RECOGNITION OF MONTHLY HUMAN BIOCLIMATIC COMFORT WITH TOURISM CLIMATE INDEX IN RAMSAR, SOUTH-WEST OF CASPIAN SEA, IRAN

Weather and climate have great importance in developing of tourism industry. Most of the tourists use the climate information for travelling and choice of destination. Knowledge of climate informationand its application can assist tourism planning, tourism industries and in reducing negative effects of weather and climate on tourists and this branch of the economy. The aim of this research isrecognition of suitable months in Ramsar station on the basis of Becker method and tourism climate index (TCI), for a period of 25 years (1981-2005).The results of Becker method has shown thatRamsar station has a bioclimatic comfort in 10 months. Weather in 7 months (March, April, May, September, October, November, and December) is moderate and desirable. June, July, and Augusthave a little warm and tolerate weather, but in January and February, Ramsar station has a cool weather with moderate stimulation. Evaluation of TCI index for Ramsar station has shown that May month has the best climate conditions with 80-89 range (Excellent) for tourism activities. June and October months have a "very good" climate conditions. April, July, and September are included in the"good" category while August and November are included in the "acceptable" category. January, February, March, and December have the "unfavorable" conditions

Febrile Seizure: Demographic Features and Causative Factors

How to cite this article: Esmaili Gourabi H, Bidabadi E, Cheraghalipour  F, Aarabi  Y, Salamat F. Febrile Seizure: Demographic Features and Causative Factors. Iran J Child Neurol Autumn 2012; 6(4):33-37.Abstract Objective Because of geographical and periodical variation, we prompted to determine the demographic features and causative factors for febrile seizure in Rasht. Materials & Methods In this cross-sectional study, all 6–month- to 6-year-old children with the diagnosis of febrile seizure admitted to 17 Shahrivar hospital in Rasht, from August, 2009 to August, 2010 were studied. Age, sex, family history of the disease, seizure types, body temperature upon admission and infectious causes of the fever were recorded. All statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software, version 16. Results Of the 214 children (mean age, 25.24±15.40 months), 124 were boys and 109 had a positive family history. Complex seizures were seen in 39 cases. In patients with a complex febrile seizure, 59% had the repetitive type, 20.5% had the focal type and 20.5% had more than 15 minutes duration of seizures. Most of the repetitive seizures (78.3%) occurred in patients under 2 years old; the difference between under and over 2-year-old patients was statistically significant (P=0.02). Study results did not show significant differences between the two genders for simple or complex seizures. The mean body temperature upon admission was 38.2±1.32◦C (38.31±0.82 degrees in boys and 38.04±1.78 in girls). Upper respiratory infections were seen in most patients (74.29%). All cases of lower respiratory infections were boys. There was a statistically significant difference between boys and girls in causes of fever. Conclusion Most of the children had a positive family history and the most common causative factor was upper respiratory infection.  References: Huang MC, Huang CC, Thomas K. 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Investigation of renal osteodystrophy among hemodialysis patients referring to Towhid Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran

BACKGROUND: Renal osteodystrophy is a major complication among dialysis patients that can lead to muscle weakness, and bone pain and fractures by minor trauma. In the present study, the frequency of these symptoms and status of blood markers among dialysis patients are discussed. METHODS: In a crass-sectional study, blood sample was obtained from 82 hemodialysis patients for calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) level measurement. Radiography of the right hand was performed for 57 patients. Data analysis was performed via SPSS by using chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The prevalence of osteodystrophy among dialysis patients was 72% (59 patients), including 29 patients with high bone turnover and 30 patients with adynamic bone disease. Moreover, 24 patients (29.3%) were hypocalcaemic and 25 patients (30.5%) were hypercalcemic. In addition, 25 (30.5%) patients had hyperphosphatemia. In the present study, 82 patients, 40 male (48.8%) and 42 female (51.2%), were recruited. Patients’ mean age ± standard deviation was 55.77 ± 14.99. There was a relation between increase in age and adynamic bone disease (P = 0.004). Calcium level had a significant association with radiologic manifestation of renal osteodystrophy (P = 0.007). PTH levels had moderate correlation with ALP level (r = 0.55). CONCLUSION: In the present study, there was a relation between age and adynamic bone disease; meaning that by increasing of age, the prevalence of adynamic bone disease also increased. There was a strong positive correlation between PTH and ALP.

Evaluation of The 1499T>C Variant in The AKAP3 Gene of Infertile Men with Multiple Morphological Abnormalities of The Sperm Flagella Phenotype: A Case-Control Study

Background: Infertile men with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) phenotypeexhibit mosaic sperm flagella abnormalities such as short, bent, coiled, and irregular flagella or absent flagella. Spermflagellum has an ultrastructurally axonemal structure that contains a large number of proteins. A-Kinase AnchoringProtein 3 (AKAP3) is expressed in spermatozoa. It may function as a regulator of motility and the acrosome reaction.This study aimed to compare genetic changes in infertile men suffering MMAF phenotype with the control group.Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, genetic variants of the AKAP3 gene were evaluated in 60 infertilemen with MMAF phenotype and 40 fertile men, as control. As exon five of the AKAP3 gene encodes the functionaldomain of this protein, its genetic variants were studied. Therefore, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-sequencing wasundertaken on the DNA extracted from control and patients’ blood samples.Results: Sixty infertile men with MMAF phenotype and 40 normozoospermic men, as control, were enrolled inthis study. Four haplotype variants 1378T>C (rs10774251), 1391C>G (rs11063266), 1437T>C (rs11063265), and1573G>A (rs1990312) were detected in all patients and controls. On the other hand, a missense mutation 1499T>C(rs12366671) was observed in four patients with the homozygous form while seven patients carried the heterozygousform. No mutation was identified in the controls (P=0.04). The difference between the variation allele frequencies wasassessed in the patient and control groups by the Fisher Exact Test.Conclusion: In the homozygous form, this mutation changed Isoleucine to Threonine. This alternation occurred insidethe AKAP4 binding domain of the AKAP3 protein. The observed variants caused no significant deviation in thesecondary structure of AKAP3 protein and probably its function in spermatozoa flagella. So, these variants cannot beconsidered as the causes of MMAF phenotype in the studied patients

Investigation of renal osteodystrophy among hemodialysis patients referring to Towhid Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran

BACKGROUND: Renal osteodystrophy is a major complication among dialysis patients that can lead to muscle weakness, and bone pain and fractures by minor trauma. In the present study, the frequency of these symptoms and status of blood markers among dialysis patients are discussed. METHODS: In a crass-sectional study, blood sample was obtained from 82 hemodialysis patients for calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) level measurement. Radiography of the right hand was performed for 57 patients. Data analysis was performed via SPSS by using chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The prevalence of osteodystrophy among dialysis patients was 72% (59 patients), including 29 patients with high bone turnover and 30 patients with adynamic bone disease. Moreover, 24 patients (29.3%) were hypocalcaemic and 25 patients (30.5%) were hypercalcemic. In addition, 25 (30.5%) patients had hyperphosphatemia. In the present study, 82 patients, 40 male (48.8%) and 42 female (51.2%), were recruited. Patients’ mean age ± standard deviation was 55.77 ± 14.99. There was a relation between increase in age and adynamic bone disease (P = 0.004). Calcium level had a significant association with radiologic manifestation of renal osteodystrophy (P = 0.007). PTH levels had moderate correlation with ALP level (r = 0.55). CONCLUSION: In the present study, there was a relation between age and adynamic bone disease; meaning that by increasing of age, the prevalence of adynamic bone disease also increased. There was a strong positive correlation between PTH and ALP

Superimposed tissue formation in human aortic valve disease: differences between regurgitant and stenotic valves

The formation of superimposed tissue (SIT), a layer on top of the original valve leaflet, has been described in patients with mitral regurgitation as a major contributor to valve thickening and possibly as a result of increased mechanical stresses. However, little is known whether SIT formation also occurs in aortic valve disease. We therefore performed histological analyses to assess SIT formation in aortic valve leaflets (n = 31) from patients with aortic stenosis (n = 17) or aortic regurgitation due to aortic dilatation (n = 14). SIT was observed in both stenotic and regurgitant aortic valves, both on the ventricular and aortic sides, but with significant differences in distribution and composition. Regurgitant aortic valves showed more SIT formation in the free edge, leading to a thicker leaflet at that level, while stenotic aortic valves showed relatively more SIT formation on the aortic side of the body part of the leaflet. SIT appeared to be a highly active area, as determined by large populations of myofibroblasts, with varied extracellular matrix composition (higher collagen content in stenotic valves). Further, the identification of the SIT revealed the presence of foldings of the free edge in the diseased aortic valves. Insights into SIT regulation may further help in understanding the pathophysiology of aortic valve disease and potentially lead to the development of new therapeutic treatments.Cardiolog

New calcification model for intact murine aortic valves

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a common progressive disease of the aortic valves, for which no medical treatment exists and surgery represents currently the only therapeutic solution. The development of novel pharmacological treatments for CAVD has been hampered by the lack of suitable test-systems, which require the preservation of the complex valve structure in a mechanically and biochemical controllable system. Therefore, we aimed at establishing a model which allows the study of calcification in intact mouse aortic valves by using the Miniature Tissue Culture System (MTCS), an ex vivo flow model for whole mouse hearts. Aortic valves of wild-type mice were cultured in the MTCS and exposed to osteogenic medium (OSM, containing ascorbic acid, beta-glycerophosphate and dexamethasone) or inorganic phosphates (PI). Osteogenic calcification occurred in the aortic valve leaflets that were cultured ex vivo in the presence of PI, but not of OSM. In vitro cultured mouse and human valvular interstitial cells calcified in both OSM and PI conditions, revealing in vitro-ex vivo differences. Furthermore, endochondral differentiation occurred in the aortic root of ex vivo cultured mouse hearts near the hinge of the aortic valve in both PI and OSM conditions. Dexamethasone was found to induce endochondral differentiation in the aortic root, but to inhibit calcification and the expression of osteogenic markers in the aortic leaflet, partly explaining the absence of calcification in the aortic valve cultured with OSM. The osteogenic calcifications in the aortic leaflet and the endochondral differentiation in the aortic root resemble calcifications found in human CAVD. In conclusion, we have established an ex vivo calcification model for intact wild-type murine aortic valves in which the initiation and progression of aortic valve calcification can be studied. The in vitro-ex vivo differences found in our studies underline the importance of ex vivo models to facilitate pre-clinical translational studies.Cardiolog

Epigenetic modification does not determine the time of POU5F1 transcription activation in cloned bovine embryos.

Purpose To investigate the effect of epigenetic modification on pattern, time and capacity of transcription activation of POU5F1, the key marker of pluripotency, in cloned bovine embryos. Methods Bovine fibroblasts were stably transfected with POU5F1 promoter-driven enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). This provided a visible marker to investigate the effect of post-activation treatment of cloned bovine embryos with trichostatin A (TSA) on time and capacity of POU5F1 expression and its subsequent effect on in vitro development of cloned bovine embryos. Results Irrespective of TSA treatment, POU5F1 expression was not detected until 8–16 cell stage, but was detected in both inner cell mass and trophectoderm at the blastocyst stage. TSA treatment significantly increased POU5F1 expression, and the yield and quality of cloned embryo development compared to control. Conclusion The POU5F1 expression of cloned embryos is strictly controlled by the stage of embryo development and may not be altered by TSA-mediated changes occur in DNA-methylation and histone-acetylation of the genome

Cord Blood Karyotyping: A Safe and Non-Invasive Method for Postnatal Testing of Assisted Reproductive Technology Children

Abstract Background: To verify the hypothesis that the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities increases in babies conceived by different assisted reproduction procedures. The availability of the umbilical cord blood encouraged us to study this hypothesis via this method