The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase in Golestan Province, Northeast Iran

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level in a population-based study in Golestan Province, northeast Iran. Methods: From the randomly invited individuals (2,292), 698 out of the 916 males and 1,351 out of the 1,376 females participated in the study (participation rate: 76.2 and 98.1, respectively). One hundred and twenty-one participants were excluded due to positive hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis C virus antibody and/or drinking more than 20 grams of alcohol per day. A total of 1,928 participants (1300 females) were included. The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level was defined as the 95th percentile. Results: The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level in normal weight and nondiabetics was significantly lower than the total study group (36 versus 45 U/L). Serum alanine aminotransferase level was independently associated with male gender, body mass index, and diabetes mellitus (OR=2.05; 95Cl: 1.44 - 2.94, OR=2.76; 95Cl: 1.84 - 4.13, and OR=2.96; 95Cl: 1.56-5.61, respectively). Conclusion: Considering the lower calculated upper normal limit in normal weight nondiabetic participants in this study, we recommend setting new upper normal limit for serum alanine aminotransferase level, It seems reasonable to set upper normal limit for serum alanine aminotransferase level in males and females separately

The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase in Golestan Province, Northeast Iran

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level in a population-based study in Golestan Province, northeast Iran. Methods: From the randomly invited individuals (2,292), 698 out of the 916 males and 1,351 out of the 1,376 females participated in the study (participation rate: 76.2 and 98.1, respectively). One hundred and twenty-one participants were excluded due to positive hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis C virus antibody and/or drinking more than 20 grams of alcohol per day. A total of 1,928 participants (1300 females) were included. The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level was defined as the 95th percentile. Results: The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level in normal weight and nondiabetics was significantly lower than the total study group (36 versus 45 U/L). Serum alanine aminotransferase level was independently associated with male gender, body mass index, and diabetes mellitus (OR=2.05; 95Cl: 1.44 - 2.94, OR=2.76; 95Cl: 1.84 - 4.13, and OR=2.96; 95Cl: 1.56-5.61, respectively). Conclusion: Considering the lower calculated upper normal limit in normal weight nondiabetic participants in this study, we recommend setting new upper normal limit for serum alanine aminotransferase level, It seems reasonable to set upper normal limit for serum alanine aminotransferase level in males and females separately

Identification of Cypraeidae in southern intertidal zones of Qeshm Island, the Persian Gulf

Gastropod communities were investigated along two intertidal sandy and rocky shores in Qeshm Island, the northern Persian Gulf, IR Iran to identify the species of the family Cypraeidae. Monthly sampling was undertaken from May 2007 to April 2008 by haphazardly placing eighteen 0.25 m2 quadrates along two 30m wide transects located approximately 300m apart, perpendicular to the sea, in each sandy and rocky shore. Four species and subspecies belonging to the family Cypraeidae were identified including Cypraea feline fabula, Cypraea grayana, Cypraea nebrites and Cypraea turdus winckworthi. All species occurred on rocky shores. Identifications were verified by Dr. Robert G. Moolenbeek, from Natural History Museum of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Yield of protein recovery and degree of hydrolysis associated protein hydrolysates from Bighead Carp (Aristichthys nobilis) by using enzymes

The present study compared the properties of Bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) visceral, viscera use of commercial enzymes (Alcalase, Papain, and Protamex), recovery protein and degree of hydrolysis in the various temperatures and times of hydrolysis process. According to results, increase in time and temperature in hydrolysis process, led to increase in both recovery protein and degree of hydrolysis. Maximum of these parameters were observed at 55°C and 60min. minimum of parameters were observed at 35°C and 15min. In addition, among enzymes being investigated, Alcalase had high rate of recovery protein and degree of hydrolysis in equal temperature and times different from others enzymes (Papain and Protamex). Maximum mean of recovery protein for Alcalase was %51.38±2.39 in 55°C and 60 min of hydrolysis process. Also, maximum degree of hydrolysis for Alcalaqse was more than 20% at 55°C and 60 min of hydrolysis process. In conclusion, use of Alcalase enzyme induces product protein hydrolysates from Bighead Carp (Aristichthys nobilis) viscera that have suitable quality than others enzymes (Papain, and Protamex)

The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis B core antibody in Iran: A population-based study

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is a very common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. It is estimated that 3 of Iranians are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus. Current population-based studies on both rural and urban prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in Iran are sparse with results that do not always agree. We performed this study to find the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis B core antibody, and associated factors in the general population of three provinces of Iran. Methods: We randomly selected 6,583 subjects from three provinces in Iran, namely Tehran, Golestan, and Hormozgan. The subjects were aged between 18 and 65 years. Serum samples were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis B core antibody. Various risk factors were recorded and multivariate analysis was performed. Results: The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis B core antibody in Iran was 2.6 and 16.4, respectively. Predictors of hepatitis B surface antigen or anti-hepatitis B core antibody in multivariate analysis included older age, not having high-school diploma, living in a rural area, and liver disease in a family member. We did not find any significant differences between males and females. Conclusion: In spite of nationwide vaccination of newborns against hepatitis B virus since 1992, hepatitis B virus infection remains a very common cause of chronic liver disease in Iran which should be dealt with for at least the next 30-50 years

Elementary landscape decomposition of the 0-1 unconstrained quadratic optimization

Journal of Heuristics, 19(4), pp.711-728Landscapes’ theory provides a formal framework in which combinatorial optimization problems can be theoretically characterized as a sum of an especial kind of landscape called elementary landscape. The elementary landscape decomposition of a combinatorial optimization problem is a useful tool for understanding the problem. Such decomposition provides an additional knowledge on the problem that can be exploited to explain the behavior of some existing algorithms when they are applied to the problem or to create new search methods for the problem. In this paper we analyze the 0-1 Unconstrained Quadratic Optimization from the point of view of landscapes’ theory. We prove that the problem can be written as the sum of two elementary components and we give the exact expressions for these components. We use the landscape decomposition to compute autocorrelation measures of the problem, and show some practical applications of the decomposition.Spanish Ministry of Sci- ence and Innovation and FEDER under contract TIN2008-06491-C04-01 (the M∗ project). Andalusian Government under contract P07-TIC-03044 (DIRICOM project)

A Study of Memetic Search with Multi-parent Combination for UBQP

We present a multi-parent hybrid genetic–tabu algorithm (denoted by GTA) for the Unconstrained Binary Quadratic Programming (UBQP) problem, by incorporating tabu search into the framework of genetic algorithm. In this paper, we propose a new multi-parent combination operator for generating offspring solutions. A pool updating strategy based on a quality-and-distance criterion is used to manage the population. Experimental comparisons with leading methods for the UBQP problem on 25 large public instances demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed algorithm in terms of both solution quality and computational efficiency

Plantar pressure distribution in diverse stages of diabetic neuropathy

Background: Diabetic Foot Ulceration in patients with diabetes could be associated with high plantar pressure caused by diabetes neuropathy. Therefore, it seems that one of the ways of identifying high-risk legs in diabetic patients with neuropathy would be characterization of elevated plantar pressure distributions. Objective: Comparing the plantar pressure distribution in diabetic patients who suffered neuropathy with those without neuropathy. Methods and materials: Plantar pressure distribution was recorded in the following categories: 38 diabetic patients without neuropathy, 30, 40 and 34 patients with mild neuropathy, moderate and severe neuropathy respectively. Results: Patients suffered from severe neuropathy suggested higher maximum peak plantar pressure at midfoot, heel, and medial forefoot. The peak pressure of midfoot was significantly different in the following categories as well: patient without neuropathy (32.3 ± 17.9 kPa), mild neuropathic (24.0 ± 17.9 kPa), moderate neuropathic (21.5 ± 12.6 kPa), and severe neuropathic (22.9 ± 10.7 kPa) groups (p = 0.02). Conclusion: The progression of diabetic neuropathy would have been increased followed by the peak plantar pressure. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Structural and phase evolution in mechanically alloyed calcium copper titanate dielectrics

Nanocrystalline calcium-copper-titanate (CCTO) dielectric powders were prepared by mechanical alloying. Phase transformations and structural evolution of the mechanically activated powders were investigated through the Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction results. The crystallite size, lattice strain, and weight fraction of individual phases were estimated based on crystal structure refinement. Furthermore, the microstructural properties and thermal behavior of the milled powders were investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), respectively. It was found that CCTO nanocrystals can be successfully synthesized after the amorphization of the initial crystalline materials. Semi-spherical nano-size particles were developed after sufficient milling time. Formation of an amorphous phase during the milling cycle was confirmed by the presence of the glass transition and crystallization peaks in the thermal analysis profiles. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l

Structural, microstructural and thermal properties of lead-free bismuth-sodium-barium-titanate piezoceramics synthesized by mechanical alloying

Bismuth-sodium-barium-titanate piezoceramics with a composition of (Bi 0.5Na0.5)0.94Ba0.06TiO3 (BNBT) were prepared by mechanical alloying (MA). Structural analysis and phase identification were performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Microstructural studies and chemical composition homogeneity were performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Furthermore, thermal properties of the as-milled powders were evaluated by thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA). During the initial milling, the constituents were transformed to the perovskite, pyrochlore, and BNT phases; in addition, partial amorphization of the structure appeared during the milling cycle. As MA progressed, transformation of pyrochlore-to-perovskite and crystallization of the amorphous phase occurred and also, the BNBT phase was significantly developed. It was found that the MA process has the ability to synthesize the BNBT powders with a submicron particle size, regular morphology, and uniform elemental distribution. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd