A space-time pseudospectral discretization method for solving diffusion optimal control problems with two-sided fractional derivatives

We propose a direct numerical method for the solution of an optimal control problem governed by a two-side space-fractional diffusion equation. The presented method contains two main steps. In the first step, the space variable is discretized by using the Jacobi-Gauss pseudospectral discretization and, in this way, the original problem is transformed into a classical integer-order optimal control problem. The main challenge, which we faced in this step, is to derive the left and right fractional differentiation matrices. In this respect, novel techniques for derivation of these matrices are presented. In the second step, the Legendre-Gauss-Radau pseudospectral method is employed. With these two steps, the original problem is converted into a convex quadratic optimization problem, which can be solved efficiently by available methods. Our approach can be easily implemented and extended to cover fractional optimal control problems with state constraints. Five test examples are provided to demonstrate the efficiency and validity of the presented method. The results show that our method reaches the solutions with good accuracy and a low CPU time.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form is with 'Journal of Vibration and Control', available from [http://journals.sagepub.com/home/jvc]. Submitted 02-June-2018; Revised 03-Sept-2018; Accepted 12-Oct-201

The study of body mass index in students of Bam educational centers

چکیده: زمینه و هدف: امروزه چاقی به عنوان یک مشکل بهداشت جهانی مطرح و شیوع آن در دهه های اخیر افزایش یافته است. چاقی به عنوان یک عامل خطر در بروز بیماری های متعدد از قبیل دیابت، پرفشاری خون، هیپرلیپیدمی، بیماریهای قلبی-عروقی و سرطان شناخته است. این مطالعه با هدف ارزیابی وضعیت چاقی و افزایش وزن در دانشجویان شهر بم انجام گردید. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی – تحلیلی 327 دانشجو (139 پسر و 188 دختر) با میانگین سنی 61/2±78/21 به روش تصادفی- طبقه ای از بین کل دانشجویان مراکز دانشگاهی شهر بم انتخاب شدند. وزن و قد بدون کفش و لباس اضافی اندازه گیری و نمایه توده بدنی با استفاده از پروتکل استاندارد محاسبه شد. معیار مورد استفاده برای تعریف لاغری، وزن طبیعی، اضافه وزن و چاقی بر پایه حدود مرزی نمایه توده بدنی (BMI) پیشنهادی کمیته تخصصی سازمان بهداشت جهانی (WHO) بود. داده ها با استفاده از روش های آمار توصیفی و تحلیلی (آزمونهای t مستقل و مجذور کا) مورد تجزیه و تحلیل قرار گرفت. یافته ها: نتایج به دست آمده نشان داد که میانگین BMI در نمونه مورد بررسی 216/3±82/21 بود که این میانگین در دختران 31/3±59/21 و در پسران 08/3±08/22 می باشد (05/0P>). 1/14 کل دانشجویان مورد بررسی کم وزن، 6/71 وزن طبیعی، 1/12 اضافه وزن و 1/2 چاق بودند. میانگین BMI در دانشجویان با سابقه چاقی در خانواده 47/3±3/22 و در افراد فاقد سابقه چاقی در خانواده 54/2±01/21 به دست آمد (001/0

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Military Personnel and their Families Referred to the Military Hospital in Tehran, Iran

Background: Toxoplasmosis is one of the world's most common infections in human and other warm-blooded vertebrates and has the most extensive universal spread. The purpose of this study is determining the seroprevalence of human Toxoplasma gondii infection, in the military personnel and their families referred to Baqiyatallah hospital, 2011-2015.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the serum of 3370 person contain 770 men and 2600 women attending the laboratories were selected and after completing the questionnaires and also by implementing Chemiluminescence method, these serums were examined for the presence of IgM and IgG immunoglobulins of the Toxoplasma gondii.Results: The results were analyzed using the chi-square test. They showed that there were no statistical relationships between the prevalence of IgG and gender in 2011, 2013, (P>0.05) but there were significant relationships between them in 2012, 2014 and 2015 (P<0.05), also there were no statistical relationships between the prevalence of IgM and gender in all years (P>0.05). The results showed that there were statistical relationships among IgG and age (P<0.01) but there was no statistical relationships between IgM and age in all cases (P>0.05).Conclusion: The results showed high prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in the military personnel and their families in Baqiyatallah hospital. The prevalence of IgG was somehow in the range and positive IgG titer was somewhat higher than what was reported in other studies in the North-West of the country; this could be partly due to the sensitivity and specificity of Chemiluminescence method compared to other methods of serology in diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis

The Effect of Seaweed Extract (Ascophyllum nodosum) on Quantitative and Qualitative Yield of Soybean

Introduction Seed aging reduces the quality and quantity of agricultural production by reducing quality, viability, and irreversible seed vigor over time. Researchers are increasingly interested in seed aging, which is a serious problem in agriculture. To reduce damages caused during aging, various pretreatment techniques have been studied, including chemical compounds, growth regulators, and antioxidants. Sowing seeds in low osmotic potential osmotic solution is one method of slowing seed aging by osmopriming them. To reduce the negative effects of seed aging, biostimulants such as seaweed extract are used. In order to investigate the effect of seaweed extract on the quantitative and qualitative yield of soybean, an experiment was conducted in the two years of 2018 and 2019 in the research farm of Shahrood University of Technology. Materials and Methods The experimental treatments involved the acceleration of aging in two groups: normal seeds and aged seeds. Additionally, seaweed extract was applied at four different levels: control, seed pre-treatment with a seaweed extract concentration of 0.3%, foliar spraying with a seaweed extract concentration of 0.3%, and a combination of seed pre-treatment and foliar spraying with a seaweed extract concentration of 0.3%. This was conducted as a factorial experiment, employing a randomized complete block design with three replications. A sample of DPX was collected from the Mazandaran Agricultural Research Center. A controlled storage room was used to maintain the seeds at a temperature of 14-17°C and relative humidity of 30-40%. The seeds were harvested the same year as the experiment. In order to apply accelerated aging, the seeds were kept for 72 hours at a temperature of 41°C and relative humidity of 95%. Foliar spraying was done at the beginning of flowering (R1). Results and Discussion  The results showed that accelerated aging decreased the mean daily emergence and germination index by 61.39 and 42.08% compared to the control. The pretreatment of soybean seeds made them more responsive to external stimuli and counteracted stress conditions before they emerged as seedlings. When the seeds were pretreated with seaweed extract, the mean daily emergence and seed germination index increased. The weight of one hundred seeds and the number of pods per plant decreased by 11.64 and 11.38% compared to the control. The combined application of seed pretreatment and foliar spraying in normal and aging conditions had the highest hundred seed weight and the number of pods per plant. In protein-rich crops, seaweed biostimulants can increase protein production. Pretreatment of normal and aged seeds with seaweed extract increased by 1.48 and 1.61 percent of seed protein. In order to improve soybean germination percentage, protein, and seed yield, ellagic acid and seaweed extract should be used individually or combined. Accelerated aging caused a 32.69% decrease in seed yield compared to normal conditions. The combined application of pre-treatment and foliar spraying of seaweed extract had the highest seed yield, which increased by 87.85% compared to the control. Seed aging likely caused a reduction of seed yield by reducing the mean daily emergence, leaf area index, and 100-seed weight. There are three main characteristics (mean daily seedling field emergence, the number of pods per plant, and 100-seed weight) that can explain 85.96% of seed yield variability based on the coefficient of explanation. An analysis of causal connections between seed yield and 100-seed weight showed that seed protein content directly affects seed yield. By increasing the number of pods per plant and the weight of 100 seed, soybean seeds yield may be enhanced by using seaweed extract. Conclusion With its powerful antioxidant properties and anti-aging properties, seaweed extract minimizes the effects of aging on aged seeds. Finally, within the scope of the research, it is possible to suggest the use of pre-treatment and foliar spraying with seaweed extract to increase seed yield and protein percentage in normal and aged soybean seeds

Nurses exposure to workplace violence in a large teaching hospital in Iran

Background: Workplace violence is one of the factors which can strongly reduce job satisfaction and the quality of working life of nurses. The aim of this study was to measure nurses’ exposure to workplace violence in one of the major teaching hospitals in Tehran in 2010. Methods: We surveyed the nurses in a cross-sectional design in 2010. The questionnaire was adapted from a standardized questionnaire designed collaboratively by the International Labor Office (ILO), the International Health Organization (IHO), the International Council of Nurses (ICN), and the Public Services International (PSI). Finally, in order to analyze the relationships among different variables in the study, T-test and Chi-Square test were used. Results: Three hundred and one nurses responded to the questionnaire (a response rate of 73%). Over 70% of the nurses felt worried about workplace violence. The participants reported exposure to verbal abuse (64% CI: 59-70%), bullying-mobbing (29% CI: 24-34%) and physical violence (12% CI: 9-16%) at least once during the previous year. Relatives of hospital patients were responsible for most of the violence. Nurses working in the emergency department and outpatient clinics were more likely to report having experienced violence. Nurses were unlikely to report violence to hospital managers, and 40% of nurses were unaware of any existing policies within the hospital for reducing violence. Conclusion: We observed a considerable level of nurse exposure to workplace violence. The high rate of reported workplace violence demonstrates that the existing safeguards that aim to protect the staff from abusive patients and relatives are inadequate

Changes in Socio-Economic Inequality in Neonatal Mortality in Iran Between 1995-2000 and 2005-2010: An Oaxaca Decomposition Analysis

Background: Exploring changes in health inequality and its determinants over time is of policy interest. Accordingly, this study aimed to decompose inequality in neonatal mortality into its contributing factors and then explore changes from 1995-2000 to 2005-2010 in Iran. Methods: Required data were drawn from two Iran’s demographic and health survey (DHS) conducted in 2000 and 2010. Normalized concentration index (CI) was used to measure the magnitude of inequality in neonatal mortality. The contribution of various determinants to inequality was estimated by decomposing concentration indices in 1995- 2000 and 2005-2010. Finally, changes in inequality were investigated using Oaxaca-type decomposition technique. Results: Pro-rich inequality in neonatal mortality was declined by 16%, ie, the normalized CI dropped from -0.1490 in 1995-2000 to -0.1254 in 2005-2010. The largest contribution to inequality was attributable to mother’s education (32%) and household’s economic status (49%) in 1995-2000 and 2005-2010, respectively. Changes in mother’s educational level (121%), use of skilled birth attendants (79%), mother’s age at the delivery time (25-34 years old) (54%) and using modern contraceptive (29%) were mainly accountable for the decrease in inequality in neonatal mortality. Conclusion: Policy actions on improving households’ economic status and maternal education, especially in rural areas, may have led to the reduction in neonatal mortality inequality in Ira

Fertility Preservation among Cancer Patients in Saudi Arabia: Knowledge and Attitudes of Medical Students

Introduction: Cancer education and informing people about cancer treatment and its sequel and their fertility can significantly lessen their health risk. Objective: The aim of the current study was to assess medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and understanding toward fertility preservation (FP) for cancer patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at two universities in Riyadh. A questionnaire was developed based on different surveys and was adapted to our culture. It was composed of two parts: sociodemographic data and questions assessing students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding FP. The second section discussed factors that could influence the utilization of FP services. It was composed of 5 questions, 4-point Likert scale (greatly, usually, rarely, never) scored from 1 for never to 4 for greatly. Results: Students, particularly females, were more knowledgeable about different FP methods, such as Gonadotrophin releasing hormones, sperm cryopreservation, and oocyte cryopreservation. They stated that cost, lack of information, and access to FP services are the most common factors hindering the utilization of services. They expressed a good attitude toward FP; however, nearly half of them mentioned that cancer treatment should be started first before FP. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the respectable awareness and attitude of FP among Saudi medical students. However, some gaps are present, indicating the need to improve education about FP in the medical curriculum

Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

© 2020 Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license Background: Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system level is important for understanding whether health services are aligned with countries' health profiles and are of sufficient quality to produce health gains for populations of all ages. Methods: Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we assessed UHC effective coverage for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Drawing from a measurement framework developed through WHO's GPW13 consultation, we mapped 23 effective coverage indicators to a matrix representing health service types (eg, promotion, prevention, and treatment) and five population-age groups spanning from reproductive and newborn to older adults (≥65 years). Effective coverage indicators were based on intervention coverage or outcome-based measures such as mortality-to-incidence ratios to approximate access to quality care; outcome-based measures were transformed to values on a scale of 0–100 based on the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile of location-year values. We constructed the UHC effective coverage index by weighting each effective coverage indicator relative to its associated potential health gains, as measured by disability-adjusted life-years for each location-year and population-age group. For three tests of validity (content, known-groups, and convergent), UHC effective coverage index performance was generally better than that of other UHC service coverage indices from WHO (ie, the current metric for SDG indicator 3.8.1 on UHC service coverage), the World Bank, and GBD 2017. We quantified frontiers of UHC effective coverage performance on the basis of pooled health spending per capita, representing UHC effective coverage index levels achieved in 2019 relative to country-level government health spending, prepaid private expenditures, and development assistance for health. To assess current trajectories towards the GPW13 UHC billion target—1 billion more people benefiting from UHC by 2023—we estimated additional population equivalents with UHC effective coverage from 2018 to 2023. Findings: Globally, performance on the UHC effective coverage index improved from 45·8 (95% uncertainty interval 44·2–47·5) in 1990 to 60·3 (58·7–61·9) in 2019, yet country-level UHC effective coverage in 2019 still spanned from 95 or higher in Japan and Iceland to lower than 25 in Somalia and the Central African Republic. Since 2010, sub-Saharan Africa showed accelerated gains on the UHC effective coverage index (at an average increase of 2·6% [1·9–3·3] per year up to 2019); by contrast, most other GBD super-regions had slowed rates of progress in 2010–2019 relative to 1990–2010. Many countries showed lagging performance on effective coverage indicators for non-communicable diseases relative to those for communicable diseases and maternal and child health, despite non-communicable diseases accounting for a greater proportion of potential health gains in 2019, suggesting that many health systems are not keeping pace with the rising non-communicable disease burden and associated population health needs. In 2019, the UHC effective coverage index was associated with pooled health spending per capita (r=0·79), although countries across the development spectrum had much lower UHC effective coverage than is potentially achievable relative to their health spending. Under maximum efficiency of translating health spending into UHC effective coverage performance, countries would need to reach $1398 pooled health spending per capita (US$ adjusted for purchasing power parity) in order to achieve 80 on the UHC effective coverage index. From 2018 to 2023, an estimated 388·9 million (358·6–421·3) more population equivalents would have UHC effective coverage, falling well short of the GPW13 target of 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC during this time. Current projections point to an estimated 3·1 billion (3·0–3·2) population equivalents still lacking UHC effective coverage in 2023, with nearly a third (968·1 million [903·5–1040·3]) residing in south Asia. Interpretation: The present study demonstrates the utility of measuring effective coverage and its role in supporting improved health outcomes for all people—the ultimate goal of UHC and its achievement. Global ambitions to accelerate progress on UHC service coverage are increasingly unlikely unless concerted action on non-communicable diseases occurs and countries can better translate health spending into improved performance. Focusing on effective coverage and accounting for the world's evolving health needs lays the groundwork for better understanding how close—or how far—all populations are in benefiting from UHC. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic