Reference intervals for routine biochemical markers and body mass index: a study based on healthcare center database in northeastern Iran

Age‐ and sex‐specific reference intervals (RIs) for some biochemical tests may be useful for their interpretation, due to the variations in lifestyle and genetic, or ethnic factors. The aim of this study was to obtain RIs for some routine biochemical markers including a serum lipid profile, fasting blood glucose (FBG), aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (AST and ALT), uric acid, and body mass index (BMI) in subjects who attended primary healthcare centers. The large database of primary healthcare centers uses RIs to report results for children, adolescents, and young and old adults. RIs were obtained by using the indirect method, recommended by the CLSI Ep28‐A3 guidelines. RIs for FBG, BMI, and serum lipid profile, including triglyceride, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol in people aged 18 to 120 years, were obtained without age/sex segmentation. RIs for serum AST, ALT, and uric acid were obtained without age segmentation, though these RIs were higher in males than females. The RIs for AST, ALT, and uric acid were higher in men, while the RIs for the other variables were similar in both sexes. This is the first study reporting the use of indirect RIs for BMI

Effectiveness of Educational Intervention Based on Transtheoretical Model on Physical Activity and Menopausal Symptoms

Introduction. Menopause is an inevitable part of women’s lives. Physical activity as nonhormonal therapy can decrease the symptoms of menopause. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of educational intervention based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) on physical activity and menopausal symptoms of female clients of the health center in Pasargad City, Iran. Methods. This quasi-experimental study was performed on 140 females admitted to health center of Pasargad City, Fars Province, Iran (intervention=70 and control=70). The data collection tool consisted of demographic data, menopause rating scale, international physical activities questionnaire, and TTM questionnaire (stages of change, processes of change, decision-making balance, and self-efficacy) that were completed before and two months after intervention. For intervention group, the educational program was implemented during 5 sessions of 50–55 min. Data were analyzed by SPSS 25 and by using Chi-square test, independent t-test, and paired t-test. Results. After intervention, the mean scores of physical symptoms are sleep problems, muscle problems and discomfort, psychological symptoms, depression, irritability, and anxiety of intervention group decreased significantly post intervention (p<0.001). Analysis showed that psychological symptoms, mental fatigue, somatic, and urogenital symptoms, and vaginal dryness increased 2 months after the intervention. Also, the mean score of cons, pros, decision balance, self-efficacy, consciousness raising, dramatic relief, environmental reevaluation, and self-reevaluation have significant changed in intervention group (p<0.05). In addition, the top percent of progress can be seen in contemplation (31. 5%). Conclusion. This study showed the effectiveness of educational intervention based on TTM to reduce menopausal symptoms and promote physical activity in postmenopausal women

A hybrid approach to investigate the relationship between design factors and sustainability

Factors considered in product design have a significant impact on future cost and sustainability. Some factors such as materials, dimensions, and tolerances are crucial in the design process of many products. At the macro scale, this can give rise to environmental effects and influence the reliability and sustainability of the product. In this research, a hybrid system dynamics simulation-optimization approach has been proposed for tolerance design. In this approach, first, the optimal values of tolerance and price are determined by conjoint analysis. These values are entered into a system dynamics model to evaluate the relationships among sustainability, reliability, and customer satisfaction. Then, the impact of tolerance and other factors of product design on sustainability, reliability, and customer satisfaction are investigated. This approach can help decision-makers better understand the trade-off between design factors, resilience, sustainability, and customer satisfaction and make more informed decisions. The proposed method is illustrated for computer assembly step by step. The results show that lower sustainability and higher customer satisfaction are directly associated with tighter tolerances. Besides, lower sustainability, higher reliability, and higher customer satisfaction are associated with lower quality of materials. The validity of the model was examined using a boundary-adequacy test

Targeted treatment in viral‐associated inflammatory cardiomyopathy

Abstract Detection of viruses like HHV‐6 in endomyocardial biopsy or serum serology of patients with myocarditis or heart failure features unresponsive to conventional heart failure therapies could be a potential targeted treatment especially in refractory cases

Anti-Biofilm Effect of Ampicillin-Loaded Poly (Lactic-co-glycolic Acid) Nanoparticles Conjugated with Lysostaphin on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus exhibits the capacity to develop biofilms on various surfaces, encompassing both living and nonliving substrates, enabling it to develop resistance against the immune system and antibiotics. Therefore, this bacterium can cause numerous challenges in healthcare and treatment systems. The present study aimed to investigate the ampicillin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles' effect on preventing the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm formation when it is conjugated with lysostaphin. With the use of the double emulsion evaporation technique, nanodrug carriers were created. Physicochemical attributes of the nanoparticles, such as particle size, drug loading, PDI, encapsulation efficiency, zeta potential, efficiency of lysostaphin conjugation, and morphology, were measured. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), well diffusion, and other techniques were used to investigate the effect of the produced nanodrug carrier on strains of S. aureus. A toxicity test was conducted to examine the toxic effects of artificially generated nanomedicines on the L929 fibroblast culture. The nanoparticle average size, zeta potential, PDI, lysostaphin conjugation efficiency and drug loading encapsulation efficiency, and in the optimum PLGA-AMP-LYS (F4) formulation were 301.9 ± 32 nm, 0.261 ± 0.010, -19.2 ± 3.4 mV, 18.916 ± 1.6, and 94.53 ± 3.8, 40%, respectively. After 72 hours, neither the well diffusion nor MIC techniques revealed any discernible variation between ampicillin and nanodrug carriers. The biofilm investigation's findings, however, indicated that compared to the free drug, the hindering effect of the nanodrug carrier was greater after 72 hours. The toxicity test findings revealed that the synthesized nanodrug had no toxic effects on the cells. Given the excellent efficacy of the nanomedicine carrier established in the present study, applying this technology to combat hospital-acquired infections caused by Staphylococcus bacteria could yield significant benefits in managing staphylococcal infections.</p

Data-driven phenomapping for novel classification for cardiovascular outcomes compared with traditional obesity index: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

Objective This study aimed to propose a data-driven framework for classification of at-risk people for cardiovascular outcomes regarding obesity and metabolic syndrome.Design A population-based prospective cohort study with a long-term follow-up.Setting Data from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) were interrogated.Participants 12 808 participants of the TLGS cohort, aged ≥20 years who have followed for over 15 years were assessed.Main outcome measures Data for 12 808 participants, aged ≥20 years who have followed for over 15 years, collected through TLGS as a prospective, population-based cohort study, were analysed. Feature engineering followed by hierarchical clustering was used to determine meaningful clusters and novel endophenotypes. Cox regression was used to demonstrate the clinical validity of phenomapping. The performance of endophenotype compared with traditional classifications was evaluated by the value of Akaike information criterion/Bayesian information criterion. R software V.4.2 was employed.Results The mean age was 42.1±14.9 years, 56.2% were female, 13.1%, 2.8% and 6.2% had experienced cardiovascular disease (CVD), CVD mortality and hard CVD, respectively. Low-risk cluster compared with the high risk had significant difference in age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, 2 hours post load plasma glucose, triglyceride, triglycerides to high density lipoprotein ratio, education, marital status, smoking and the presence of metabolic syndrome. Eight distinct endophenotypes were detected with significantly different clinical characteristics and outcomes.Conclusion Phenomapping resulted in a novel classification of population with cardiovascular outcomes, which can, better, stratify individuals into homogeneous subclasses for prevention and intervention as an alternative of traditional methods solely based on either obesity or metabolic status. These findings have important clinical implications for a particular part of the Middle Eastern population for which it is a common practice to use tools/evidence derived from western populations with substantially different backgrounds and risk profiles

Association between the p53 codon 72 polymorphism and primary open-angle glaucoma risk: Meta-analysis based on 11 case–control studies

The TP53 is important in functions of cell cycle control, apoptosis, and maintenance of DNA integrity. Studies on the association between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) risk have yielded conflicting results. Published literature from PubMed and Web of Science databases was retrieved. All studies evaluating the association between p53 codon 72 polymorphisms and POAG were included. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Eleven separate studies including 2541 cases and 1844 controls were pooled in the meta-analysis. We did not detect a significant association between POAG risk and p53 codon 72 polymorphism overall population except allele genetic model (C vs. G: OR = 0.961, 95% CI = 0.961–0.820, P = 0.622). In the stratified analysis for Asians and Caucasians, there was an association between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and POAG. In the dominant model in the overall population and by ethnicity subgroups, the highest elevated POAG risk was presented. In summary, these results indicate that p53 codon 72 polymorphism is likely an important genetic factor contributing to susceptibility of POAG. However, more case–controls studies based on larger sample size and stratified by ethnicity are suggested to further clarify the relationship between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and POAG

Preconceived stakeholders' attitude toward telepathology: Implications for successful implementation

Introduction: Telepathology is a subdiscipline of telemedicine. It has opened new horizons to pathology, especially to the field of organizing consultations. This study aims to determine the capabilities and equipment required for the implementation of telepathology from the viewpoints of managers, IT professionals, and pathologists of the hospitals of West Azerbaijan, Iran. Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical study conducted as a cross-sectional study in 2015. All public and private hospitals of West Azerbaijan were selected as the study sites. The population of the study was the managers, directors, pathologists, and IT professionals of the hospitals. The study population was considered as the study sample. Data were collected using questionnaires. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires were assessed, and data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Product and Services Solutions, version 16.0, SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The mean awareness of the study population of telepathology in the studied hospitals was 2.43 with a standard deviation of 0.89. According to analysis results (F = 7.211 and P = 0.001), in the studied hospitals, the mean awareness of pathologists, managers, directors, and IT professionals' of telepathology is significant. In addition, the mean awareness of pathologists is higher than that of managers, directors, and IT professionals, and this relation is significant (P = 0.001). According to IT professionals, among the influential dimensions of the implementation of telepathology in the studied hospitals, the effect of all dimensions, except hardware capabilities, was above moderate level. Conclusion: According to our findings, stakeholders believe that the implementation of telepathology promotes the quality of health-care services and caring patients on the one hand and decreases health-care costs on the other hand. Therefore, it crucial and important to consider users' viewpoints into the process of implementing such systems as they play a vital role in the success or failure, and the accurate estimation of required sources, of the systems

In utero xenotransplantation of mice bone marrow-derived stromal/stem cells into fetal rat liver: A preliminary study

Background: Animals can play an important role in preparing tissues for human through the development of xenotransplantation protocols. The most common problem with liver transplantation like any other organ transplantation is organ supply shortage. Objective: To evaluate the in utero xenotransplantation of mouse bone marrow-derived stromal/stem cells (BMSCs) to the liver of rat fetus to produce mouse liver tissue. Materials and Methods: BMSCs were isolated and confirmed from enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP)-genetic labeled mice. Using a microinjection protocol, mice BMSCs were injected into the liver of rat fetuses in utero on day 14 of pregnancy. After birth, livers were collected and the presence of mice eGFP-positive cells in rat livers was evaluated through polymerase chain reaction. Results: The eGFP mRNA was detected in the liver of injected infant rats. BMSCs of adult mice were capable to remain functional probably as hepatocyte-like cells in liver of infant rats after in utero xenotransplantation. Conclusion: BMSCs have the potential for intrauterine xenotransplantation for the treatment of liver dysfunction before birth. This method can also be used for xenoproduction of liver tissue for transplantation. Key words: Xenotransplantation, Liver, Bone marrow, Stromal/stem cell, Murine