The effect of the eight weeks Pilates exercises on sagittal spinal posture abnormalities in women heart patients after open heart surgery

Background and aims: Postural abnormality of the spine associated with physiological, functional and psychological disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks Pilates exercises on forward head, kyphosis and lordosis in women with cardiac patients after open-heart surgery. Methods: 22 women with heart disease were selected and randomly divided into two equal experimental (n=11, mean and standard deviation, age 60.4±8.8 year, height 157.5±6 cm, weight 77.5±13 kg) and control group (n=11, mean and standard deviation, age 62.8±8.1 year, height 154.4±3 cm, weight 77.4±9.5 kg). The experimental group for eight weeks, three sessions per week and each session began one hour to do Pilates exercises. Angle of the forward head was measured by special goniometer and kyphosis and lordosis angle value were measured by flexible ruler. The data were analyzed using the independent and paired t-tests. Results: Findings showed the significant improvement of the forward head angle (P0.05). In addition, no significant difference was found in the average lordosis angle in the experimental group compared to the control group (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study can be concluded that Pilates exercise causes improved forward head posture in patients. So, it can be used as intervention training for this group of patients

Limits to ion energy control in high density glow discharges: Measurement of absolute metastable ion concentrations

Unprecedented demands for uniformity, throughput, anisotropy, and damage control in submicron pattern transfer are spurring development of new, low pressure, high charge density plasma reactors. Wafer biasing, independent of plasma production in these new systems is intended to provide improved ion flux and energy control so that selectivity can be optimized and damage can be minimized. However, as we show here, an inherent property of such discharges is the generation of significant densities of excited, metastable ionic states that can bombard workpiece surfaces with higher translational and internal energy. Absolute metastable ion densities are measured using the technique of self-absorption, while the corresponding velocity distributions and density scaling with pressure and electron density are measured using laser-induced fluorescence. For a low pressure, helicon-wave excited plasma, the metastable ion flux is at least 24% of the total ion flux to device surfaces. Because the metastable ion density scales roughly as the reciprocal of the pressure and as the square of the electron density, the metastable flux is largest in low pressure, high charge density plasmas. This metastable ion energy flux effectively limits ion energy and flux control in these plasma reactors, but the consequences for etching and deposition of thin films depend on the material system and remain an open question

A study on the pattern of drug abuse and demographic characteristics of addicts referred to addiction treatment centers of Kermanshah City, Iran, in 2016

BACKGROUND: The problems of drugs and addiction and the consequences of drug into abuse are considered as a phenomenon that affects different aspects of human life and is one of the main problems of modern age. The main goal of performing this investigation was identifying general demographic factors which affect the process of addiction in order to make available the facility of diagnosis and practice of therapeutic programs.METHODS: In this cross-sectional and descriptive study, a number of 500 addicts in Kermanshah, Iran, were selected using sampling method. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage frequency, cumulative frequency, and average).RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects in this study was 36.6 + 8.80 years. Most addicts were in the age category of 31 to 40 years old. 62.8% of them began drug use for the first time in the age range of 10 to 20 years. 47% had primary education and 68.4% were unemployed and had no specific source of income. The top cause of drug use was reported as entertainment and enjoyment (47.6%) and the other cause was curiosity (26.4%). The most common cause of drug cessation was being tired of drug use.CONCLUSION: With regard to the fact that most addicts are unemployed with no source of income, thus it seems that the authorities have to assess effective treatments and find ways to create youth employment and also healthy entertainment activities and source of income on which one can rely

Using of health belief model on needlestick injuries and bloodborne pathogens among nurses

Needle Stick Injury (NSI) is one of the spread abroad and dangerous risks in nurse job that HIV, HCV and HBV are the most common infection which were transferred by blood. The aim of this study was evaluation of the education effect basis of the health belief model of knowledge and behavioral prevention of NSI. This study was a quasi-experimental that 165 nurses were selected incidentally from the hospitals they has been organized into experimental and control group. Data were collected with health belief model questionnaire and checklist before and after intervention and also for control group executive working environment was used according to universal precautions. Results showed that the mean score of knowledge and components of health belief model increased in the control group meaningfully and perceived barrier didn’t decrease meaningfully. Behaviors' scores increased and NSI decreased. Education program based on health belief model increased knowledge and most of health belief model constructs score and also improving prevention behavior and lead to decrease NSI

A simplified mathematical study of thermochemical preparation of particle oxide under counterflow configuration for use in biomedical applications

This study mathematically presents a counterflow non-premixed thermochemical technique for preparing a particle oxide used for cancer diagnosis and treatment. For this purpose, preheating, reaction, melting, and oxidation processes were simulated considering an asymptotic concept. Mass and energy conservation equations in dimensional and non-dimensional forms were solved using MATLAB®. To preserve the continuity in the system and calculate the locations of melting and flame fronts, promising jump conditions were derived. In this research, variations in flame temperature, flame front location and mass fractions of the particle, particle oxide and oxidizer, with position, Lewis number and initial temperature of the particles were investigated. The simulation results were compared with those obtained from an earlier experimental study under the same conditions. Regarding the comparison, an appropriate compatibility was observed between the results. Based on the simulation results, flame temperature was found to be about 1310 K. Positions of flame and melting fronts were found to be − 1.8 mm and − 1.78 mm, respectively

Methods and matrices: Approaches to identifying miRNAs for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

We tested two miRNA discovery workflows on two sample sources for miRNAs associated with NPC. In the first workflow, we assumed that NPC tumor tissue would be enriched for miRNAs, so we compared miRNA expression in FFPE from NPC cases and controls using microarray and RNA-Seq technologies. Candidate miRNAs from both technologies were verified by qPCR in FFPE and sera from an independent NPC sample set. In a second workflow, we directly interrogated NPC case and control sera by RNA-Seq for c-miRNAs associated with NPC, with candidate c-miRNAs verified by qPCR in the sera from the same independent NPC sample set. Results Both microarray and RNA-Seq narrowed the miRNA signature to 1-5% of the known mature human miRNAs. Moreover, these two methods produced similar results when applied to the same sample type (FFPE), with RNA-Seq additionally indicating “unknown” miRNAs associated with NPC. However, we found different miRNA profiles in NPC sera compared to FFPE using RNA-Seq, with the few overlapping miRNAs found to be significantly up-regulated in FFPE significantly down-regulated in sera (and vice versa). Despite the different miRNA profiles found in FFPE and sera, both profiles strongly associated with NPC, providing two potential sources for biomarker signatures for NPC. Conclusions We determined that the direct interrogation of sera by RNA-Seq was the most informative method for identifying a c-miRNA signature associated with NPC. We also showed that there are different miRNA expression profiles associated with NPC for tumor tissue and sera. These results reflect on the methods and meaning of miRNA biomarkers for NPC in tissue and peripheral blood

Mycobacterium bovis Infection in Holstein Friesian Cattle, Iran

To identify strains of Mycobacterium bovis circulating in Iran, we used region of difference, spoligotypes, and variable number tandem repeats to genotype 132 M. bovis isolates from Holstein Friesian cattle. Despite wide geographic origins, the strains were genetically homogeneous. Increased distribution of cattle herds and inadequate control measures may have contributed to strain dispersion

Body image concerns in patients with head and neck cancer: a longitudinal study

Objective: Head and neck cancer (HNC) treatments are known to significantly affect functionality and appearance, leading to an increased risk for body image disturbances. Yet, few longitudinal studies exist to examine body image in these patients. Based on a conceptual model, the current study aimed to determine, in patients newly diagnosed with HNC: (1) the prevalence, level, and course of body image concerns; (2) correlates of upon cancer diagnosis (pre-treatment) body image concerns; (3) predictors of immediate post-treatment body image concerns; and (4) association between body image concerns and levels of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, support (i.e., satisfaction with support from physician, social/family wellbeing, and unmet support needs), and alcohol and drug misuse. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-three (participation rate = 72%), newly diagnosed with a primary HNCwereassessedusing structured clinical interviews and psychometric measures at three, and 6 months after diagnosis. Primary outcome was 3-month, as it was most salient to body image disturbance. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted on the potential body image predictors, based on the model. Results: Sixty-eight percent of patients with HNC (n = 148 of 218) presented some level of body image concerns. Body image concerns at baseline (i.e., upon cancer diagnosis, pre-treatment) and post-treatment were significantly related and significantly increased from pre- to post-treatment. Immediately post-treatment (i.e., at 3 month follow-up), 89% (n = 132 of 148) presented some level of body image concerns. Correlates of body image concerns in patients with HNC at baseline included: physical symptom burden, difficulties with communication and eating, coping with the cancer diagnosis using denial, suicidal ideation, and having had a past anxiety diagnosis. When controlling for sociodemographic and medical variables, body image concerns in patients with HNCin the immediate post-treatment were predicted by: baseline body image, physical symptom burden, and neuroticism