Prevalence and Risk Factors of Asthma and Allergic Diseases in Primary Schoolchildren Living in Bushehr, Iran: Phase I, III ISAAC Protocol

Asthma and allergic diseases present a major health burden. Information on the prevalence of these diseases indicates that these diseases are increasing in various parts of the world. It was hoped that this study would be helpful to health system policy-makers in planning allergy prevention programs in the region. The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases and relation between the various risk factors involved were assessed among schoolchildren in the city of Bushehr, Iran. The ISAAC Phase I and III questionnaires were completed by parents of 1280 children aged 6-7 years and self-completed by 1115 students aged 13-14 years. The prevalence of atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis and asthma among 6-7 year-old students were 12.1%, 11.8% and 6.7%, respectively. While, the prevalence of these diseases among 13-14 year-old students were found to be 19%, 30% and 7.6%, respectively. There was an association between asthma and allergic rhinitis as well as eczema (p<0.05). Consumption of fast food as a risk factor was significantly associated with asthma (p=0.03). The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases was high among schoolchildren in the city of Bushehr, Iran. Also an association was observed between the fast food consumption and asthma. Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Asthma, Atopic eczema; Children; ISAAC; Prevalenc

Indications and surgical techniques for corneal transplantation at a tertiary referral center

Purpose: The study aimed to review the indications and techniques for corneal transplantation at a tertiary referral center over a 5-year period. Methods: Records of patients who underwent corneal transplantation at Khalili Medical Center, Shiraz, Iran from September, 2012 to September, 2017 were reviewed. Results: A total of 1149 eyes of 956 patients underwent corneal transplantation. The most common indication was infectious corneal ulcers (n = 296, 25.8%), followed by keratoconus (n = 243, 21.1%), bullous keratopathy (n = 219, 19.1%), failed grafts (n = 117, 10.2%), non-herpetic corneal scars (n = 113, 9.8%), corneal stromal dystrophies (n = 33, 2.9%), pellucid marginal degeneration (n = 31, 2.7%), and trauma (n = 26, 2.3%); other indications included thin descemetocele, post-herpetic corneal scar, endothelial corneal dystrophies, anterior segment dysgenesis, corneal ectasia after laser in situ keratomileusis, and corneal fibrosis. Corneal transplantation techniques included penetrating keratoplasty (PKP, n = 789, 68.7%), deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK, n = 187, 16.3%), Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (n = 171, 14.9%), and keratolimbal allograft (n = 2, 0.1%) in descending order. In children (aged ≤18 years), the most common indication was keratoconus (n = 32, 41.6%), and the most common technique was PKP (n = 50, 64.9%). In patients aged 19-27 years, the most common indication was keratoconus (n = 89, 64.5%), and the most common technique was PKP (n = 75, 54.4%). Conclusion: Infectious corneal ulcer was the most common indication, and PKP was the most prevalent technique in patients undergoing corneal transplantation. DALK was an emerging alternative surgical treatment in patients with corneal disorders in which corneal endothelium is spared

Food Quality Monitoring Based on Hydrolysis-Induced Au-Catalyzed Heck Cross-Coupling by Ag Metallization

Visual detection of meat spoilage was performed based on hydrolysis-induced silver metallization on gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The hydrolysis of 4-I-benzene-bounded Wang resin was induced by the release of a biogenic amine followed by Au-catalyzed Heck cross-coupling reaction that made silver-coated gold core-shell NPs (Au@Ag) in the presence of Ag ions (Ag metallization). A portable sensory cap was designed by this hypothesis and the successful results were obtained for histamine, trimethylamine, and a spoilage sheep meat. With this protocol, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is tuned for absorption of Au NPs and leads to LSPR peak blue shift of gold nanoparticles due to the Ag metallization and the preparation of Au@Ag core-shell NPs. Au NPs and the resulting Au@Ag NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses. Also, various control experiments were set up to credit the portable sensory tube

Anti-diabetic effects of Sargassum oligocystum on Streptozotocin- induced diabetic rat

Objective(s): Diabetes is a metabolic syndrome which is associated with the worldwide major public health problems. There are many natural compounds from the sea-market, as a valuable aquatic source, along with the variety of health and therapeutic benefits. In the present research, with respect to the traditional and ethnic uses of Sargassum oligocystum algae for healing of some diseases which have similar metabolic mechanism to the diabetes, its anti-diabetic effects in animal model was proposed. Materials and Methods: The animals (rat) were divided into the normal control, diabetic control, positive control and, the test groups. The test groups were gavaged with oral doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg of algae hydroalcoholic extracts. After 30 days of intervention the serum glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDLC, LDLC, insulin, insulin resistance, β-cells function and, the histopathology of pancreatic tissue were evaluated. Results: In animals that were fed with algae extracts a significant decrease in the fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and HOMA-IR and an increase in the HOMA-B with no significant impacts on the insulin, cholesterol and HDL were observed. Also, the histopathology evaluations in the groups which were treated with algae extract revealed the regeneration and reconstitution of damaged pancreatic β-cells. Conclusion: The results give evidence that, the S. oligocystum algae extract has a healing effect on diabetes which can be considered as a new research prospect for the natural therapy of diabetes

Elemental composition of particulate matters around Urmia Lake, Iran

<p>Atmospheric particulate matters and their elements were concurrently measured at two sites located in the north and southeast parts of Urmia Lake from January to September 2013. At both sampling sites, average concentrations of total suspended particulate, particles with the aerodynamic diameter of smaller than 10 µm, smaller than 2.5 µm, and smaller than 1 µm were 260 ± 106, 180 ± 73, 30 ± 8, and 25 ± 7 µg m⁻³, respectively. The analyzed water soluble ions accounted for approximately 11%–13% mass concentrations of total suspended particulate and 8%–9% of particles smaller than 10 µm, and the sum of the concentrations of the analyzed elements associated with both ranged from 9 to 41 µg m⁻³ (6.5%–9.6% in mass) and 7 to 26 µg m⁻³ (5.5%–11.3% in mass), respectively. Thus, particulate matter was composed of a complex mixture of minerals such as halite, quartz, gypsum, hexahydrite, and Bassanite.</p

Development of a Two-Finger Haptic Robotic Hand with Novel Stiffness Detection and Impedance Control

Haptic hands and grippers, designed to enable skillful object manipulation, are pivotal for high-precision interaction with environments. These technologies are particularly vital in fields such as minimally invasive surgery, where they enhance surgical accuracy and tactile feedback: in the development of advanced prosthetic limbs, offering users improved functionality and a more natural sense of touch, and within industrial automation and manufacturing, they contribute to more efficient, safe, and flexible production processes. This paper presents the development of a two-finger robotic hand that employs simple yet precise strategies to manipulate objects without damaging or dropping them. Our innovative approach fused force-sensitive resistor (FSR) sensors with the average current of servomotors to enhance both the speed and accuracy of grasping. Therefore, we aim to create a grasping mechanism that is more dexterous than grippers and less complex than robotic hands. To achieve this goal, we designed a two-finger robotic hand with two degrees of freedom on each finger; an FSR was integrated into each fingertip to enable object categorization and the detection of the initial contact. Subsequently, servomotor currents were monitored continuously to implement impedance control and maintain the grasp of objects in a wide range of stiffness. The proposed hand categorized objects’ stiffness upon initial contact and exerted accurate force by fusing FSR and the motor currents. An experimental test was conducted using a Yale–CMU–Berkeley (YCB) object set consisted of a foam ball, an empty soda can, an apple, a glass cup, a plastic cup, and a small milk packet. The robotic hand successfully picked up these objects from a table and sat them down without inflicting any damage or dropping them midway. Our results represent a significant step forward in developing haptic robotic hands with advanced object perception and manipulation capabilities

Prevalence of Seafood Allergy in Student Living in Bushehr and Borazjan

Background: Seafood allergy is potentially severe, but the prevalence of this group of food allergies in Iran, has not been determined. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of seafood allergy in student living in Bushehr and Borazjan. Materials and Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, random school survey by using a questionnaire in 2012-13. A total of 608 (36% male, and 64%) female) were asked questions about personal and family history of allergies, food and seafood allergy. Results: The overall prevalence of food allergy was 12% (Total 73 subjects, 69.8% male and 30.2% female), and seafood allergy was 4.4% (Total 27 subjects, 36.6% male, 43.4% female). Fish allergy (1.4%) and shrimp and shellfish allergy (3.5%) were reported. The most frequently reported symptoms were skin (49.3%), gastrointestinal (28.7%), and respiratory reactions (2.7%). Seafood allergy was not associated with subjects reporting atopic diseases, significantly (P> 0.05), while the other food allergy was positively associated (P=0.00). Conclusion: Our study is the first report on prevalence estimates for seafood allergy in Bushehr province. Findings indicated high prevalence of seafood allergy in student, therefore further studies and significant health concern is needed

The Outcomes of Superior Cavopulmonary Connection Operation: a Single Center Experience

Abstract Introduction: The superior cavopulmonary connection operation is one of the stages of the palliative surgical management for patients with functionally single ventricle. After surviving this stage, the patients are potential candidates for the final palliative procedure: the Fontan operation. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of superior cavopulmonary connection operations in our center and to identify factors affecting the survival and the progression to Fontan stage. Methods: The outcomes of 161 patients were retrospectively analyzed after undergoing superior cavopulmonary connection operation in our center between 2005 and 2015. Results: The early mortality rate was 2.5%. Five (3.1%) patients underwent takedown of the superior cavopulmonary connection. The rate of exclusion from the Fontan stage was 8.3%. Statistical analysis revealed that elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure preoperatively and the prior palliation with pulmonary artery banding were risk factors for both early mortality and takedown; however, the age, the morphology of the single ventricle and the type of operation were not considered risk factors. Conclusion: The superior cavopulmonary connection operation can be performed with low rate mortality and morbidity; however, the elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure preoperatively and the prior pulmonary artery banding are associated with poor outcomes

Mid-term outcomes of surgical repair for anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery: In infants, children and adults

Background: Anomalous origin of left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital malformation. We sought to evaluate in-hospital and mid-term outcomes of patients with a diagnosis of ALCAPA who underwent surgical repair. Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the mid-term outcomes of surgical repair of ALCAPA at our center and to analyze the surgical techniques used. Materials and Methods: In a retrospective study, we analyzed early and mid-term clinical and echocardiographic data to determine the outcomes of patients who underwent surgical repair of ALCAPA in our institution between 2005 and 2015. Results: Twenty-one patients underwent surgical repair for ALCAPA using aortic reimplantation (n = 10, 47.6%), ostial closure. (n = 8, 38.1%), or ligation. (n = 3, 14.3%). The median age of patients was 24. months. (range 22 days to 51 years). There were 2 (9.5%) in-hospital mortalities in infants undergoing the reimplantation technique. All patients were followed up for a median of 21 months. (range 1–60 months). No patients required reoperation, and there was no mortality from discharge to mid-term follow-up. Severe early postoperative mitral regurgitation. (MR) was associated with composite end-point, defined as a combination of mortality after surgery, moderate to severe MR, and moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction at late follow-up. (P = 0.019) while mitral valve repair was not. (P = 0.469). Conclusion: The surgical management of ALCAPA can be associated with good in-hospital and mid-term outcomes regardless of the age, at which the patient has been operated