Beyond V2C: Entrepreneur’s Risks and Returns in the Era of Networked and Global Business

V2G model goes beyond V2C model and proposes an entrepreneur’s personal view of the risks and returns as compared to that of the firm’s risks-return tradeoffs. At the growth stages, the partnership of co-entrepreneurs and VC or IPO also means risk sharing for the original entrepreneur or founder. Larger group of founders and early stage actors allow the entrepreneur to consider him or herself differently, even lower the “risk” of his or her job than the traditional entrepreneurs. V2G model combine the best parts of the roles as an entrepreneur (owner) and hired manager. Thus, in this case, it is not any more only “your” firm, but a rapidly-growing enterprise with the corresponding V2G mindset. This V2G mindset avoids negative effect of a single owner. The separation of the roles of the owner and manager will allow the entrepreneur-founder to adequately cope with them. In sum, V2G model points out three proposals: first, it examines risks and returns from entrepreneur’s individual viewpoint; secondly it explores risks and ambitions between individual and enterprise; and finally it describes the importance of the ownership development of the enterprise and development of the value of the enterprise

Study of age at first myocardial infarction in patients in Iran: A national study

Background and Objectives: Determining and monitoring the age at myocardial infarction (MI) and its comparison in various regions is one of the vital and basic principles for the management of MI. This study was conducted to determine the age at the first MI in Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional, analytical study at a national level, the data of 20750 new MI patients registered in 2012 in 31 provinces of Iran according to the cardiologist’s diagnosis, World Health Organization criteria, and the codes ICD10: 121-122 were used. The calculations were done using the Stata 12 software. Results: The mean±SD of age at the first MI was 61.2±13.4 years in all patients in Iran. Moreover, 15033 (72.4%) patients were male with a mean age of 59.6±13.3 years. The mean age at MI in men was lower than women (65.4±12.6 years), showing a statistical significance (P<0.001).The mean age at MI was different among Iran provinces, with a statistical significance (P<0.001). The lowest mean age at the first MI was seen in the patients living in Semnan (59.1±12.9 years), followed by Tehran (60.4±13.5 years), Sistan va Balouchestan (60.3±13.9 years), and Lorestan (60.1±14.5 years), with a significant difference from the mean age of the patients in Ardabil (63.2±15.1 years) and Zanjan (64.4±112.8 years) (P<0.019). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the age at MI was approximately five years younger in men than women. This studyprovided the ground for monitoring the age at MI, and more effective management of cardiovascular diseases in Iran

Geographical pattern of in-hospital mortality due to myocardial infarction in Iran

Background and purpose: So far, no spatial analysis of in-hospital mortality due to myocardial infarction (MI) has been conducted in Iran. The present study was performed to determine the geographical pattern of mortality due to myocardial infarction in Iran. Materials and methods: In a prospective hospital-based study, we used the data of cases with MI registered by Myocardial Infarction Registry of Iran, 2012. For spatial analysis, LISA, Global Moran’s I, and Getis-Ord’s statistics were used. Data was analyzed using Stata software and ArcGIS 9.3 Results: A total of 20,750 patients was admitted to hospital due to MI and 2511 (12.1%) deaths occurred (median age at death: 65.2 ± 15.2). The incidence of death from MI did not follow a particular pattern (Moran's Index: 0.141, P-value = 0.126). The highest standardized incidence rates of in-hospital mortality from MI in 100,000 population were observed in Ardebil (31), North Khorasan (23.7), Yazd (20.2), West Azerbaijan (19.1) and Khuzestan (18.4). The lowest incidence rates were found in Sistan-Baluchestan and Khorasan provinces. Conclusion: This study supports the hypothesis of random pattern of mortality due to myocardial infarction in Iran

Heart Failure, the Outcomes, Predictive and Related Factors in Iran

Background and purpose: Heart failure (HF) is a serious issue concerning public health in all countries. Assessment and monitoring of mortality and influencing factors are of great importance in HF treatment programs. This study was conducted to determine the incidence of HF and the associated factors in Iran. Materials and methods: In this study, we did two main, independent analyses. One was a cohort analysis and the other a nested case-control. The study population included 1691 patients with HF (case group) and 6464 individuals without HF (control group). They were recruited from a hospital-based cohort in cardiology wards of hospitals across Iran in 2012. Results: The incidence rate and the 95 confidence interval of HF was 8.1: 95CI: 7.7-8.5 in study population (per 100 person-year). HF Incidence was higher in women than that of the men (95 8.6: 7.9-9.4 and 95 CI: 7.9: 7.5-8.3, respectively). The highest incidence of HF was observed in Khouzestan and Guilan provinces (9.05 and 7.51, per 100 person-year, respectively) while the lowest incidence was found in Zanjan and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad (0.47 per 100 person-year). We found atrial fibrillation (AF), coronary artery bypass grafting, and ventricular tachycardia with highest contribution to mortality in patients with HF. Cerebral vascular attack, diabetes type II, hypertension, and the occurrence of disease in cold seasons were among the main determinants for HF incidence. Conclusion: This study showed different distribution of HF in different parts of Iran. The study suggests that identifying the risk factors predicting the incidence of HF could play a major role in developing efficient programs to reduce the rate of mortality due to HF. © 2014, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Epidemiological pattern of myocardial infarction and modelling risk factors relevant to in-hospital mortality: the first results from the Iranian Myocardial Infarction Registry

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) care and treatment contribute greatly to the patients' fatality and mortality. Assessing and monitoring mortalities and the effective factors are necessary in MI care and treatment programs. No comprehensive and population-based study has yet been conducted in Iran to determine the epidemiological pattern of MI, and particularly in-hospital mortality rate and the effective factors. Aim: To determine the epidemiological pattern of MI based on person-, time-, place-, and mortality-associated risk factors. Methods: This was a prospective, population-based cohort study, which analysed the data of 20,750 MI patients in Iran in 2012. MI was diagnosed based on ICD-10: codes I21 and I22. The cohort of the patients was defined in terms of the date at diagnosis, hospitalisation, and the date at discharge (recovery or death due to MI). The in-hospital mortality rate was calculated by Cox regression. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were used to determine the effective factors on the patients' mortality. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval CI]) was reported using Stata software. Results: The relative frequency of in-hospital mortality was 12.1%. The in-hospital mortality rate was higher in women than in men, and 6.74 (95% CI 6.4-7.0) per 100 person-years were at risk of death. The highest relative mortality (13.2%) was obtained in January (11 Dey to 11 Bahman in the Persian calendar) and the lowest (5.9%) in May (11 Ordibehest to 10 Khordad in the Persian calendar). Age of over 84 years, female gender, educational level, smoking, lack of thrombolytic therapy, type 2 diabetes, chest pain prior to arriving in hospital, right bundle branch block, ventricular tachycardia, percutaneous coronary intervention, lateral MIs, and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were determinants of in-hospital mortality in the patients. The relative frequency of mortality was higher from STEMI (83.7% of deaths in registry) vs. non-STEMI (16.3% of deaths in registry). Conclusions: STEMI, lack of thrombolytic therapy, age of over 84 years, and ventricular tachycardia have the greatest effect on in-hospital mortality in MI patients. The results of this study are helpful in planning for monitoring and promotion of healthcare of the patients

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal symbiosis with Sorbus torminalis does not vary with soil nutrients and enzyme activities across different sites

Effects of soil chemical properties on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) symbiosis with wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis L. Crantz) were examined for study the rates of root colonization at three forest sites: Kheiroud, Lalis, and Takrin in northern Iran. Soil characteristics including pH, available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), organic matter, total nitrogen, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities, CaCO3, spore density (SD) and AMF colonization of soil and root samples were analyzed. The study sites were investigated in spring and autumn to highlight the effects of soil chemical properties on AMF statues for better nurseries and reforestation management of this rare tree species in forests. Changes in soil pH, P, K, organic matter, total nitrogen, acid and alkaline phosphatase, CaCO3, SD, and AMF colonization of soil and root samples were analyzed at the study sites. K, pH, root colonization, SD and acid phosphatase activity showed no significant differences among sites in spring and autumn, while total nitrogen, P, organic matter and alkaline phosphatase activities showed significant differences among sites and seasons. AMF colonization rates were more than 51% and 32% of roots in spring and autumn, respectively. No correlation between root colonization and soil chemical parameters in spring and autumn were detected. There was no correlation between percentage of AM root colonization and SD nor other soil parameters in spring and autumn. SD and CaCO3 were significantly negatively correlated in spring and autumn. Despite differences in soil characteristics, the results showed that SD and root colonization were not significantly different among the sites. They also showed that wild service trees had strong symbiosis with AMF, while soil properties might not have a significant effect on this symbiosis. Therefore, colonized seedlings can be considered as an appropriated method for reforestation and conservation of this rare tree species

Incidence of acute myocardial infarction in Islamic Republic of Iran: a study using national registry data in 2012

Population-based data on Myocardial infarction rates in the Islamic Republic of Iran have not been reported on a national or provincial scale. In a cross-sectional study, data were collected on 20 760 new cases Of myocardial infarction (ICD10 codes 121-22) admitted to hospitals and registered by the Iranian Myocardial Infarction Registry in 2012 The crude and age adjusted incidence for the 31 provinces and the whole country were directly calculated per 100 000 people using the WHO standard population. Overall males comprised 72.4% of cases and had a significantly lower Mean age at incidence than women 59.6 (SD 13.3) years versus 65.4 (SD 12.6) years]. The male:female incidence ratio was 2.63. The age-standardized Myocardial infarction incidence rate was 73.3 per 100 000 in country (95% Cl: 72.3%-74.3%) and varied Signifitantly from 24.5 to 152.5 per 100 000 across the I.ji provirites. The Study provides baseline data for monitoring and managing cardiovascular diseases in the country

Grading of Gliomas by Contrast-Enhanced CT Radiomics Features

Background: Gliomas, as Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors, are greatly common with 80% of malignancy. Treatment methods for gliomas, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy depend on the grade, size, location, and the patient’s age. Objective: This study aimed to quantify glioma based on the radiomics analysis and classify its grade into High-grade Glioma (HGG) or Low-grade Glioma (LGG) by various machine-learning methods using contrast-enhanced brain Computerized Tomography (CT) scans. Material and Methods: This retrospective study involved acquiring and segmenting data, selecting and extracting features, classifying, analyzing, and evaluating classifiers. The study included a total of 62 patients (31 with LGG and 31 with HGG). The tumors were segmented by an experienced CT-scan technologist with 3D slicer software. A total of 14 shape features, 18 histogram-based features, and 75 texture-based features were computed. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) and Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) were used to evaluate and compare classification models. Results: A total of 13 out of 107 features were selected to differentiate between LGGs and HGGs and to perform various classifier algorithms with different cross-validations. The best classifier algorithm was linear-discriminant with 93.5% accuracy, 96.77% sensitivity, 90.3% specificity, and 0.98% AUC in the differentiation of LGGs and HGGs.  Conclusion: The proposed method can identify LGG and HGG with 93.5% accuracy, 96.77% sensitivity, 90.3% specificity, and 0.98% AUC, leading to the best treatment for glioma patients by using CT scans based on radiomics analysis

Gastric Obstruction by Opium Packets: A Case Report

Background: We reported a case of gastric obstruction in a body packer who swallowed a large number of opium packets. Case Report: A 36-year-old man opium addict visited the emergency department with epigastric pain for three days. He swallowed nearly 90 packets of opium for smuggling purposes four days earlier. He self-administered laxatives. In contrast, many times vomiting, he defecated only four packets and vomited one packet. The abdominal X-rays showed some amounts of fluid-air levels and multiple cylindrical opacities with the double-condom sign, corresponding to the distended stomach. Due to the worsening of his abdominal symptoms, he underwent an urgent laparotomy and 84 packets (4-6 cm in size and 8-10 g/ packet of opium) with a total weight of 870 g. They were wrapped in some layers of plastic and tied at the ends. He was discharged in stable condition. Conclusion: A large number of ingested drug packets can induce gastrointestinal obstruction

Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores associated with Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz

This study aimed to investigate the diversity and types of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with the wild service tree, Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz in spring and autumn followed by identifying similarities among the different study sites. Three different sites were selected including Kheiroud, Lalis, and Tarkin, in the Hyrcanian forests, north of Iran. Five rhizosphere soil samples were collected from each site, and the spores were extracted. Based on their morphological features, five species of AMF belonging to two families, i.e., Claroideoglomeraceae (two species) and Glomeraceae (three species) were identified. The species richness of the studied sites was identical with only the Kheiroud site presenting an additional species. Glomus badium was the most common AMF species in Kheiroud and Lalis in spring and autumn. However, the most common species in Tarkin was Septoglomus constrictum. The Shannon–Wiener indices of diversity and evenness and Simpson’s index of dominance (Ds) showed no significant differences among the studied sites in the two seasons. In sum, it is recommended that the colonized wild service tree seedlings be produced with the more relevant species identified in this study than with commercial sources