Epidemiologic Feature of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Elementary School Children

Abstract Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorders starting from childhood that has afflicted 3-5% of school children. ADHD has destructive effects on people's social, educational, personality, and behaviuoral relationships in childhood and adulthood. This cross-sectional school based study included all the students studying in grades one to five at elementary schools in Khorramabad (N=945), Iran. Eight girls and 8 boys schools were selected using a cluster, multi-stage sampling method. The Child Symptom Inventories-4 (CSI4) standardised questionnaire was used to collect the data. The questionnaires were completed by teachers and parents in separate meetings. The cases that showed ADHD underwent clinical examinations by psychiatrists. The results were analysed via descriptive statistics and X 2 tests using the SPSS software. Out of 945 children, 50.7% and 49.3% were girls and boys respectively. Among the people studied, 3.17% suffered from ADHD including 40% from attention deficit, 33.3% from hyperactivity, and 26.6% from the combined type. ADHD was more prevalent in boys than in girls (4.9% vs. 1.5%). There was a significant relationship between children's gender and ADHD (p<0.005). The students in grade 5 showed the lowest, and those in grades 2 and 3 showed the highest ADHD rates. However, no significant relationships were found between parents' age, educational level, occupation, income, grade, and psychiatric problems in family. Identifying behavioral disorders including ADHD in school children and adolescents, due to their high prevalence, seems to be necessary. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate ADHD prevalence in elementary school students of Khorramabad

Simultaneous RPD and SVC Placement in Power Systems for Voltage Stability Improvement Using a Fuzzy Weighted Seeker Optimization Algorithm

Voltage stability issues are growing challenges in many modern power systems. This paper proposes optimizing the size and location of Static VAR Compensator (SVC) devices using a Fuzzy Weighted Seeker Optimization Algorithm (FWSOA), as an effective solution to overcome such issues. Although the primary purpose of SVC is bus voltage regulation, it can also be useful for voltage stability enhancement and even real power losses reduction in the network. To this aim, a multi-objective function is presented which includes voltage profile improvement, Voltage Stability Margin (VSM) enhancement and minimization of active power losses. Voltage stability is very close to Reactive Power Dispatch (RPD) in the network. Therefore, in addition to voltage regulation with locating SVCs, considering all of the other control variables including excitation settings of generators, tap positions of tap changing transformers and reactive power output of fixed capacitors in the network, simultaneous RPD and SVC placement will be achieved. Simulation results on IEEE 14 and 57-bus test systems, applying Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Seeker Optimization Algorithm (SOA) and FWSOA verify the efficiency of FWSOA for the above claims

Metabolic host response and therapeutic approaches to influenza infection

Based on available metabolomic studies, influenza infection affects a variety of cellular metabolic pathways to ensure an optimal environment for its replication and production of viral particles. Following infection, glucose uptake and aerobic glycolysis increase in infected cells continually, which results in higher glucose consumption. The pentose phosphate shunt, as another glucose-consuming pathway, is enhanced by influenza infection to help produce more nucleotides, especially ATP. Regarding lipid species, following infection, levels of triglycerides, phospholipids, and several lipid derivatives undergo perturbations, some of which are associated with inflammatory responses. Also, mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation decreases significantly simultaneously with an increase in biosynthesis of fatty acids and membrane lipids. Moreover, essential amino acids are demonstrated to decline in infected tissues due to the production of large amounts of viral and cellular proteins. Immune responses against influenza infection, on the other hand, could significantly affect metabolic pathways. Mainly, interferon (IFN) production following viral infection affects cell function via alteration in amino acid synthesis, membrane composition, and lipid metabolism. Understanding metabolic alterations required for influenza virus replication has revealed novel therapeutic methods based on targeted inhibition of these cellular metabolic pathways

Association of polymorphisms in inflammatory cytokines encoding genes with severe cases of influenza A/H1N1 and B in an Iranian population

Background: The increased levels of blood cytokines is the main immunopathological process that were attributed to severe clinical outcomes in cases of influenza A, influenza B and people with influenza-like illness (ILI). Functional genetic polymorphisms caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in inflammatory cytokines genes can influence their functions either qualitatively or quantitatively, which is associated with the possibility of severe influenza infections. The aim of the present case-control study was to investigate the association of polymorphisms in inflammatory cytokines genes with influenza patients and ILI group in an Iranian population. Methods: Total number of 30 influenza B, 50 influenza A (H1N1) and 96 ILI inpatient individuals were confirmed by Real-time RT-PCR and HI assays. The genotype determination was assessed for defined SNPs in IL-1β, IL-17, IL-10 and IL-28 genes. Results: The frequencies of the IL-1β rs16944 (P = 0.007) and IL-17 rs2275913 (P = 0.006) genotypes were associated with severe influenza disease, while the frequencies of IL-10 rs1800872 and IL-28 rs8099917 were not associated with the disease (P > 0.05). Also, the absence of A allele in IL-17 rs2275913 SNP increased the risk of influenza A (H1N1) infection (P = 0.008). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that influenza A-(H1N1) and B-infected patients and also ILI controls have different profiles of immune parameters, and individuals carrying the specific cytokine-derived polymorphisms may show different immune responses towards severe outcome

Bloodstream and endovascular infections due to Abiotrophia defectiva and Granulicatella species

BACKGROUND: Abiotrophia and Granulicatella species, previously referred to as nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS), are significant causative agents of endocarditis and bacteraemia. In this study, we reviewed the clinical manifestations of infections due to A. defectiva and Granulicatella species that occurred at our institution between 1998 and 2004. METHODS: The analysis included all strains of NVS that were isolated from blood cultures or vascular graft specimens. All strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Patients' medical charts were reviewed for each case of infection. RESULTS: Eleven strains of NVS were isolated during the 6-year period. Identification of the strains by 16S rRNA showed 2 genogroups: Abiotrophia defectiva (3) and Granulicatella adiacens (6) or "para-adiacens" (2). The three A. defectiva strains were isolated from immunocompetent patients with endovascular infections, whereas 7 of 8 Granulicatella spp. strains were isolated from immunosuppressed patients, mainly febrile neutropenic patients. We report the first case of "G. para-adiacens" bacteraemia in the setting of febrile neutropenia. CONCLUSION: We propose that Granulicatella spp. be considered as a possible agent of bacteraemia in neutropenic patients

Sonographic evaluation of the shoulder in asymptomatic elderly subjects with diabetes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence of rotator cuff tears increases with age and several studies have shown that diabetes is associated with symptomatic shoulder pathologies. Aim of our research was to evaluate the prevalence of shoulder lesions in a population of asymptomatic elderly subjects, normal and with non insulin - dependent diabetes mellitus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was performed on 48 subjects with diabetes and 32 controls (mean age: 71.5 ± 4.8 and 70.7 ± 4.5, respectively), who did not complain shoulder pain or dysfunction. An ultrasound examination was performed on both shoulders according to a standard protocol, utilizing multiplanar scans.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Tendons thickness was greater in diabetics than in controls (Supraspinatus Tendon: 6.2 ± 0.09 mm <it>vs </it>5.2 ± 0.7 mm, p < 0.001; Biceps Tendon: 4 ± 0.8 mm <it>vs </it>3.2 ± 0.4 mm, p < 0.001). Sonographic appearances of degenerative features in the rotator cuff and biceps were more frequently observed in diabetics (Supraspinatus Tendon: 42.7% <it>vs </it>20.3%, p < 0.003; Biceps Tendon: 27% <it>vs </it>7.8%, p < 0.002).</p> <p>Subjects with diabetes exhibited more tears in the Supraspinatus Tendon (Minor tears: 15 (15.8%) <it>vs </it>2 (3.1%), p < 0.03; Major tears: 15 (15.8%) <it>vs </it>5 (7.8%), p = ns), but not in the long head of Biceps. More effusions in subacromial bursa were observed in diabetics (23.9% <it>vs </it>10.9%, p < 0.03) as well as tenosynovitis in biceps tendon (33.3% <it>vs </it>10.9%, p < 0.001).</p> <p>In both groups, pathological findings were prevalent on the dominant side, but no difference related to duration of diabetes was found.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that age - related rotator cuff tendon degenerative changes are more common in diabetics.</p> <p>Ultrasound is an useful tool for discovering in pre - symptomatic stages the subjects that may undergo shoulder symptomatic pathologies.</p

The suicide phenomenon in motile aeromonads.

Certain strains of motile Aeromonas species, including all those of Aeromonas caviae examined, were shown to be suicidal. When they were grown in the presence of glucose at both 30 and 37 degrees C, there was rapid die-off of the organisms after 12 h of incubation, and viable cells generally could not be recovered after 24 h. It was shown that this phenomenon was due to the production of relatively high levels of acetic acid by these strains, even during growth under highly aerobic conditions, and to the greater susceptibility of these strains to acetic acid-mediated death. Suicide did not occur when the pH was maintained above 6.5 or in the presence of high concentration of Pi. These observations were consistent with our inability to isolate suicidal Aeromonas spp. from acidic lakes in New England and with their recovery from alkaline waters in Israel and from sewage. Suicidal aeromonads appear to be better adapted than the nonsuicidal biotypes to anaerobic growth in low-nutrient environments