An Electrochemical Investigation of Methanol Oxidation on Nickel Hydroxide Nanoparticles

In this work, a nickel-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was prepared using a potentiostatic method in 0.1Macetate buffer solution at pH 4.0 containing 1.0 mM nickel nitrate. Nickel hydroxide nanoparticles were prepared using consecutive potential scanning in 0.1 M NaOH solution. The as-prepared catalyst was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical methods. Electrochemical characterization exhibited stable redox behaviour of the Ni(III)/Ni(II) couple. Cyclic voltammetric experiments showed that electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol can occur at the modified electrode, whereas it is not observed at a bare GCE. The effect of potential sweep rates and methanol concentration on its electrochemical behaviour was studied. The rate constant (k) for the chemical reaction between methanol and catalytic centres has been evaluated by chronoamperometry. In addition, long-term stability of the modified electrode was investigated by electrochemical methods.KEYWORDS Cyclic voltammetry, electrooxidation, glassy carbon electrode, methanol, nickel hydroxide nanoparticles

The Relationship between Chronic Diseases and Disability in Daily Activities and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in the Elderly

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic disease is one of the major causes of disability in doing daily activities. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between chronic disease and disability in daily activities and instrumental activities of daily living in the elderly. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the elderly of Amirkola. Demographic characteristics (age, gender, level of education and occupation), daily activities and instrumental activities of daily living were collected using a questionnaire. The ability to perform daily activities and instrumental activities was categorized as independently, with the help of others and completely dependent, and ultimately, completely dependent people and those using the help of others were placed in the disability group. The presence of chronic diseases in the elderly was characterized and examined by reviewing the medical records. FINDINGS: Of 1,500 elderly who were eligible to enter the study, 832 people (55.5%) were male and 668 people (44.5%) were female. In this study, 38 people (2.5%) had a disability in daily activities and 723 (48.2%) had disability in instrumental activities of daily living. The number of associated diseases (p < 0.003, CI-95% = 1.08 – 1.46, OR = 1.261), cognitive impairment (p<0.009, CI-95% = 1.308 – 6.508, OR = 2.917) and old age had a significant relationship with daily activity. The highest significant relationship was between the instrumental activities of daily living and gender (p<0.000, CI-95% = 1.53 – 2.69, OR = 2.029), age (p = 0.000), education level (p = 0.000), the number of associated diseases (P = 0.000, CI-95% = 1.13 – 1.28, OR = 1.2) and cognitive impairment (p = 0.000, CI-95% = 1.487 – 2.596, OR = 1.965). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, the presence of chronic diseases, especially cognitive impairment, is one of the effective factors in disability in daily activities and instrumental activities of daily living

Molecular detection of theileria equi and babesia caballi infections in horses by pcr method in iran

The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in horses in the Central and Southwest, Iran. Blood samples were collected from 53 and 37 horses settled in Isfahan and Shahrekord, respectively and a PCR method was used to detect the parasites in blood samples. The results showed that Theileria equi detected in 6 horses in Isfahan and in 4 horses in Shahrekord. Based on the findings, the prevalence of equine theileriosis was much higher than babesiosis and it occurred in both Isfahan and Shahrekord regions of the country. To the authors" knowledge, this is the first report of the molecular survey of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in horses in Iran. This survey could provide further information on different parasitic infections in horses and its epidemiology

Comparison of Falls and its Determinants in the Elderly with and without Knee Osteoarthritis

Background and Objective: The growth of aging reveals the importance of paying attention to the health needs of the elderly. According to some studies, falls and its consequences are more common in the individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) than those without KOA, but due to lack of evidence, its related factors are still unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the falls and its determinants in the elderly with and without KOA. Methods: In this case-control study, 700 older adults in two groups of elderly with and without KOA were compared in terms of falls and some variables including KOA, sex, age, body mass index, living status, quadriceps femoris muscle strength, hand muscles strength, balance, number of comorbidities, number of drugs used, walking duration, physical activity and frailty. KOA was diagnosed based on The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Findings: In this study, falls were 1.90 times higher in the elderly with KOA than elderly without KOA. Although all variables were significantly different in case and control groups, only female gender (p=0.035) and KOA (p=0.012) were significantly associated with falls. Conclusion: These findings suggest that variables in combination may increase the risk of falls in the elderly with KOA, while each of them alone may not be associated with falls

The Association between Antihypertensive Drugs and Falls in Older Adults in Amirkola, Northern Iran

Background and Objective: Being familiar with the factors that are effective in causing falls plays an important role in reducing the issues and costs related to its treatment. Considering the contradictory results about the use of antihypertensive drugs and falls in older adults, the present study was conducted to determine the association between the use of antihypertensive drugs and falls in older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was a part of the first phase of Amirkola Health and Ageing Project (AHAP), which was conducted on three groups of 250 people including healthy elderly, and hypertensive patients with and without taking antihypertensive drugs. Antihypertensive drugs were divided into 6 groups based on the mechanism of action. The variables of age, gender, body mass index, physical activity, diabetes, number of medications, depression symptoms, cognitive status, number of comorbidities, and the frequency of falls during one year before the beginning of the study and during the six-month follow-up were evaluated and compared in different categories of antihypertensive drugs by asking older adults in the three groups. Findings: Out of all studied older adults, 126 people (16.8%) fell during the last 12 months and 36 people (4.8%) fell during the six-month follow-up. No significant relationship was found between falls and the use of antihypertensive drugs, and between the use of different classes of antihypertensive drugs and falls. Variables such as depressive symptoms (OR=2.057, p=0.001), number of comorbidities (OR=0.189, p=0.006) and older age (OR=1.033, p=0.040) had an effective role in causing falls. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the use of antihypertensive drugs and their different classes was not associated with the increase in the frequency of falls in older adults

The Relationship between Atopic Dermatitis and Premenstrual Syndrome in Women Referred to the Skin Clinic of Hamadan

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: One of the factors affecting dermatophyte is hormonal factors, in which atopic dermatitis is more common in adult women. Since one of the psychotic problems regarding reproductive performance of women is premenstrual syndrome, in this study, the association between premenstrual syndrome and atopic dermatitis in reproductive age women was investigated. METHODS: This case-control study was performed on 82 women aged between 15 and 49 years old in two groups of atopic dermatitis referring to Skin Clinic of Sina Hospital in Tehran and control group including healthy women for atopic dermatitis. Demographic questionnaire and (PSST) Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Test (with score 42-0) were completed and evaluated by both groups. FINDINGS: The mean age of subjects in the case group was 17.17 ± 4.45 and in the control group was 27.29 ± 8.03 years. The results showed by controlling the possible confounding factors as age, occupation and marital status the probability of having moderate or severe premenstrual syndrome in patients with atopic dermatitis is 13.26 (OR= 13.26, 95% CI: 3.31, 53.07), as compared with healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: The results showed that there is a strong relationship between moderate to severe menstrual syndrome and atopic dermatitis in women

Quercetin Impact in Pancreatic Cancer: An Overview on Its Therapeutic Effects

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a lethal malignancy cancer, and its mortality rates have been increasing worldwide. Diagnosis of this cancer is complicated, as it does not often present symptoms, and most patients present an irremediable tumor having a 5-year survival rate after diagnosis. Regarding treatment, many concerns have also been raised, as most tumors are found at advanced stages. At present, anticancer compounds-rich foods have been utilized to control PC. Among such bioactive molecules, flavonoid compounds have shown excellent anticancer abilities, such as quercetin, which has been used as an adjunctive or alternative drug to PC treatment by inhibitory or stimulatory biological mechanisms including autophagy, apoptosis, cell growth reduction or inhibition, EMT, oxidative stress, and enhancing sensitivity to chemotherapy agents. The recognition that this natural product has beneficial effects on cancer treatment has boosted the researchers’ interest towards more extensive studies to use herbal medicine for anticancer purposes. In addition, due to the expensive cost and high rate of side effects of anticancer drugs, attempts have been made to use quercetin but also other flavonoids for preventing and treating PC. Based on related studies, it has been found that the quercetin compound has significant effect on cancerous cell lines as well as animal models. Therefore, it can be used as a supplementary drug to treat a variety of cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer. This review is aimed at discussing the therapeutic effects of quercetin by targeting the molecular signaling pathway and identifying antigrowth, cell proliferation, antioxidative stress, EMT, induction of apoptotic, and autophagic features.The authors acknowledge the Molecular Medicine Research Center, Bio-Medicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, and the Clinical Research Development Unit of Sina Educational, Research and Treatment Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. This work was supported and funded by Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran (grant number: 68344)

Global burden of human brucellosis : a systematic review of disease frequency

BACKGROUND: This report presents a systematic review of scientific literature published between 1990-2010 relating to the frequency of human brucellosis, commissioned by WHO. The objectives were to identify high quality disease incidence data to complement existing knowledge of the global disease burden and, ultimately, to contribute towards the calculation of a Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) estimate for brucellosis.METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Thirty three databases were searched, identifying 2,385 articles relating to human brucellosis. Based on strict screening criteria, 60 studies were selected for quality assessment, of which only 29 were of sufficient quality for data analysis. Data were only available from 15 countries in the regions of Northern Africa and Middle East, Western Europe, Central and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central Asia. Half of the studies presented incidence data, six of which were longitudinal prospective studies, and half presented seroprevalence data which were converted to incidence rates. Brucellosis incidence varied widely between, and within, countries. Although study biases cannot be ruled out, demographic, occupational, and socioeconomic factors likely play a role. Aggregated data at national or regional levels do not capture these complexities of disease dynamics and, consequently, at-risk populations or areas may be overlooked. In many brucellosis-endemic countries, health systems are weak and passively-acquired official data underestimate the true disease burden.CONCLUSIONS: High quality research is essential for an accurate assessment of disease burden, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Asia-Pacific, Central and South America and Africa where data are lacking. Providing formal epidemiological and statistical training to researchers is essential for improving study quality. An integrated approach to disease surveillance involving both human health and veterinary services would allow a better understand of disease dynamics at the animal-human interface, as well as a more cost-effective utilisation of resources

Effects of exercise intensity and nutrition advice on myocardial function in obese children and adolescents: a multicentre randomised controlled trial study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of paediatric obesity is increasing, and with it, lifestyle-related diseases in children and adolescents. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has recently been explored as an alternate to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in adults with chronic disease and has been shown to induce a rapid reversal of subclinical disease markers in obese children and adolescents. The primary aim of this study is to compare the effects of HIIT with MICT on myocardial function in obese children and adolescents. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Multicentre randomised controlled trial of 100 obese children and adolescents in the cities of Trondheim (Norway) and Brisbane (Australia). The trial will examine the efficacy of HIIT to improve cardiometabolic outcomes in obese children and adolescents. Participants will be randomised to (1) HIIT and nutrition advice, (2) MICT and nutrition advice or (3) nutrition advice. Participants will partake in supervised exercise training and/or nutrition sessions for 3 months. Measurements for study end points will occur at baseline, 3 months (postintervention) and 12 months (follow-up). The primary end point is myocardial function (peak systolic tissue velocity). Secondary end points include vascular function (flow-mediated dilation assessment), quantity of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, myocardial structure and function, body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, autonomic function, blood biochemistry, physical activity and nutrition. Lean, healthy children and adolescents will complete measurements for all study end points at one time point for comparative cross-sectional analyses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This randomised controlled trial will generate substantial information regarding the effects of exercise intensity on paediatric obesity, specifically the cardiometabolic health of this at-risk population. It is expected that communication of results will allow for the development of more effective evidence-based exercise prescription guidelines in this population while investigating the benefits of HIIT on subclinical markers of disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01991106