Prevalence Rate of Diabetes and Hypertension in Disaster-Exposed Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) have been one of the major health problems in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence rate of DM and HTN following natural and man-made disasters that impose significant economic and psychological burdens on human communities.METHODS: In this systematic and meta-analysis review, all crosssectional studies that at least one of their objectives was to measure the prevalence of HTN or DM in individuals affected by natural and man-made disasters were included. Literature review was done in international databases including PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, from database inception to February 17, 2019. The extracted data included the bibliographic characteristics of the article, the age of the participants, number of participants, gender, sample size, outcome, duration of the follow-up, and prevalence of DM and HTN. Data were analyzed by STATA software (version11) and random effect method and the I2 index were used to investigate heterogeneity between the articles.RESULTS: A total of 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. Based on the quality assessment, 11 papers were categorized as moderate and 5 paper were categorized as high quality. The prevalence of HTN and DM in disaster-exposed populations were 47.35 (CI 95%: 38.53-56.17) and 13.56 (CI 95%: 10.12-17.01), respectively.CONCLUSION: The results of this study show a high prevalence of HTN and DM in survivors of major disasters, which is higher in comparison to the general population.&nbsp

Low-Power and High-Performance Drivers for OLEDoS Microdisplays

The rapid growth of the microdisplay market, driven by the demand for smartwatches, head-mounted displays in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), and other portable devices, has presented a need to enhance their energy efficiency. This thesis focuses on reducing the power and energy consumption of microdisplays while maintaining display luminance, and image quality; and enhancing key features such as resolution, refresh rate, and color depth. First, a novel driving method and pixel circuit are proposed that reduces the number of subframes in a digitally-driven display. The dual-driver method offers flexibility in different design modes, allowing for the enhancement of various display characteristics. In the low-power mode, the operating frequency is reduced, resulting in decreased dynamic power consumption by the drivers. Experimental results on a proof-of-concept array fabricated using TSMC 65 nm technology demonstrate a significant 39% reduction in power consumption compared to a conventional array. Furthermore, designing the display in other modes yields remarkable improvements, with up to 8.5 times enhancement in refresh rate or resolution. In addition, the high color depth mode presents an opportunity to increase color depth from 8 bits to 14 bits, enhancing the visual experience. Additionally, this thesis investigates power reduction techniques specific to row drivers in microdisplays. Circuit techniques are proposed to recycle energy in the row driver, thereby reducing dynamic power consumption. Measurement results on proof-of-concept arrays implemented in TSMC 65 nm technology reveal substantial reductions of up to 30% in the power consumption of the row driver using different energy recycling techniques. Applying these techniques led to a significant reduction in the dynamic power consumption of the row driver. For instance, employing the direct energy restoration technique resulted in a remarkable decrease of over 45% in the dynamic power consumption of the row driver. Finally, a digital data driver with a data energy recycling feature is presented to further reduce the dynamic power consumption of microdisplays. Measurement results obtained from a proof-of-concept array fabricated using TSMC 65 nm technology demonstrate an average power consumption reduction of 16% in the display’s data driver when subjected to randomly generated test images. This thesis addresses the pressing need for energy-efficient microdisplays, offering innovative driving methods, pixel circuit design, and dynamic power reduction techniques. The proposed solutions provide significant power savings while preserving display quality and enabling enhancements in resolution, refresh rate, and color depth, contributing to extended battery life and improved user experience in portable electronic systems

Emergence of a new focus of visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania infantum in Golestan Province, north-eastern of Iran

Over the last decade, a few cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have been reported in some districts of the province of Golestan, in north-eastern Iran. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of Leishmania infantum infection among humans and domestic dogs by using direct agglutination test (DAT) and PCR assays in the eastern zone of the province. Between 2011 and 2012, blood samples were randomly collected from 450 humans and 50 domestic dogs, in the eastern zone of Golestan Province including 7 villages from Marave-tappeh district where new cases of human VL had been recorded there. Each of these samples was tested for anti-Leishmania antibodies, in DAT, and for L. infantum kinetoplast DNA on whole blood, in PCR-based assays. A total of 450 human samples, 6 (1.33 %) were found seropositive and 13 (2.8 %) was found PCR-positive. Of the 50 dog samples, 16 (32 %) were found seropositive and 15 (30 %) were PCR-positive. All PCR-positive dogs were found seropositive except one as well as 6 (46.2 %) PCR-positive humans were also found seropositive. Moreover, the species of L. infantum was detected in all PCR-positive samples. The high prevalence of VL in the study areas offer it has emerged as an endemic focus in the province. Further investigations on the vectors, reservoirs and human population are recommended. © 2013 Indian Society for Parasitology

Molecular and Seroepidemiological Survey of Visceral Leishmaniasis among Humans and Domestic Dogs in Mazandaran Province, North of Iran

Background: New cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have been reported recently in some parts of Mazandaran Province, north of Iran where the first human case of VL was reported in 1949. This study aimed to determine the present status of Leishmania infantum infection among humans and domestic dogs using serological and molecular methods in central parts of Mazandaran Province. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, blood samples were randomly collected from 402 humans and fortynine domestic dogs throughout 2009 and 2010 in the central part of Mazandaran Province including Semeskadeh and Kiakola districts where recent cases of human visceral leishmaniasis had been reported there. All the collected samples were tested by direct agglutination test (DAT) for the detection of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies as well as convenience PCR assay on whole blood samples for detection of leishmanial infection and identification of Leishmania species. Results: None of 402 collected human (402) and dog (49) blood samples showed anti Leishmania infantum antibodies at titers 1:3200 and 1:320 as cut-off values of DAT, respectively but only 2 of domestic dogs (4.1 %) were found PCR-positive corresponding to L.infantum. Conclusion: This study confirms the circulation of L. infantum at least among domestic dogs an

Parasitic Helminths in Wild Boars (Sus scrofa) in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran

Background: Wild boars (Sus scrofa) are distributed worldwide and found in many parts of Iran. Although S. scrofa is reservoirs for many parasites, there is little data on helminthic prevalence in them. We aimed to survey the status of helminthic infections in S. scrofa in the Mazandaran Province of northern Iran. Methods: Twenty-one wild boars were captured and examined for helminth infection during Dec 2012-Mar 2014. Adult worms such as Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus were identified by helminth size and shape, and the arrangement of the proboscis hooks. The sedimentation and flotation techniques were used to detect parasite eggs and larvae in faecal samples. Muscle samples were also surveyed for Trichinella larvae by artificial digestion method. Results: Of the 21 samples, 13 (61.9%) were infected with one or more helminth species. Seven helminth types were identified in the alimentary track, comprising 5 nematodes, 1 trematode, and 1 acanthocephalan, with prevalence rates of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (57.14%), Globocephalus spp. (33.33%), Trichuris suis (19.04), Gongylonema pulchrum (14.28%), Fasciola hepatica (14.28%), Dioctophyma renale (4.76%), and Ascaris suum (4.76%). Conclusion: Wild boars might be involved in transmitting zoonotic parasites to humans. The abundance of these animals near human habitation creates favorable conditions for infection. So the risk of parasitic helminth diseases increases in other animals and humans

Incidence and Risk of Sports Injuries in Registered Athletes in Mazandaran Province; Reports of the Years Before and After COVID- 19 Pandemic

Background and purpose: World condition has changed since the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged and its rapid spread affected people’s social and sports life. In this study, we aimed at investigating the incidence of sports injuries in Mazandaran province, Iran and the effects of COVID- 19 pandemic on frequency of sports injuries. We also studied the relationship between sports injuries and age, gender, sports specialties and severity of injury. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, information of all/injured athletes registered in Mazandaran Sport Medicine Center between 2018 and 2020 were analyzed in SPSS V23. In order to investigate the relationship between injured limb and age, gender, sports specialty, injured side, and surgery, Chi-square test was applied. Results: The numbers of registered athletes were 51.56, 50.59 and 16.45 per 10,000 population in the province and injured athletes included 6.90, 6.62, and 5.73 per 10,000 registered ones in 2018-2020, respectively. The majority of athletes were men. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of injury was high in soccer (9.09 per 10,000 registered athletes), knee injuries increased to 40.8%, and surgery was performed in 23.3% of all injuries. Significant relationship was found between injured limb and age (P˂0.05) and sport specialty (P˂0.001) during the years studied. Conclusion: Reduction in number of registered athletes and no considerable change in sports injuries indicate a decrease in recreational athletes after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, prohibition of indoor sports activities can be the reason for increase in men injuries, especially football players. Also, professional athletes experienced serious and more knee injurie

Investigation of the effect of turbulence intensity and nozzle exit boundary layer thickness on stability pattern of subsonic jet

In this study, factors affecting the noise generation by instability waves in a subsonic jet with acoustic Mach number of 0.5 are investigated using linear stability analysis. The base flow required for instability analysis is obtained by modeling the jet stream based on the k-ε turbulence model and using the empirical coefficients suggested by Thies and Tam [

Glomerular Filtration Rate Estimation Based on Cystatin C Formulas among Neonates

Background: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the best indicator to assess renal function; however, it is difficult to perform it, especially in neonates. Serum creatinine is the most commonly used marker of GFR; nevertheless, it has some limitations since it can be affected by factors other than renal function. Cystatin C, another endogenous marker used to estimate GFR, is not affected by non-renal factors. The results of some studies suggest that serum cystatin C levels are more accurate tests of kidney function than serum creatinine levels. This study aimed to estimate GFR with cystatin C-based formulas among neonates and determine the correlations between these methods and the Schwartz formula. Methods: The population of this research consisted of 99 neonates whose serum creatinine and cystatin C levels were measured concurrently. Moreover, the glomerular filtration rate was estimated using the Schwartz formula and 14 cystatin C-based formulas separately. Results: Based on the findings, all GFR values based on cystatin C formulas correlated significantly with each other (p 0.05). The only cystatin C formula that yielded values correlating with the Schwartz formula was CysCrEq, which used serum cystatin C and creatinine concomitantly. Conclusion: It can be concluded that since all GFR values based on cystatin C correlated significantly and cystatin Cwasindependent of non-renal factors, cystatin C reflected the real GFR more accurately than serum creatinine. Nonetheless, further studies with gold standard techniques are required to verify the usefulness of cystatin C-based formulas