Haptoglobin genotypic distribution in Iranian patients with coronary heart disease

Haptoglobin is a plasma protein with hemoglobin binding capacity. Haptoglobin has important biological functions such as binding to free hemoglobin and removes it from the circulation, thus preventing iron loss and kidney damage during intravascular hemolysis, superior antioxidant capacity, protection against free radicals. Studies on the distribution of Hp show that the gene frequencies of Hp dependent on geographical and genetic family. In the other, several authors have showed the correlation between HP types and different diseases, such as inflammation, infection, cardiovascular diseases and malignant tumors.Smoking, hypertention,diabetes mellitus and serum lipid concentrations are risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases. In addition, Hp polymorphism has been proposed as a risk factor for developing atherosclerotic vasculare disease. In this study, the association between Haptoglobin genotypic distribution and the incidence of coronary heart disease investigated. 50 Iranian patients with coronary heart disease were randomly selected. Genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. In PCRs with primers A and B, amplification products of 1757 and 3481 bp were amplified from genomic DNA containing alleles Hp1 and Hp2, respectively. In the population studied, the distribution of haptoglobin polymorphism was 36% (n = 18) for the Hp1-1 type, 62% (n =31) for the HP1-2 type, and 2% (n = 1) for the HP2-2 type.  The trend in this study showing a lower frequency of 3-vessel disease and less severe coronary artery stenosis in patients with the HP1-1 phenotype than in patients with the HP1-2 phenotypes may be indicative of a protective effect of the HP1-1 phenotype against the development of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease

Comparison of outcome of assisted reproductive methods in patient with polycystic ovaries syndrome and tubal factor

چکیده: زمینه و هدف: تخمدان پلی کیستیک شایع ترین علت در زنان با نازایی به دلیل عدم تخمک گذاری است. شواهدی از ارتباط این اختلال با وجود هورمون های غیر طبیعی در خون وجود دارد. مشخصه های آندوکرینی غیر طبیعی در زنان مبتلا به این سندرم وجود دارد که اثرات آن بر روی تکامل ابتدایی سلول تخم و حاملگی روشن نیست. مطالعه حاضر برای تعیین این اثرات به مقایسه میزان لقاح، کیفیت رویان و میزان حاملگی در زنان با سندرم تخمدان پلی کیستیک و زنان با نازایی لوله پرداخته است. روش بررسی: نوع مطالعه کوهورت آینده نگر است و بر روی 130 زن با سندرم تخمدان پلی کیستیک و 130 زن با نازایی لوله ایی که در مرکز ناباروری اصفهان تحت درمان با تکنیک های کمک باروری قرار گرفته بودند انجام شد. تعداد اووسیت به دست آمده، میزان لقاح (نسبت تعداد اووسیت لقاح یافته به تعداد اووسیت)، تعداد رویان، کیفیت رویان، میزان حاملگی کلینیکی در دو گروه مورد ارزیابی و مقایسه قرار گرفت. یافته ها: نتایج نشان داد میانگین تعداد اووسیت، تعداد رویان و اسکور تجمعی کیفیت رویان در زنان با سندرم تخمدان پلی کیستیک بیش از گروه زنان با نازایی لوله ایی بود (05/0(

The Relationship between Cognitive Social Theory and Physical Activity in Pregnant Women

BackgroundAlthough following a suitable sports program with mild intensity promoted the health of mother's who had healthy pregnancy and caused no harm to the growing fetus; pregnant women usually choose to live a sedentary life. This study was conducted to determine the psychological factors related to physical activity in pregnant women. Materials and MethodsThis descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted on 201 pregnant women who referred to Isfahan health center, Iran. Data gathering tools included a questionnaire on physical activity during pregnancy and a questionnaire to evaluate variables related to social cognitive theory. The validity of socio-cognitive questionnaires was approved by expert professors and their reliability was approved using internal consistency and Cronbach's alpha (above 0.6). Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16.0) through descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient test and linear regression.Results: The greatest amount of physical activity was related to activities in a moderate level. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between three variables of socio-cognitive theory and several levels of physical activity. There was also a significant relationship between variable of observational learning and physical activity in a moderate level and total activity (

Teacher’s Perspectives on Null Curriculum in BA Level: 21st Century Skills in TEFL

Known as what educational contexts do not teach, null curriculum has been considered one of the most significant types of curricula due to its absence, being left out or overlooked. This non-existent curriculum brings an important theoretical tool to the field of curriculum development for the idea that something which is not offered to students has an educational significance and effect. To follow the purpose of the study which is teachers' perspectives on the null curriculum at the BA level, 300 university instructors were selected to participate in this study. To answer the research questions various statistical methods (one-way ANOVA, independent sample t-test, Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Scheffe’s test) have been utilized. Results of this quantitative study revealed that among the sub-constructs of the 21st century, critical thinking, collaboration skills, creativity and innovation skills, self-direction skills, technological literacy, global and local connection skills, economic and financial literacy, business and entrepreneurial literacy and media literacy should be considered as aspects of the null curriculum in TEFL curriculum in BA level in Iran, and they should be added to the present curriculum; however, communication skills are not regarded as aspects of null. In addition, Iranian EFL university instructors’ ratings on different components of 21st-century skills as one aspect of the null curriculum significantly differed. Finally, a model was proposed to describe the relationship between the ratings of the components of 21st-century skills as one aspect of the null curriculum by Iranian EFL university instructors. The findings of the present study can help to a better understanding of the ELT curriculum, aspects of the null curriculum, and 21st-century skills in the Iranian context

Royal jelly significantly alters inflammasome pathways in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Royal jelly (RJ) plays immunomodulatory role in humans. Further, role played by inflammasomes against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and involvement in its complications are well known. Here, we evaluated the effects of RJ on the relative expression of apoptosis associated with speck-like protein (ASC), node like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain containing 1 (NLRP1), NLRP3, S100 calcium binding protein A4 (S100A4), and S100A9, as the immune system-related molecules in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. RJ was administrated for 1 month (@1 g/day), to the patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. The relative expressions of ASC, NLRP1, NLRP3, S100A4 and S100A9 were evaluated using Real-Time PCR. The results showed that RJ increased the expression of ASC, but decreased the expression of NLRP1 in the patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Relative expressions of NLRP3, S100A4, and S100A9 were not altered following treatment with RJ. There were no significant differences between men and women regarding the relative expression of the molecules. The results suggest that RJ can modulate immune responses via downregulation of NLRP1. The roles played by ASC in other pathways suggest that the upregulation of ASC could be associated with its immunomodulatory potential

Cross-sectional and longitudinal assessments of risk factors associated with hypertension and moderately increased albuminuria comorbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes: a 9-year open cohort study.

Background: Moderately increased albuminuria (MIA) is strongly associated with hypertension (HTN) in patients with type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM). However, the association between risk factors and coexisting HTN and MIA remains unassessed. Objectives: This study aimed to determine both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of risk factors with HTN and MIA comorbidity in patients with T2DM. Methods: A total of 1,600 patients with T2DM were examined at baseline and longitudinal data were obtained from 1,337 T2DM patients with at least 2 follow-up visits to assess the presence of HTN alone (yes/no), MIA alone (yes/no) and the coexistence of both (yes/no) in a 9-year open cohort study between 2004 and 2013. Bivariate mixed-effects logistic regression with a Bayesian approach was employed to evaluate associations of risk factors with HTN and MIA‎ comorbidity in the longitudinal assessment. Results: After adjustment for age and BMI, patients with uncontrolled plasma glucose, as a combined index of the glucose profile, were more likely to have HTN [odds ratio (OR): 1.73 with 95% Bayesian credible intervals (BCI) 1.29-2.20] and MIA [OR: 1.34 (‎95% BCI 1.13-1.62)]. The risks of having HTN and MIA were increased by a one-year raise in diabetes duration [with 0.89 (95% BCI 0.84-0.96) and 0.81 (95% BCI 0.73-0.92) ORs, respectively] and a one-unit increase in non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (Non-HDL-C) [with 1.30 (95% BCI 1.23-1.34) and 1.24 (95% BCI 1.14-1.33) ORs, respectively]. Conclusions: T2DM patients with HTN,‎ MIA, and the coexistence of both had uncontrolled plasma glucose, significantly higher Non-HDL-C, and shorter diabetes duration than the other T2DM patients. Duration of diabetes and uncontrolled plasma glucose index showed the stronger effects on HTN and MIA comorbidity than on each condition separately

An investigation on permethrin-treated military uniforms against diurnal mosquitoes under field conditions

Background: Military forces are exposed to mosquito bites because of their duties. In addition to the nuisance caused by mosquito bites, they are the vector of some vector-borne diseases in many countries of the world. Impregnation of military uniforms with permethrin is one of the most effective methods of protecting military personnel. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of permethrin-impregnated uniforms against diurnal mosquitoes under field conditions.Methods:  In this study, one of the most common uniforms used in the Iranian military was treated by permethrin (0.125 mg. permethrin ai/cm2) and evaluated against the natural population of day-biting mosquitoes, in the rural area with Eight participants, three of them put on the treated uniforms and the other one of them wore the untreated uniforms and Four officers were also appointed as collectors.Results: The average number of bites in those who wore untreated uniforms (control) was 1.8/min/person (107.8/hr), while it was 0.16 (9.83/hr) for treated uniforms. The protection of treated uniforms was about 91%. The knockdown rate for Culex and Aedes mosquitoes was 95.92% and 94.44%, respectively. The mortality rate in Culex was 98.59% and 98.61% in Aedes mosquitoes when exposed to treated uniforms.Conclusion: In this study, military uniforms impregnated with permethrin showed significant protection against the bites of Culex and Aedes mosquitoes. This intervention can be used to protect military personnel from the bites of Culex and Aedes these mosquitoes and to reduce the diseases transmitted by these mosquitoes.Keywords: Permethrin; Military uniforms; Impregnation; Mosquitoe

Fracture and self-sensing characteristics of super-fine stainless wire reinforced reactive powder concrete

YesSuper-fine stainless wire (SSW) can not only form widely distributed enhancing, toughening and conductive network in reactive powder concrete (RPC) at low dosage level, but also improve weak interface area and refine cracks due to its micron scale diameter and large specific surface. In addition, the crack resistance zone generated by SSWs and RPC matrix together has potential to further enhance the fracture properties of composites. Therefore, fracture and self-sensing characteristics of SSW reinforced RPC composites were investigated in this paper. Experimental results indicated that adding 1.5 vol. % of SSW leads to 183.1% increase in the initial cracking load of RPC specimens under three-point bending load. Based on two parameter fracture model calculations, an increase of 203.4% in fracture toughness as well as an increase of 113.3% in crack tip opening displacement of the composites reinforced with 1.5% SSWs are achieved. According to double-K fracture model calculations, the initiation fracture toughness and unstable fracture toughness of the composites are enhanced by 185.2% and 179.2%, respectively. The increment for fracture energy of the composites reaches up to 1017.1% because of the emergence of blunt and tortuous cracks. The mixed mode Ⅰ-Ⅱ fracture toughness of the composites is increased by 177.1% under four-point shearing load. The initial angle of mixed mode Ⅰ-Ⅱ cracks of the composites decreases with the increase of SSW content. The initiation and propagation of cracks in the composites can be monitored by their change in electrical resistivity. The excellent fracture toughness of the composites is of great significance for the improvement of structure safety in serviceability limit states, and the self-sensing ability of the composites can also provide early warning for the degradation of structure safety.National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC0705601), the National Science Foundation of China (51578110), China Postdoctoral Science Fundation (2019M651116) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China (DUT18GJ203)

Tracking development assistance for health and for COVID-19 : a review of development assistance, government, out-of-pocket, and other private spending on health for 204 countries and territories, 1990-2050

Background The rapid spread of COVID-19 renewed the focus on how health systems across the globe are financed, especially during public health emergencies. Development assistance is an important source of health financing in many low-income countries, yet little is known about how much of this funding was disbursed for COVID-19. We aimed to put development assistance for health for COVID-19 in the context of broader trends in global health financing, and to estimate total health spending from 1995 to 2050 and development assistance for COVID-19 in 2020. Methods We estimated domestic health spending and development assistance for health to generate total health-sector spending estimates for 204 countries and territories. We leveraged data from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database to produce estimates of domestic health spending. To generate estimates for development assistance for health, we relied on project-level disbursement data from the major international development agencies' online databases and annual financial statements and reports for information on income sources. To adjust our estimates for 2020 to include disbursements related to COVID-19, we extracted project data on commitments and disbursements from a broader set of databases (because not all of the data sources used to estimate the historical series extend to 2020), including the UN Office of Humanitarian Assistance Financial Tracking Service and the International Aid Transparency Initiative. We reported all the historic and future spending estimates in inflation-adjusted 2020 US$, 2020 US$ per capita, purchasing-power parity-adjusted US$per capita, and as a proportion of gross domestic product. We used various models to generate future health spending to 2050. Findings In 2019, health spending globally reached$8. 8 trillion (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 8.7-8.8) or $1132 (1119-1143) per person. Spending on health varied within and across income groups and geographical regions. Of this total,$40.4 billion (0.5%, 95% UI 0.5-0.5) was development assistance for health provided to low-income and middle-income countries, which made up 24.6% (UI 24.0-25.1) of total spending in low-income countries. We estimate that $54.8 billion in development assistance for health was disbursed in 2020. Of this,$13.7 billion was targeted toward the COVID-19 health response. $12.3 billion was newly committed and$1.4 billion was repurposed from existing health projects. $3.1 billion (22.4$2.4 billion (17.9%) was for supply chain and logistics. Only $714.4 million (7.7$1519 (1448-1591) per person in 2050, although spending across countries is expected to remain varied. Interpretation Global health spending is expected to continue to grow, but remain unequally distributed between countries. We estimate that development organisations substantially increased the amount of development assistance for health provided in 2020. Continued efforts are needed to raise sufficient resources to mitigate the pandemic for the most vulnerable, and to help curtail the pandemic for all. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 359 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

How long one lives, how many years of life are spent in good and poor health, and how the population's state of health and leading causes of disability change over time all have implications for policy, planning, and provision of services. We comparatively assessed the patterns and trends of healthy life expectancy (HALE), which quantifies the number of years of life expected to be lived in good health, and the complementary measure of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), a composite measure of disease burden capturing both premature mortality and prevalence and severity of ill health, for 359 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories over the past 28 years. Methods We used data for age-specific mortality rates, years of life lost (YLLs) due to premature mortality, and years lived with disability (YLDs) from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 to calculate HALE and DALYs from 1990 to 2017. We calculated HALE using age-specific mortality rates and YLDs per capita for each location, age, sex, and year. We calculated DALYs for 359 causes as the sum of YLLs and YLDs. We assessed how observed HALE and DALYs differed by country and sex from expected trends based on Socio-demographic Index (SDI). We also analysed HALE by decomposing years of life gained into years spent in good health and in poor health, between 1990 and 2017, and extra years lived by females compared with males. Findings Globally, from 1990 to 2017, life expectancy at birth increased by 7·4 years (95% uncertainty interval 7·1-7·8), from 65·6 years (65·3-65·8) in 1990 to 73·0 years (72·7-73·3) in 2017. The increase in years of life varied from 5·1 years (5·0-5·3) in high SDI countries to 12·0 years (11·3-12·8) in low SDI countries. Of the additional years of life expected at birth, 26·3% (20·1-33·1) were expected to be spent in poor health in high SDI countries compared with 11·7% (8·8-15·1) in low-middle SDI countries. HALE at birth increased by 6·3 years (5·9-6·7), from 57·0 years (54·6-59·1) in 1990 to 63·3 years (60·5-65·7) in 2017. The increase varied from 3·8 years (3·4-4·1) in high SDI countries to 10·5 years (9·8-11·2) in low SDI countries. Even larger variations in HALE than these were observed between countries, ranging from 1·0 year (0·4-1·7) in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (62·4 years [59·9-64·7] in 1990 to 63·5 years [60·9-65·8] in 2017) to 23·7 years (21·9-25·6) in Eritrea (30·7 years [28·9-32·2] in 1990 to 54·4 years [51·5-57·1] in 2017). In most countries, the increase in HALE was smaller than the increase in overall life expectancy, indicating more years lived in poor health. In 180 of 195 countries and territories, females were expected to live longer than males in 2017, with extra years lived varying from 1·4 years (0·6-2·3) in Algeria to 11·9 years (10·9-12·9) in Ukraine. Of the extra years gained, the proportion spent in poor health varied largely across countries, with less than 20% of additional years spent in poor health in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, and Slovakia, whereas in Bahrain all the extra years were spent in poor health. In 2017, the highest estimate of HALE at birth was in Singapore for both females (75·8 years [72·4-78·7]) and males (72·6 years [69·8-75·0]) and the lowest estimates were in Central African Republic (47·0 years [43·7-50·2] for females and 42·8 years [40·1-45·6] for males). Globally, in 2017, the five leading causes of DALYs were neonatal disorders, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALY rates decreased by 41·3% (38·8-43·5) for communicable diseases and by 49·8% (47·9-51·6) for neonatal disorders. For non-communicable diseases, global DALYs increased by 40·1% (36·8-43·0), although age-standardised DALY rates decreased by 18·1% (16·0-20·2)