The result of this paper has been presented at International Conference on Continuous Optimization (ICCOPT) 2022 and East Coast Optimization Meeting (ECOM) 202

In vitro investigation of antifungal activity of allicin alone and in combination with azoles against Candida species.

Candidiasis is a term describing infections by yeasts from the genus Candida, and the type of infection encompassed by candidiasis ranges from superficial to systemic. Treatment of such infections often requires antifungals such as the azoles, but increased use of these drugs has led to selection of yeasts with increased resistance to these drugs. In this study, we used allicin, an allyl sulfur derivative of garlic, to demonstrate both its intrinsic antifungal activity and its synergy with the azoles, in the treatment of these yeasts in vitro. In this study, the MIC50 and MIC90 of allicin alone against six Candida spp. ranged from 0.05 to 25 μg/ml. However, when allicin was used in combination with fluconazole or ketoconazole, the MICs were decreased in some isolates. Our results demonstrated the existing synergistic effect between allicin and azoles in some of the Candida spp. such as C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis, but synergy was not demonstrated in the majority of Candida spp. tested. Nonetheless, In vivo testing needs to be performed to support these findings

Social Determinants and Reproductive Factors of the Menopausal Symptoms among Women in Tabriz-Iran

  Background: Menopause is a natural event in which different degrees of psychosomatic changes occur. The social, demographic and behavioral factors in different nations have a significant effect on symptoms of menopause. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the personal, demographic, social and reproductive factors with symptoms of menopause and the frequency of the mental and physical symptoms of menopause among women in Tabriz, Northwest of Iran.   Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the clinics and health centers of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan and Iran. A total of 300 women aged 40-60 years filled a questionnaire on the socio demographic variables, reproductive history and symptoms checklist.  Results: Among the symptoms, muscle and joint pain (68.7%), and increased facial hair (20.5%) were the most and the least common ones respectively. According to participants, as age increases, the symptoms worsen (p=0.003).The frequency of the symptoms of the employed women was less than those of retired ones and housewives (p=0.001). The physical and mental symptoms had negative relation with educational status (p<0.05). An increase in the number of the children, the history of the oral contraceptive use and dysmenorrhea had positive relation with the frequency of the symptoms.  Conclusion: The quality of life of the women during menopause worsens with an increase in age and number of children, whereas it improves with higher educational levels and employment

Relationship Between Migraine and Abnormal EEG Findings in Children

How to Cite this Article: Nejad Biglari H, Rezayi A, Nejad Biglari H, Alizadeh M, Ahmadabadi F. Relationship Between Migraine and Abnormal EEG Findings in Children. Iran J Child Neurol 2012; 6(3): 21-24.ObjectiveMigraine is a disabling illness that causes absence from school andaffects the quality of life. It has been stated that headache may representan epileptic event. EEG abnormality is a prominent finding in children with migraine. The aim of this study was to evaluate EEG abnormalities in children with migraine.Materials & MethodsTwo-hundred twenty-eight children were enrolled into the study. Evaluation and following of cases was performed by one physician, paraclinical tests were used to increase the accuracy. The study wasconducted under the supervision of pediatric neurology masters and theselected cases were from different parts of the country.ResultsComparing EEG abnormalities in different types of migraine revealed that there is an association between them. There was also a significant difference between EEG abnormalities in different types of aura. Migraine type was associated with the patient’s age. Sleep disorders were more common in patients with a positive family history of seizure.ConclusionOur study disclosed migraine as a common problem in children with abnormalities present in approximately 20% of the patients. Migraine and abnormal EEG findings are significantly associated.ReferencesOttman, R, Lipton RB, Comorbidity of migraine and epilepsy. Neurology 1994 Nov;44(11):2105-10.Haut SR, Bigal ME, Lipton RB. Chronic disorders with episodic manifestations: focus on epilepsy and migraine.Lancet Neurol 2006 Feb;5(2):148-57.Piccinelli P, Borgatti R, Nicoli F, Calcagno P, Bassi MT,Quadrelli M et al. Relationship between migraine and epilepsy in pediatric age. Headache 2006 Mar;46(3):413-21.Hauser WA, Annegers JF, Anderson VE. Epidemiology and the genetics of epilepsy. Res Publ Assoc Res Nerv Ment Dis 1983;61:267-94.Yankovsky AE, Andermann F, Bernasconi A.Characteristics of headache associated with intractable partial epilepsy. Epilepsia 2005 Aug;46(8):1241-5.The International Classification of Headache Disorders:2nd edition. Cephalalgia 2004; 24 Suppl 1:9-160.Forderreuther S, Henkel A, Noachtar S, Straube A. Headache associated with epileptic seizures:epidemiology and clinical characteristics. Headache 2002 Jul-Aug;42(7):649-55.Lewis DW, Diamond S, Scott D, Jones V. Prophylactic treatment of pediatric migraine. Headache 2004 Mar;44(3):230-7.Holguin J, Fenichel G. Migraine. J Pediatrics 1967 Feb;70(2):290-7.Chu ML, Shinnar S. Headaches in children younger than7 years of age. Arch Neurol 1992 Jan;49(1):79-82.Friedman E, Pampiglione G. Recurrent headache inchildren (a clinical and electroencephalographic study).Arch Neurobiol 1974;37 SUPPL:115-76.Kramer U, Nevo Y, Neufeld MY, Harel S. The valueof EEG in children with chronic headaches. Brain Dev1994 Jul-Aug;16(4):304-8.Schon F, Blau JN. Post-epileptic headache and migraine.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1987 Sep;50(9):1148-52

Are the determinants of the progression to type 2 diabetes and regression to normoglycemia in the populations with pre-diabetes the same?

Funding The main project has been funded by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Expression of Long Non-Coding RNA H19 in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Objective: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 has essential roles in growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis ofmost cancers. H19 dysregulation is present in a large number of solid tumors and leukemia. However, the expressionlevel of H19 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has not been elucidated yet. The current study aimed to exploreH19 expression in ALL patients and cell lines. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted in bone marrow (BM) samples collected from 25patients with newly diagnosed ALL. In addition, we cultured the RPMI-8402, Jurkat, Ramos, and Daudi cell linesand assessed the effects of internal (hypoxia) and external (chemotherapy medications L-asparaginase [ASP] andvincristine [VCR]) factors on h19 expression. The expressions of H19, P53, c-Myc, HIF-1α and β-actin were performedusing quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method. Results: There was significantly increased H19 expression in the B-cell ALL (B-ALL, P<0.05), T-cell ALL (T-ALL,P<0.01) patients and the cell lines. This upregulation was governed by the P53, HIF-1α, and c-Myc transcriptionfactors. We observed that increased c-Myc expression induced H19 expression; however, P53 adversely affected H19expression. In addition, the results indicated that chemotherapy changed the gene expression pattern. There was aconsiderable decrease in H19 expression after exposure to chemotherapy medications; nonetheless, hypoxia inducedH19 expression through P53 downregulation. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that H19 may have an important role in pathogenesis in ALL and may act as apromising and potential therapeutic target

Estimation of Burden of Cystic Echinococcosis in Iran Using Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2018

Background: Human hydatidosis as a public concern has increased in a number of countries that have reduced control programs for the disease due to lack of resources or policies. We aimed to estimate Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) for human hydatidosis in Iran in 2018. Methods: Data were collected from the Center of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health &Medical Education, Tehran, Iran in 2018. To calculate DALYs, years of life lost due to premature death (YLL) with years of life with disability (YLD) were calculated according to the formula as DALY = YLL + YLD. The standard life expectancy lost method (SEYLL) was used to calculate the years lost due to premature death. Results: DALYs for human hydatidosis was calculated as 1210.12 years (YLD equals to 177.12 and YLL equals to 1033) in Iran for the year 2018. It was estimated to be 700.2 years for men and 509.8 years for women. DALYs in men were significantly different from women (P= 0.001) so DALYs were more in men than women were. YLD was calculated at 78.228 years in men and 98.892 years in women and in both men and women at 177.12 years. YLD was significantly different in women compared to men (P=0.001), so YLD in women was more than in men. Conclusion: We reached considerable indices for hydatidosis in our study. Therefore, disease prevention and control programs in Iran seem necessary by the policy makers. Keywords: Hydatidosis; Burden; Disability-adjusted life years; Human; Ira

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

فردی‌کردن فرآیند کیفری اطفال و نوجوانان در پرتو اسناد غیر الزام‌آور ملل متحد

Background and Aim: The principle of individualization of punishments is considered as one of the basic principles of criminal law systems that are very closely related to fundamental human rights. The purpose of this study is to investigate the principle of individualization in relation to the criminal process related to children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: This research is theoretical type; the research method is descriptive-analytical and the method of data collection is library, which was done by referring to documents, books and articles. Ethical Considerations: In this research, while observing the authenticity of the texts, honesty and fidelity have been observed. Findings: The findings of the present study show that non-binding UN documents, due to their high flexibility and inspiration from international human rights norms and principles, are highly consistent with the structures and norms of domestic systems in terms of content. Conclusion: Non-binding UN documents relating to children and adolescents in prison generally seek to prevent violations of the law by them. They also improve the treatment of children and adolescents accused or suspected of violating the law. Finally, by supporting children and adolescents deprived of their liberty, strengthening of the aggression and delinquency of them has been prevented, so that children can be reformed and return to their community and family. &nbsp; Please cite this article as: Alizadeh F, Abbasi A, Esmaili M. Individualization in the Juvenile Criminal Process in the Light of Non-Binding UN Documents. Bioethics Journal, Special Issue on Ethical &amp; Legal Reflections 2021; 99-115.زمینه و هدف: اصل فردی‌کردن مجازات‌ها به عنوان یکی از اصول مبنایی نظام‌های حقوق کیفری محسوب می‌شود که ارتباط بسیار نزدیکی با حقوق بنیادین بشری دارد. هدف از پژوهش حاضر بررسی اصل فردی‌کردن در ارتباط با فرآیند کیفری مربوط به اطفال و نوجوانان است. مواد و روش‌ها: تحقیق حاضر از حیث نوع، نظری است؛ ‌روش تحقیق به صورت توصیفی ـ تحلیلی می‌باشد و روش جمع‏آوری اطلاعات به صورت کتابخانه‏ای است که با مراجعه به اسناد، کتب و مقالات صورت گرفته است. ملاحظات اخلاقی: در این پژوهش، ضمن رعایت اصالت متون، صداقت و امانتداری رعایت شده است. یافته‌ها: یافته‌های پژوهش حاضر نشان می‌دهد که اسناد غیر الزام‌آور ملل متحد، به دلیل انعطاف‌پذیری بالا و الهام‌گرفتن از هنجارها و اصول حقوق بشر بین‌المللی، از نظر محتوایی، هماهنگی زیادی با ساختارها و هنجارهای نظام‌های داخلی دارند. نتیجه‌گیری: اسناد غیر الزام‌آور سازمان ملل متحد در ارتباط با اطفال و نوجوانانِ زندانی در یک دید کلی تلاش می‌کنند تا از نقض قانون توسط اطفال و نوجوانان در آتیه پیشگیری به عمل آورند. همچنین نحوه برخورد با اطفال و نوجوانان متهم یا مظنون به نقض قانون را بهبود بخشیده و ارتقا دهند و در نهایت با حمایت از اطفال و نوجوانان محروم از آزادی، مانع از تقویت روحیه پرخاشگری و بزه‌کاری در آنان شده، تا به واسطه آن کودکان اصلاح و به آغوش جامعه و خانواده خویش بازگردند