Simethicone for the Preparation before Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Aim. The presence of air bubbles and foam in stomach and duodenum is a common problem during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Methods. Candidates of elective EGD received 40 mg chewable tablet of simethicone (n = 90) or placebo (n = 83), with 30 mL water, 15–30 min before the EGD. Foam/air bubbles during endoscopy were assessed and graded on a 4-point scale, and patients' satisfaction with the endoscopy was scored from 0 to 10. Results. The amount of gastric but not duodenal foam/air bubbles was significantly lower in the simethicone group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.002). Duration of endoscopy was, on average, one minute shorter in the simethicone group compared with the placebo group (P < 0.001). Patients' satisfaction with the procedure was the same in the two groups. Conclusion. Administration of simethicone prior to EGD reduces the amount of gastric foam and bubbles and provides better visibility for evaluating the mucosa. It also decreases the duration of endoscopy. Further trials are required to find the final effect of the drug on diagnosis of pathological lesions

Status inconsistency of women: a study in Hamadan, Iran

This research investigates the status inconsistency among women in Hamadan province, Iran. The study was carried out in eight cities and 32 villages. Questionnaire was applied to collect data from 767 women from urban areas and 786 women from rural area. Data analysis was done by using SPSS software and multi-variable regressions. The results show considerable status inconsistency among women in Hamadan. In addition, with decreasing social status of women here, the status inconsistency increases and the rate of status inconsistency in the rural area was higher than the urban area

The effectiveness of short-term dynamic/interpersonal group therapy on perfectionism; assessment of anxiety, depression and interpersonal problems

Introduction: Perfectionism is acknowledged as a core vulnerability and a perpetuating factor in several psychopathologies. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of short-term dynamic/interpersonal group therapy on perfectionism and perfectionism-related distress such as anxiety, depression, and interpersonal problems. Method: This study is a quasi-experimental study applying clinical trial method and contains pre-test, post-test, follow-up periods and control group. The study population included students and the sample consisted of 30 people with extreme perfectionism, who were assigned in two groups of 15 people, experimental and waiting list groups using randomized block design. Research instruments included TMPS, PSPS, PCI, BDI-II, BAI and IIP-32 scales. In order to analyze the collected data, mixed analysis of variance and Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance were used in SPSS software version 22. Findings: The results show that the intervention in the experimental group compared to the waiting list group caused a clinically and statistically significant decrease in the mean scores. This result is observable and evident in all levels of perfectionism and psychological distress (anxiety, depression and interpersonal problems), except for the subscale of non-display of imperfection from the PSPS scale. These results were preserved through the follow-up periods. Discussion: These results show that short-term dynamic/interpersonal group therapy is effective in treating most of the components of perfectionism, and concerning its effectiveness; it reduced psychological distress and showed that the components pertaining to perfectionism are factors of vulnerability in this regard.

Social capital and human development: a meta analysis in Iran

This meta-analysis aims to assess the influence of social capital on the Human Development Index, Human Poverty Index, and Gender-related Development Index in Iran. The results reveal a positive and significant relationship between social capital and the human development index (HDI). The effect of social capital on the Human Poverty Index (HPI) was negative and significant. However, no significant relationship was found between social capital and the Gender-related Development Index (GDI)

Conjugation of R-Phycoerythrin to a Polyclonal Antibody and F (ab&apos;)2 Fragment of a Polyclonal Antibody by Two Different Methods

Abstract R-Phycoerythrin (R-PE), a fluorescent protein from phycobiliprotein family, is isolated from red algae. Conjugation of antibodies to R-PE facilitates multiple fluorescent staining methods. In the present study polyclonal antibodies and polyclonal F(ab&apos;)2 fragment antibodies were conjugated to R-PE by two different methods. The efficiency of the methods was evaluated using Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). In the first conjugation method, PE was attached to SMCC linker followed by conjugation of antibody to PE-SMCC. In the second method, SH groups were added onto R-PE molecule, while the antibody was attached to SPDP linker. Then, the antibody-SPDP molecule was conjugated to R-PE. Our results showed that the two conjugation methods did not have any abrogative effects on the antibody binding activity

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Analyzing a four quadrant dc-dc Luo converter by means of signal flow graph modeling technique

In this paper, the signal flow graph technique and Mason gain formula are applied for extracting small signal model and transfer functions from control to output and from input to output. In order to investigate a rather complex system, a four quadrant dc-dc Luo converter known as a second generation and high order power electronic converter is chosen for modeling and analyzing purposes. This converter has received the least attention and its dynamic modeling and analysis is not reported in literature. To get rid of complex equations in modeling high order converters, signal flow graph method is applied to manipulate the equations. Hence, the small signal models for two converters in different states are derived in detail and the obtained models are used to achieve the frequency responses and do stability analysis. The whole paper shows that using the proposed method, derivation of small signal models for all states and frequency domain analysis can be easily carried out in detail. Keywords: Frequency response, Four quadrant Luo converter, Mason gain formula, Modeling, Signal flow grap