Effect of air pollution on onset of acute coronary syndrome in susceptible subgroups

While long-term exposure to air pollutants is associated with an increase in heart diseases and mortality, little information is available about the short-term effects of air pollution. This case-crossover study assessed the relationship of particulate matter (PM10) and carbon monoxide (CO) levels with hospital admission for acute coronary syndrome in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. We interviewed 250 patients with a first episode of acute coronary syndrome and obtained data from hospital records and Tehran Air Quality Control Company. The risk of acute coronary syndrome was significantly associated with elevated concentrations of CO the day before the event (OR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03-1.34) but not significantly with PM10 (OR 1.00; 95% CI: 0.99-1.02). Stratification by age, sex, diabetes, hypertension and smoking status did not affect the results, but women were more susceptible than men to CO levels (OR for women/men 1.68; 95% CI: 1.25-2.26)

Equivalence of a one-dimensional driven-diffusive system and an equilibrium two-dimensional walk model

It is known that a single product shock measure in some of one-dimensional driven-diffusive systems with nearest-neighbor interactions might evolve in time quite similar to a random walker moving on a one-dimensional lattice with reflecting boundaries. The non-equilibrium steady-state of the system in this case can be written in terms of a linear superposition of such uncorrelated shocks. Equivalently, one can write the steady-state of this system using a matrix-product approach with two-dimensional matrices. In this paper we introduce an equilibrium two-dimensional one-transit walk model and find its partition function using a transfer matrix method. We will show that there is a direct connection between the partition functions of these two systems. We will explicitly show that in the steady-state the transfer matrix of the one-transit walk model is related to the matrix representation of the algebra of the driven-diffusive model through a similarity transformation. The physical quantities are also related through the same transformation.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Revte

Measurement and Predictors of Resilience Among Community-Dwelling Elderly in Kashan, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: As the ability to cope with challenging conditions, resilience results in personal growth and development after experiencing tragic conditions. There are limited studies regarding resilience and its associated factors in elderly patients in Iran. Given that the cultural, social, religious characteristics might affect the level of resilience, we conducted the present study among an elderly population in Kashan. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the resilience and its associated factors among elderly in Kashan City, Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 individuals who were selected through a two-stage randomized cluster sampling methods among elderly residents of 8 urban health care facilities in Kashan, Iran. Data collection was performed using a five-part instrument including a demographics questionnaire and abbreviated mental test scale, the Connor-Davidson resilience scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and general health questionnaire28. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-test, analysis of variance and multivariate regression analysis. Results: A significant direct association was found between resilience and the self-esteem scores (r = 0.461, P < 0.001). Conversely, an indirect correlation was found between resilience and mental health scores (r = - 0.510, P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that self-esteem and mental health could explain 32% of the variance of resilience in older adults. Significant relationships were found between resilience and variables such as age, sex, marital status, income, job, education, and life arrangement (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Several factors including personal characteristics, self-esteem and mental health of the elderly can affect their resilience. Choosing some strategies to modify and improve some of the influencing variables may be effective in increasing the resilience in older adults