Evaluation of Frequency and Type of Severe Anemia in Patients Referred to the Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran in Six Months; A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: To investigate the frequency and types of severe unknown anemia in patients referred to the Baqiyatallah Hospital (Tehran) for six months. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the patients with severe unknown anemia referred to the Baqiyatallah Hospital (Tehran, Iran) were selected over six months. Following consideration of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 230 patients with severe anemia (hemoglobin (Hb) > 8gr/dl) were included. Complete medical history was obtained from the patients and additional biochemical blood analyses were applied to determine the frequency and type of anemia. SPSS (v.19) software was used to analyze the findings and the significance level was defined as a p-value <0.05. Results: In chronic disease anemia (47.5%), gastrointestinal bleeding-associated anemia (29%), bleeding malignancies anemia (21.5%), and aplastic anemia (2%). There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the frequency of different types of normocytic anemia. The highest frequency was detected in folate deficiency anemia (46%), hypothyroidism anemia (34%), and B12 deficiency anemia (20%), respectively. The hemolytic anemia represented a significant difference (p<0.05) in comparison with sickle cell anemia (95%). Also, sickle cell anemia showed a significant difference (p<0.05) between thalacemia-associated anemia (95%) and malignancy-related anemia (95%) Conclusion: Respectively, the highest frequency of anemia in patients was found in chronic diseases and gastrointestinal bleeding. It is suggested that more attention should be paid to the type of anemia of patients referred to the urgency of hospitals

Two-Step Estimation of the Impact of Contextual Variables on Technical Efficiency of Hospitals: The Case Study of Public Hospitals in Iran

Background: Measuring the efficiency and productivity of hospitals is a key tool to cost contamination and management that is very important for any healthcare system for having an efficient system. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of contextual factors on hospital efficiency in Iranian public hospitals. Methods: This was a quantitative and descriptive-analytical study conducted in two steps. First, we measured the efficiency score of teaching and non-teaching hospitals by using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. Second, the relationship between efficiency score and contextual factors was analyzed. We used median statistics (first and third quarters) to describe the concentration and distribution of each variable in teaching and non-teaching hospitals, then the Wilcoxon test was used to compare them. The Spearman test was used to evaluate the correlation between the efficiency of hospitals and contextual variables (province area, province population, population density, and the number of beds per hospital). Results: On average, the efficiency score in non-teaching hospitals in 31 provinces was 0.67 and for teaching hospitals was 0.54. Results showed that there is no significant relationship between the efficiency score and the number of hospitals in the provinces (p = 0.1 and 0.15, respectively). The relationship between the number of hospitals and the population of the province was significant and positive. Also, there was a positive relationship between the number of beds and the area of the province in both types of teaching and non-teaching hospitals. Conclusion: Multilateral factors influence the efficiency of hospitals and to address hospital inefficiency multi-intervention packages focusing on the hospital and its context should be developed. It is necessary to pay attention to contextual factors and organizational architecture to improve efficiency

Genetic variability and traits association in castor bean (Ricinus communis L.)

Genetic diversity of 12 castor bean accessions collected from different geographical regions of Iran was assessed in a randomized complete block design with three replications under filed condition. The data were recorded for 32 agro-morphological traits. Significant differences were observed among accessions for main stem length, main stem moist weight, main stem dry weight, 10-seeds weight on primary raceme, seed number on primary raceme, leaf area dry weight, female flower length, male flower length, secondary and tertiary raceme weight and oil percentage. A strongly positive correlation was observed between total seed weight on primary raceme as yield with seed number on primary raceme, female flower length, primary raceme length and main stem diameter. Path coefficient analysis indicated high direct effect of seed number on primary raceme (0.82) on seed yield. In addition, direct effect of primary raceme length on seed yield was negative (-0.13). Primary raceme length had the greatest indirect effect via seed number on seed yield (0.35)

Specific Antivenom Ability in Neutralizing Hepatic and Renal Changes 24 Hours after Latrodectus dahli Envenomation

Background: Latrodectism, a syndrome caused by Latrodectus genus, is one of the clinical problems that occur predominantly in north east of Iran. Nowadays antivenom therapy has become the most useful treatment for animal bites; however there is still a controversy about route and time of antivenom administration in spider bite. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of specific antivenom in neutralizing hepatic and renal symptoms 24 h after Latrodectus dahli envenomation. Methods: We selected a group of male New Zealand white rabbits, weighing 2±0.3 kg. The L. dahli venom (0.5 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously. Specific antivenom (2.5 ml, I.V) was injected 24 h following venom injection. Blood sampling was performed before and 24 h after venom injection, as well within 24, 48 and 72 h after antivenom administration. Serum levels of (aspartate amino transferase (AST) alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea, bilirubin, creatinine and albumin were determined in all the sam. Results: Latrodectus dahli venom caused significant increase (P< 0.05) in all foresaid serum parameters. Antivenom reversed the AST, ALP, creatinine, urea and bilirubin to normal levels, but failed about ALT level, also non-significant decrease was observed in albumin levels. Conclusion: Antivenom administration 24 h after venom injection can greatly reverse symptoms caused by venom. Future studies in human beings should be conducted to assess the protection against the specific-Latrodectus antivenom

The Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Osteoinductivity of Demineralized Human Bone Allograft

The gamma irradiation has been used for end sterilization of allograft bones and its effects with a 25 kGy dosage on the osteoinductive properties of demineralized bone allograft powder was studied. This work carried out using an experimental method in an animal model. In this study the demineralized bone allograft powder which had been sterilized and prepared with gamma irradiation in a 25 kGy dosage in 18 hours, was used as a study group and the demineralized bone allograft powder which had been prepared aseptically was used as the reference group. 30 mg of bone powder from each group were implanted into right and left paravertebral muscles of eighteen rats, separately. After four weeks, the implanted samples were harvested with a 0.5 cm border and then the osteoinductivity of implants in two groups were compared with histopathologic studies. In 94.4% of the reference samples a new bone formation was observed. In the study group, this difference was observed only in 27.7% of samples (P<0.002). It appears that using gamma irradiation may lead to a reduction in osteoinduction properties of demineralized bone allograft powder

Citrullus colocynthis as the Cause of Acute Rectorrhagia

Introduction. Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. is a commonly used medicinal plant especially as a hypoglycemic agent. Case Presentation. Four patients with colocynth intoxication are presented. The main clinical feature was acute rectorrhagia preceeded by mucosal diarrhea with tenesmus, which gradually progressed to bloody diarrhea and overt rectorrhagia within 3 to 4 hours. The only colonoscopic observation was mucosal erosion which was completely resolved in follow-up colonoscopy after 14 days. Conclusion. The membranolytic activity of some C. colocynthis ingredients is responsible for the intestinal damage. Patients and herbalists should be acquainted with the proper use and side effects of the herb. Clinicians should also be aware of C. colocynthis as a probable cause of lower GI bleeding in patients with no other suggestive history, especially diabetics

Comprehensive maternal characteristics associated with birth weight: Bayesian modeling in a prospective cohort study from Iran

Background: In this study, we aimed to determine comprehensive maternal characteristics associated with birth weight using Bayesian modeling. Materials and Methods: A total of 526 participants were included in this prospective study. Nutritional status, supplement consumption during the pregnancy, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, anthropometric measures, physical activity, and pregnancy outcomes were considered as effective variables on the birth weight. Bayesian approach of complex statistical models using Markov chain Monte Carlo approach was used for modeling the data considering the real distribution of the response variable. Results: There was strong positive correlation between infant birth weight and the maternal intake of Vitamin C, folic acid, Vitamin B3, Vitamin A, selenium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium as micronutrients, and fiber and protein as macronutrients based on the 95% high posterior density regions for parameters in the Bayesian model. None of the maternal characteristics had statistical association with birth weight. Conclusion: Higher maternal macro- and micro-nutrient intake during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of delivering low birth weight infants. These findings support recommendations to expand intake of nutrients during pregnancy to high level

A survey on experimental and numerical studies of convection heat transfer of nanofluids inside closed conduits

WOS:000386917900032International audienceApplication of nanofluids in heat transfer enhancement is prospective. They are solid/liquid suspensions of higher thermal conductivity and viscosity compared to common working fluids. A number of studies have been performed on the effect of nanofluids in heat transfer to determine the enhancement of properties in addition to rearrangement of flow passage configurations. The principal objective of this study is to elaborate this research based on natural, forced, and the mixed heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids exclusively via convection for single- and two-phase mixture models. In this study, the convection heat transfer to nanofluids has been reviewed in various closed conduits both numerically and experimentally

Evaluation of Genome in Early Familial Coronary Artery Disease: A Case Report

Background and Objectives: Coronary artery diseases (CAD) are the most common cause of death in Iran and worldwide. Myocardial infarction (MI) is a complex multifactorial and the most severe type of CAD. Early onset MI in first degree relatives could be considered as an independent risk factor for CAD. This study was performed to investigate the genetic cause of early onset familial CAD.   Case Report: The patient was a 49-year-old female, who had an acute MI at the age of 45. Evaluation of family history indicated that her father, older brother, aunts, and male cousin were also diagnosed to have MI, and had not any diagnostic criteria for familial hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, obesity, and also they did not use alcohol and tobacco. The c.6241C>T (p.Arg2081Trp) mutation was identified in ABCA1 gene in heterozygous state (CT) in proband using Whole Exome Sequencing. Mutation was confirmed by PCR and Sanger sequencing. This mutation in heterozygous state was found in all patients and not in others. This findings show that ABCA1 gene could be a possible cause of early onset familial CAD