Investigating the Relationship between Different Dimensions of Social Problem Solving and Problem-Focused Coping Styles

This study investigates the relationship between Different dimensions of social problem solving (Avoidance problem style, rational problem style, impulsive problem style, positive problem orientation, negative problem orientation) and problem-focused coping styles for educational stress in female and male master day students at state universities of Tehran. According to the correlation coefficients of problem-focused coping style at the error level of 5% in both female and male students, it is found that there is a significant relationship between the problem-focused coping style for stress and rational problem solving style in both male and female students and this relationship is stronger in male students. Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between the problem-focused coping style for stress and Positive Problem Solving Orientation in both male and female students and this relationship is stronger in male students. The results of this study indicate that the problem-focused style is the dominant approach among the students in coping with stress, thus the use of effective coping styles, which include the problem-focused coping style, helps the individual to overcome the stressful source and its symptoms

Association of ApaI and Taq1 polymorphic site of vitamin D receptor gene with bone mineral density in women aged 45 years and older

زمینه و هدف: پوکی استخوان یک بیماری خاموش است که مسبب کاهش در استحکام و تراکم بافت استخوانی بوده و منجر به افزایش شکستگی استخوان‌ها می‌شود. اهمیت پلی‌مورفیسم‌های ApaI و TaqI ژن گیرنده ویتامین D (VDR) در متابولیسم و تراکم استخوان در نقاط دیگر جهان نشان داده شده است. هدف از این مطالعه بررسی ارتباط بین این پلی مورفیسم ها با میزان تراکم استخوان در زنان 45 سال و بالاتر در استان چهارمحال و بختیاری بود. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی- تحلیلی، 200 خانم 45 سال و بالاتر مراجعه کننده به مراکز سنجش تراکم استخوان شهرکرد در سال های 92-1391 شرکت کردند. تراکم استخوان گردن ران و مهره های کمر با استفاده از روش DEXA اندازه گیری و براساس درجه T-Score آن ها به دو گروه بیمار (130) و سالم (70) تقسیم شدند. ژنوتیپ های مختلف (ApaI (AA/Aa/aa وTaq1 (TT/Tt/tt) با روش PCR RFLP تعیین و فراوانی آن ها در گروه بیمار محاسبه شد. یافته ها: بین پلی مورفیسم ApaI و میزان تراکم استخوان ارتباط معنی داری مشاهده نشد. پلی مورفیسم TaqI و میزان تراکم استخوان گردن ران ارتباط معنی داری داشت؛ ولی با تراکم استخوان مهره های کمری ارتباط معنی داری نداشت. بیماران دارای ژنوتیپ هموزیگوت غالب (TT) در مقایسه با ژنوتیپ های دیگر، کمترین میزان تراکم استخوان گردن ران را داشتند و میزان تراکم استخوان مهره‌های کمر در سه ژنوتیپ TaqI یکسان بود. نتیجه گیری: پلی مورفیسم TaqI ممکن است یک نشانگر خوب در تشخیص زنان مستعد پوکی استخوان در استان چهارمحال و بختیاری و حتی در ایران باشد. اگرچه باید جمعیت های دیگر و بزرگتری برای تأیید این نتایج مطالعه شوند

A Stereological and Biochemical Examination: Hepatoprotective Activity of Anthemis odontostephana Boiss. Ethanol Extract Against CCl4-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice

Background and objectives: In Iranian traditional medicine, Anthemis odontostephana Boiss has been used in treating gastric ulcers, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases. In the present study, hepatoprotective activity of A. odontostephana ethanol extract (AOEE) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in male mice has been evaluated.  Methods: In the present experimental study, Sixty male mice were divided into six groups (n=10); Group I was considered as control, received 1 mL/kg olive oil intraperitoneally and 0.5 mL distilled water through gavage. Group II was considered as untreated group, received 1 mg/kg CCl4 mixed with olive oil in the ratio of 1:1, intraperitoneally and 0.5 mL distilled water orally. Group III, IV, V and VI received CCl4 mixed with olive oil in the ratio of 1:1 intraperitoneally and 20, 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg of AOEE through gavage for 45 continuous days. On the last day, the animals of all groups were euthanized and blood and liver were collected for assessing biochemical and histological parameters. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Duncan’s tests. Results: Different doses of AOEE (especially AOEE160) could significantly (pConclusion: According to the obtained results, AOEE can regulate the biochemical parameters and inhibits hepatic damages in CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in mice

Investigating the Relationship between Different Dimensions of Social Problem Solving and Problem-Focused Coping Styles

This study investigates the relationship between Different dimensions of social problem solving (Avoidance problem style, rational problem style, impulsive problem style, positive problem orientation, negative problem orientation) and problem-focused coping styles for educational stress in female and male master day students at state universities of Tehran. According to the correlation coefficients of problem-focused coping style at the error level of 5% in both female and male students, it is found that there is a significant relationship between the problem-focused coping style for stress and rational problem solving style in both male and female students and this relationship is stronger in male students. Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between the problem-focused coping style for stress and Positive Problem Solving Orientation in both male and female students and this relationship is stronger in male students. The results of this study indicate that the problem-focused style is the dominant approach among the students in coping with stress, thus the use of effective coping styles, which include the problem-focused coping style, helps the individual to overcome the stressful source and its symptoms

The effect of hyperthyroidism on the levels of liver enzymes in adult male Wistar rats

 Thyrotoxicosis is a condition in which tissues are stimulated by increased secretion of thyroid hormone. The most common cause is diffuse toxic goiter and toxic multi-nodular goiter. For more reviews on this disease, the effects of hyperthyroidism on liver enzyme levels were studied. A total of 30 adult male Wistar rats weighing about 190 g were purchased from the Pasteur Institute of Iran. In this study, rats were divided into control group, the group receiving vitamin E, the group receiving levothyroxine, the group receiving levothyroxine treated with vitamin E; blood was taken from all groups over a period of 10 days after injection, and measurement of thyroid hormones and liver tests was made. The findings obtained in this study show that Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) hormone levels in rats treated with levothyroxine, Treatment with vitamin E may reduce serum levels of ISH , Hormone levels of T4 in the rats treated with levothyroxine were increased compared to normal rates. Treatment with vitamin E reduces serum levels of T4 compared to the first hyper group. T4 hormone levels in rats treated with levothyroxine were reduced compared to normal rates. Treatment with vitamin E may reduce serum levels of T4 compared with the first hyper group. Asparagine Transferase (AST) enzyme levels in rats treated with levothyroxine were increased compared, Treatment with vitamin E may reduce serum levels of AST , Alanine transferase (ALT) enzyme levels in rats treated with levothyroxine were increased , Treatment with vitamin E may increase serum levels of ALT , alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme levels in rats treated with levothyroxine has been increased compared with normal rates. Treatment with vitamin E resulted in serum levels of ALT not to be increased compared with the first group. According to the results of hyperthyroidism and levels of liver enzymes, it can be concluded that hyperthyroidism induced by levothyroxine can increase the levels of hormones T3, T4 and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), and then increase the levels of liver enzymes. Treatment of empirical samples with vitamin E is likely to reduce liver damages and prevent the increased levels of liver enzymes compared to empirical samples of hyperthyroidism which have been treated with vitamin E.

An integrated and comprehensive fuzzy multicriteria model for supplier selection in digital supply chains

Digital supply chains (DSCs) are collaborative digital systems designed to quickly and efficiently move information, products, and services through global supply chains. The physical flow of products in traditional supply chains is replaced by the digital flow of information in DSCs. This digitalization has changed the conventional supplier selection processes. We propose an integrated and comprehensive fuzzy multicriteria model for supplier selection in DSCs. The proposed model integrates the fuzzy best-worst method (BWM) with the fuzzy multi-objective optimization based on ratio analysis plus full multiplicative form (MULTIMOORA), fuzzy complex proportional assessment of alternatives (COPRAS), and fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The fuzzy BWM approach is used to measure the importance weights of the digital criteria. The fuzzy MULTIMOORA, fuzzy COPRAS, and fuzzy TOPSIS methods are used as prioritization methods to rank the suppliers. The maximize agreement heuristic (MAH) is used to aggregate the supplier rankings obtained from the prioritization methods into a consensus ranking. We present a real-world case study in a manufacturing company to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method

Growth and chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human adipose tissue on chitosan scaffolds

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Treatment of cartilage damage for any reason is associated with temporary relief of joint pain. Providing the possibility of differentiating various stem cells into adult tissues can contribute to recovery and treatment of damaged cartilage tissue in skeletal system. In this study, chondrogenic potential of chitosan scaffold, CH-β-GP-HEC, with stem cells derived from human adipose tissue. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, adipose tissue-derived stem cells were separated from abdomen of 15 patients who underwent inguinal hernia repair. 6-7×105 cells were cultured in plate one-dimensionally and on chitosan scaffold three-dimensionally for 21 days. MTT assay was run to evaluate the toxic effect of scaffold on cell viability. Proliferation and differentiation of cells were studied in the two types of culture after toluidine blue staining. To confirm the formation of cartilage, expression of collagen type II was assessed by immunohistochemistry. FINDING: In MTT assay, the average OD for cells cultured on scaffold is higher than 0. 8 compared with control group, which confirms the nontoxicity of scaffold for culturing stem cells (p>0. 05). Chondrogenic differentiation of cells on scaffold shows more glycosaminoglycan deposition in the extracellular matrix compared with one-layer culture. Moreover, in group with three-dimensional culture system, cells were spherical and the morphology of nucleus was different from one-layer culture. Regarding immunohistochemistry results, increased synthesis was observed in collagen type II as chondrogenesis markers in three-dimensional culture system compared with one-layer culture. CONCLUSION: Results of the study revealed that hydrogel scaffold, CH-β-GP-HEC, with porous structure provides a better environment for the growth of mesenchymal stem cells and their differentiation into cartilage tissue. © 2016, Babol University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019 : A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system level is important for understanding whether health services are aligned with countries' health profiles and are of sufficient quality to produce health gains for populations of all ages. Methods Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we assessed UHC effective coverage for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Drawing from a measurement framework developed through WHO's GPW13 consultation, we mapped 23 effective coverage indicators to a matrix representing health service types (eg, promotion, prevention, and treatment) and five population-age groups spanning from reproductive and newborn to older adults (≥65 years). Effective coverage indicators were based on intervention coverage or outcome-based measures such as mortality-to-incidence ratios to approximate access to quality care; outcome-based measures were transformed to values on a scale of 0–100 based on the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile of location-year values. We constructed the UHC effective coverage index by weighting each effective coverage indicator relative to its associated potential health gains, as measured by disability-adjusted life-years for each location-year and population-age group. For three tests of validity (content, known-groups, and convergent), UHC effective coverage index performance was generally better than that of other UHC service coverage indices from WHO (ie, the current metric for SDG indicator 3.8.1 on UHC service coverage), the World Bank, and GBD 2017. We quantified frontiers of UHC effective coverage performance on the basis of pooled health spending per capita, representing UHC effective coverage index levels achieved in 2019 relative to country-level government health spending, prepaid private expenditures, and development assistance for health. To assess current trajectories towards the GPW13 UHC billion target—1 billion more people benefiting from UHC by 2023—we estimated additional population equivalents with UHC effective coverage from 2018 to 2023. Findings Globally, performance on the UHC effective coverage index improved from 45·8 (95% uncertainty interval 44·2–47·5) in 1990 to 60·3 (58·7–61·9) in 2019, yet country-level UHC effective coverage in 2019 still spanned from 95 or higher in Japan and Iceland to lower than 25 in Somalia and the Central African Republic. Since 2010, sub-Saharan Africa showed accelerated gains on the UHC effective coverage index (at an average increase of 2·6% [1·9–3·3] per year up to 2019); by contrast, most other GBD super-regions had slowed rates of progress in 2010–2019 relative to 1990–2010. Many countries showed lagging performance on effective coverage indicators for non-communicable diseases relative to those for communicable diseases and maternal and child health, despite non-communicable diseases accounting for a greater proportion of potential health gains in 2019, suggesting that many health systems are not keeping pace with the rising non-communicable disease burden and associated population health needs. In 2019, the UHC effective coverage index was associated with pooled health spending per capita (r=0·79), although countries across the development spectrum had much lower UHC effective coverage than is potentially achievable relative to their health spending. Under maximum efficiency of translating health spending into UHC effective coverage performance, countries would need to reach $1398 pooled health spending per capita (US$ adjusted for purchasing power parity) in order to achieve 80 on the UHC effective coverage index. From 2018 to 2023, an estimated 388·9 million (358·6–421·3) more population equivalents would have UHC effective coverage, falling well short of the GPW13 target of 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC during this time. Current projections point to an estimated 3·1 billion (3·0–3·2) population equivalents still lacking UHC effective coverage in 2023, with nearly a third (968·1 million [903·5–1040·3]) residing in south Asia. Interpretation The present study demonstrates the utility of measuring effective coverage and its role in supporting improved health outcomes for all people—the ultimate goal of UHC and its achievement. Global ambitions to accelerate progress on UHC service coverage are increasingly unlikely unless concerted action on non-communicable diseases occurs and countries can better translate health spending into improved performance. Focusing on effective coverage and accounting for the world's evolving health needs lays the groundwork for better understanding how close—or how far—all populations are in benefiting from UHC

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens