RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY, AND SUICIDE IDEATION AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Abstract and Keywords Suicide is a significant public health concern among older adults. Few researchers have previously investigated associations among religion, spirituality, and suicide ideation among older adults. Although previous studies have often demonstrated negative associations among these variables, findings are inconsistent. In the present study, we explored associations among religion, spirituality, and suicide ideation in 173 community-residing adults 65 years of age and older (M =73.8, SD = 6,10) recruited from malls, libraries, and local community events. Findings indicate significant associations among measures of religion and spirituality. Religious service attendance differentiated religion from spirituality. Spiritual transcendence was significantly negatively associated with suicide ideation, controlling for risk and resiliency factors. Our findings suggest that spirituality may confer resiliency to suicide ideation among older adults. Further research is needed investigating our findings in clinical samples, and investigating the role of spirituality and religion in interventions with at risk older adults

Correlation between sleep quality and blood pressure changes in Iranian children

Background: Hypertension has a growing trend all around the world among children. Evidences imply that inadequate sleep duration and its poor quality are related to hypertension. But there are only few studies to show this relationship in children. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between sleep quality parameters and blood pressure (BP) changes in children. Patients and Methods: Eighty six patients aged 5-15 years old with the history of urinary tract infection were included in this study. They underwent 24-hour BP monitoring. In addition, the Pittsburg Sleep Quality index questionnaire was filled out and the data were compared with BP records. Results: After excluding duplicate cases and those with insufficient data, 76 children entered into study. Overall sleep quality was good in 48 and poor in 28 children. Mean diastolic BP load (P = 0.019), diastolic load Awake-Time (P = 0.045), mean systolic Sleep-Time (P = 0.022), Non-Dipper state (P = 0.009) were statistically different among groups. By dividing the children into two groups of good and poor sleeper, the parameters of BP were not different. In addition, there was no correlation between BP classifications and sleep latency, duration of sleep, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, day dysfunction due to sleepiness, and overall sleep quality score. Conclusions: Our study could not show any correlation between sleep quality and ambulatory BP monitoring parameters in children with abnormal BP. © 2015, Iranian Society of Pediatrics

Cytogenetical Studies in Range Grasses of Iran

Cytogenetical and breeding studies of range grasses are in hand. Present article describes preliminary cytogenetical analysis of wheatgrass (Agropyron) and bromegrass (Bromus) taxa (Agropyron trichophorum n = 21, A. pectinoforome n = 21), two different populations of A. repens (n = 28) and Bromus stenostachyus (n = 14). The species varied with regard to chiasma number and distribution. The highest value occurred in A. repens (Mako population). Heterogenity test for the paired samples showed lack of heterogenity for chiasmata indicating homogenity of Agropyron taxa. However a test for ring and rod bivalents showed significant differences between the two populations of A. repens indicating genomic differences. Multivalents occurred regularly except in A. pectiniforome showing diplontic behaviour. B-chromosomes occurred in Bromus stenostachyus which moved to the poles, but were seen as laggard too. UPGMA cluster analysis separated two populations of A. repens, indicating their genomic differences. Other meiotic variations noticed were: occurrence of a synezetic knot and cytomixis causing aneuploidy in B.stenostachyus; clumping and laggards occurred frequently, indicating heterozygosity of the taxa due to cross pollination

Indole-3-carbinol suppresses NF-κB activity and stimulates the p53 pathway in pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells

B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is the most common type of cancer in children. Dramatic improvements in primary therapy for childhood ALL have led to an overall cure rate of 80 , providing opportunities for innovative combined-modality strategies that would increase cure rates while reducing the toxic side effects of current intensive regimens. In this study, we report that indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a natural phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables, had anti-leukemic properties in BCP-ALL NALM-6 cells. I3C induced cell growth inhibition by G1 cell cycle arrest and triggered apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. p53, p21, and Bax proteins showed increased expression after I3C treatment. Real-time PCR analysis of pro-apoptotic p53 target genes revealed up-regulation of PUMA, NOXA, and Apaf-1. I3C also suppressed constitutive nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and inhibited the protein expression of NF-kappa B-regulated antiapoptotic (IAP1, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, XIAP) and proliferative (c-Myc) gene products. Coadministration of I3C with the topoisomerase II inhibitor, doxorubicin, potentiates cytotoxic effects compared with either agent alone. Apoptosis induction by the drug combination was associated with enhanced caspase-9 activation and PARP cleavage. Furthermore, I3C abolished doxorubicin-induced NF-κB activity as evidenced by decreased nuclear accumulation of p65, inhibition of IκBα phosphorylation and its degradation, and decreased NF-κB DNA-binding activity. Western blot analysis revealed that doxorubicin-induced Bcl-2 protein expression was inhibited by I3C. Overall, our results indicated that using nontoxic agents, such as I3C, in combination with anthracyclines might provide a new insight into the development of novel combination therapies in childhood BCP-ALL. © 2015, International Society of Oncology and BioMarkers (ISOBM)

Laboratory Diagnosis of Factor XIII Deficiency in Developing Countries: An Iranian Experience

Factor XIII (FXIII) deficiency is an extremely rare bleeding disorder with an approximately 12-times higher than the rest of the world. The International Society for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) suggested a standard algorithm for precise diagnosis and classification of FXIII deficiency (FXIIID). However, due to lack of investment in proper equipment and procedures in Iran, almost no part of this algorithm can be used to diagnose Iranian patients. Thus, this study proposes a guideline for accurate molecular and laboratory diagnosis of FXIIID based on the available tools. Because this study suggests a simple and reliable algorithm for early diagnosis, it can therefore, reduce the rates of morbidity and mortality of FXIIID patients with this condition. © 2016 American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2016. All rights reserved

A trend study on the impact of social media in decision making

Social media has grown steadily during the last decade and it is now considered as a new opportunity to use for different purposes such as decision making. The primary objective of this paper is to review articles related to social media and decision making using manual and bibliometrics anal-ysis methods, and to identify top themes in these articles. We have reviewed the papers published between 2008 and the first month of 2019 in Scopus where 1,159 articles were published in this period. These articles come from 733 sources and 3,459 authors. According to our survey, United States is the most productive country. Moreover, most collaborations occurred between two coun-tries of United States and United Kingdom as well as between United States and China. The bibliometrics analysis examines global research in this field from the different point of views

The impact of social media on marketing using bibliometrics analysis

Social media has grown very quickly and has affected all dimensions of the world’s community. The purpose of this article is to review valid articles on the relationship between social media and promotion using manual and bibliometrics analysis methods and identify top themes in these articles. We review the papers published between 2007 and the first month of 2019 in Scopus. 1,840 articles were published in the mentioned period. In this article, we review various charts including word dynamics, the contributions of different countries, country scientific production, corresponding author's country, the frequency distribution of sources, collaboration network and country collaboration map. The study indicates that Canada, Australia and France were the most productive countries in this area

Coronavirus, its neurologic manifestations, and complications

Context: We are going to face an epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) virus in our country. The main manifestation of this viral infection is respiratory and cardiovascular; however, up-to-date knowledge of its probable neurologic complications is highly needed. Evidence Acquisition: To provide up-to-date information on neurologic manifestation on coronaviruses, we concisely reviewed the neurologic manifestations and their complications. Using the keywords, coronavirus, corona, human coronaviruses (HCoVs), SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome-related (MERS), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), manifestations, complications, and neurologic, all the relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed, reviewed, and critically analyzed. Results: Although the main clinical manifestation of human coronaviruses is respiratory involvement and the main cause of death is acute respiratory failure, extra respiratory manifestations such as neurologic findings have been reported. Fortunately, the neurologic manifestations in COVID-19 have not been reported yet. Conclusions: We need well-designed studies to monitor neurologic manifestations of COVID-19 in adults and children. © 2020, Author(s)

Seizure as the early and main manifestation of infantile vanishing white matter disease: A case report

Introduction: Vanishing white matter disease (VWM) is considered as one of the most frequent types of inherited childhood leukoencephalopathies. Various neurological and non-neurological manifestations have been reported in this type of leukodystrophy; however, seizures are rarely described in infantile type of VWM. Case Presentation: To patient is a 12 months old boy who experienced frequent seizures at 4th month of age. The seizures were resistant to anti-epileptic drugs and caused 3 periods of hospitalization. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated demyeli-nating pattern and whole exome sequencing (WES) reported homozygous mutation (c.922G > A) in EIF2B2 gene in exon 8 leading to an amino-acid substitution (p.Val308Met). Conclusions: Infantile onset of vanishing white matter disease can be considered as one of few childhood leukodystrophies that are associated with early onset seizures. © 2018, Iranian Journal of Pediatrics

Genetic testing of leukodystrophies unraveling extensive heterogeneity in a large cohort and report of five common diseases and 38 novel variants

This study evaluates the genetic spectrum of leukodystrophies and leukoencephalopathies in Iran. 152 children, aged from 1 day to 15 years, were genetically tested for leukodystrophies and leukoencephalopathies based on clinical and neuroradiological findings from 2016 to 2019. Patients with a suggestive specific leukodystrophy, e. g. metachromatic leukodystrophy, Canavan disease, Tay-Sachs disease were tested for mutations in single genes (108; 71) while patients with less suggestive findings were evaluated by NGS. 108 of 152(71) had MRI patterns and clinical findings suggestive of a known leukodystrophy. In total, 114(75) affected individuals had (likely) pathogenic variants which included 38 novel variants. 35 different types of leukodystrophies and genetic leukoencephalopathies were identified. The more common identified disorders included metachromatic leukodystrophy (19 of 152; 13), Canavan disease (12; 8), Tay-Sachs disease (11; 7), megalencephalic leukodystrophy with subcortical cysts (7; 5), X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (8; 5), Pelizaeus�Merzbacher-like disease type 1 (8; 5), Sandhoff disease (6; 4), Krabbe disease (5; 3), and vanishing white matter disease (4; 3). Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed 90 leukodystrophies and genetic leukoencephalopathies. The total diagnosis rate was 75. This unique study presents a national genetic data of leukodystrophies; it may provide clues to the genetic pool of neighboring countries. Patients with clinical and neuroradiological evidence of a genetic leukoencephalopathy should undergo a genetic analysis to reach a definitive diagnosis. This will allow a diagnosis at earlier stages of the disease, reduce the burden of uncertainty and costs, and will provide the basis for genetic counseling and family planning. © 2021, The Author(s)