17-09 Assessing the Impact of Air Pollution on Public Health Along Transit Routes

Transportation sources account for a large proportion of the pollutants found in most urban areas. Also, transportation activity and intensity appear likely to contribute to the risk of respiratory disease occurrence. This research investigates the impacts of transportation, urban design and socioeconomic characteristics on the risk of air pollution-related respiratory diseases in two of the biggest MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) in the US, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles at the block group (BG) level, by considering the US Environmental Protection Agency’s respiratory hazard quotient (RHQ) as the dependent variable. The researchers identify thirty candidate indicators of disease risk from previous studies and use them as independent variables in the model. The study applies a three-step modeling including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) to reach the final model. The results of this study demonstrate strong spatial correlations in the variability in both MSAs which help explain the impact of the indicators such as socioeconomic characteristics, transit access to jobs, and automobile access on the risk of respiratory diseases. The populations living in areas with higher transit access to jobs in urbanized areas and greater automobile access in more rural areas appear more prone to respiratory diseases after controlling for demographic characteristics

Designing Zero-Emissions Containerized Last-mile Delivery Systems:A Case Study for Melbourne

This research investigates the benefits of using swap containers in Two-Echelon (2E) urban delivery systems, which extend beyond the reduced handling costs and processing time in van-bike delivery systems. By drawing on the success of standardized freight containers in the international shipping industry, swap containers can be used to substitute low-capacity vehicles in the first delivery echelon with large-capacity vehicles such as buses or trams. Standardization of swap containers can also encourage collaboration and bring economies of scale.The study proposes a 2E Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (2E-CVRP) and a modified multi-start heuristic solution algorithm to analyze the impact of (1) container standardization, (2) large-scale shipping of containers overnight with on-street and high-capacity public vehicles, and (3) decentralized deployment of satellites in Melbourne. Results indicate that standardization can stimulate collaboration and reduce the required bike fleet by 8 %. Shipping containers by overnight tram services can reduce total delivery costs by up to 25 % and eliminate 190 km of daily van travel distances. Using car parking spaces as storage satellites can decrease operational costs by 8 % and travel distances by 27.4 %

P53 gene codon 72 polymorphism in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma in the population of northern Iran

Objectives: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the oral cavity, and several etiologic factors are involved in its development. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the P 53 gene codon 72 ( P 53c72) changes the structure of the protein and affects its activity. The prevalence of P 53c72 different genotypes, which seems to vary with race and geographic location, has shown a strong correlation with many types of human cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between P 53c72 polymorphism and risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in the heavily populated Gilan Province in northern Iran. Design of S tudy: This case-control study was done on 55 paraffin-embedded samples from OSCC patients and 100 samples of non-dysplastic oral cavity lesions. The P 53c72 genotypes were determined using the ARMS-PCR method. SPSS-15 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: There were no significant statistical differences found between the prevalence of different P 53c72 genotypes in the OSCC group vs. the control. However, the Pro/Pro genotype in OSCC samples showed a strong correlation with age, as 70% of such patients were below 50 years old. Interestingly, a large portion (40%) of the patients with the Pro/Pro genotype had the tumor in the lip area. Conclusions: Although P 53c72 polymorphism does not appear to be a predisposing factor for OSCC in the population of Northern Iran, the Pro/Pro genotype could be considered as a risk factor for OSCC in adults below 50 years old and the anatomical location of the tumor

A Novel Germline Pathogenic Variant of RECQL4 Gene in an Iranian Pedigree with Familial Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Brief Report

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common human solid tumor and the leading cause of cancer death. SCC of the breast is a very rare type of cancer that has not been well researched. Early identification of the genetic factors involved can lead to early diagnosis and targeted treatment. The present study was conducted in 2018 at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Isfahan, Iran). The proband was a 66-year-old woman with SCC of the breast and a positive family history of cancer. Blood DNA samples were used for whole-exome sequencing to identify germline pathogenic variants. Variant annotation and prioritization were done on variant call format files using bioinformatics software tools. The screened variants were confirmed using the Sanger sequencing method. Co-segregation analysis was performed on the blood DNA samples of the first- and second-degree relatives of the proband to assess the presence of the mutation. A novel germline pathogenic variant was identified in the RECQL4 gene of the family. RECQL4 is a known protein in DNA repair and replication. Considering its effect on other types of SCC, it may play an important role in SCC initiation and progression in the breast

Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) Programme, phase I (cardiovascular system)

Purpose: The main objective of the Bushehr Elderly Health Programme, in its first phase, is to investigate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and their association with major adverse cardiovascular events. Participants: Between March 2013 and October 2014, a total of 3000 men and women aged ≥60 years, residing in Bushehr, Iran, participated in this prospective cohort study ( participation rate=90.2%). Findings to date: Baseline data on risk factors, including demographic and socioeconomic status, smoking and medical history, were collected through a modified WHO MONICA questionnaire. Vital signs and anthropometric measures, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, weight, height, and waist and hip circumference, were also measured. 12-lead electrocardiography and echocardiography were conducted on all participants, and total of 10 cc venous blood was taken, and sera was separated and stored at –80°C for possible future use. Preliminary data analyses showed a noticeably higher prevalence of risk factors among older women compared to that in men. Future plans: Risk factor assessments will be repeated every 5 years, and the participants will be followed during the study to measure the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events. Moreover, the second phase, which includes investigation of bone health and cognition in the elderly, was started in September 2015. Data are available at the Persian Gulf Biomedical Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran, for any collaboration

A Scanning Electron Microscope Study on the Effect of an Experimental Irrigation Solution on Smear Layer Removal

Introduction: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of an experimental irrigation solution, containing two different concentrations of papain, Tween 80, 2% chlorhexidine and EDTA, on removal of the smear layer. Methods and Materials: Thirty-six single-rooted teeth were divided into two experimental groups (n=12) and two positive and negative control groups of six. The canals were prepared with BioRaCe instruments up to BR7 (60/0.02). In group 1, canals were irrigated with a combination of 1% papain, 17% EDTA, Tween 80 and 2% CHX; in group 2, canals were irrigated with a combination of 0.1% papain, 17% EDTA, Tween 80 and 2% CHX. In group 3 (the negative control), the canal was irrigated with 2.5% NaOCl during instrumentation and at the end of preparation with 1 mL of 17% EDTA was used; in group 4 (positive control), normal saline was used for irrigation. The amount of the remaining smear layer was quantified according to Hulsmann method using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data was analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: Two-by-two comparisons of the groups revealed no significant differences in terms of smear layer removal at different canal sections between the negative control group (standard regiment for smear layer removal) and 1% papain groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Under the limitations of the present study, combination of 1% papain, EDTA, 2% chlorhexidine and Tween 80 can effectively remove smear layer from canal walls

A comparative evaluation of cone-beam computed tomography and multi-slice computed tomography in the diagnosis of sheep mandibular bone defect: an in vitro study

Introduction: Diagnosis of lesions and bone defects is very important and there is a lack of substantial studies on the most appropriate method for bone defect measurement. Hence, the aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the diagnosis of mandibular bone defects present in sheep. Material & Methods: This in vitro study was performed on 15 sheep's mandibular bones. Some defects were created in cortical and spongy bone using high-speed hand piece at the buccal and lingual cortical bone of the lower jaw. Totally, 75 mandibular bone defects with a depth of 1-3 mm were created. The mandibular bone samples were scanned using MSCT and CBCT scanners, and these scans were evaluated by two oral and maxillofacial radiologists. The positive and negative predictive values, sensitivity and specificity were calculated for both methods. Results: The sensitivity of MSCT and CBCT were 78 and 96.5 and  Specificitiey of MSCT and CBCT were 90 and 92 respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 97.5 and 89.5 for CBCT, and 90 and 92 for MSC respectively. The negative and positive likelihood ratios (LR-) and (LR+) were 0.035 and 13.04 for CBCT as well as 0.245 and 7.82 for MSC respectively. Conclusion: The study results demonstrated a higher accuracy of CBCT, compared to MSCT, in the diagnosis of bone defects