52 research outputs found
Studying the Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Teucrium polium L. Leaves on Antioxidant Activity and Lipid Profile Alterations
Get PDFBackground: Antioxidants are the most important factors preventing oxidative stress and scavenging free radicals. Nowadays, natural antioxidant compounds are highly important in prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we have investigated the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Teucrium polium L. leaves (HETPL) on enzymes related to antioxidant activity and lipid profile alterations in rats. Materials and Method: Male Wistar rats were divided into four equal groups for 8 weeks: Experimental groups of 1 and 2, which had a normal diet and high cholesterol diet (2) respectively, and experimental groups of 3 and 4, which were treated with high cholesterol diet (2) with HETPL at doses of 85 and 170 mg/kg, respectively. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) of red blood cell (RBC) and lipid profile were measured at the beginning and at the end of the study. Results: The levels of SOD in RBC and plasma MDA in the experimental Group 2 had a significant increase compared to the experimental Group 1 (P < 0.001). The level of these two enzymes in the experimental groups of 3 and 4 was significantly lower than the experimental Group 2 (SOD by P < 0.05 and P < 0.001 and MDA by P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). The mean serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in experimental Groups 1 and 4 at the end of study had no significant alteration compared to the beginning of the study, but in the experimental groups of 2 and 3, a significant decrease was observed at the end of the study than the beginning of the study (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). Mean serum levels of triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in experimental Groups 2 (LDL-c and cholesterol: P < 0.001 and TG: P < 0.01) and 3 (P < 0.01) significantly increased compared to the beginning of the study. Conclusion: We conclude that T. polium can play an important role in preventing cardiovascular diseases caused by oxidative stress through its antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities
The effects of Matricaria chamomilla L. hydroalcoholic extract on atherosclerotic plaques, antioxidant activity, lipid profile and inflammatory indicators in rats
Get PDFIntroduction: Treatment of cardiovascular risk factors seems to be necessary and involves a number of changes in drug treatment and lifestyle. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Matricaria chamomilla L. hydroalcoholic extract on antioxidant activity, atherosclerotic plaques, lipid profile and inflammatory indicators in rats. Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five experimental groups consisting of group 1 (Sham; normal dietary), group 2 (control; high cholesterol diet (2)), group 3 (high cholesterol diet plus 55 mg/kg of chamomile hydroalcoholic extract), group 4 (high cholesterol diet plus 110 mg/kg of chamomile hydroalcoholic extract), and group 5 (high cholesterol diet plus 10 mg/kg of lovastatin). At the beginning and end of the study, blood samples of all the animals were taken for determination of antioxidant activity and the level of biochemical parameters. The hearts and aorta were also isolated for ontological tests. Results: No symptom of plaque formation was observed in experimental groups 3, 4 and 5 that received the high cholesterol diet. High cholesterol diet (2) resulted in a significant increase in serum cholesterol level, TG and LDL-c levels in groups 2 and 3 as compared to group 1 (P<0.001). No significant difference was observed in serum cholesterol, TG and LDL-c levels in experimental groups 4 and 5, compared to experimental group 1. In group 4, serum HDL-c concentration did not show significant changes as compared to group 1. In groups 4 and 5, no significant change was observed in inflammatory factors as compared to group 1. The levels of superoxide dismutase in red blood cells and malon-dialdehyde in plasma of groups 3 and 5 showed no significant change when compared with group 1. Conclusion. Chamomile led to the management and correction of changes in risk factors of cardiovascular diseases
NOVEL MODEL FOR ESTIMATING THE COST OF RISK IN ASSIGNATION CONCESSION CONTRACTS USING MONTE CARLO SIMULATION METHOD
No full textAccording to the development strategy, private sector participation in implementing and developing infrastructure projects led to further financing and increase the productivity of the economy. In the past, many developing countries were followed heavy investment plans to strengthen the infrastructure systems. These investments were aimed at reducing the external costs and the custom duties. The investment plans were led by the government or the governmental organizations and their source were financed by loans. The heavy costs of subsidies had caused the income earned from investments be insufficient so that it would be impossible to pay back the loans. Implementing control plans to prevent internal and external debt rose have done severe restrictions and pressures on many countries for investment in new infrastructure projects and even maintaining the built projects.
Infrastructure development is one of the major elements of economic development in countries. In the past few decades, theinfrastructure projects were financed through concession agreements. In the concession agreements, the private sector finances the project and the Return on Investment (ROI) is obtained through incomes for the franchise period. The long duration for implementing and the high amount for investing are considered as the characteristics of infrastructure projects. Therefore, estimating the cost of risk and financial analysis is one of the effective factors in the success of projects. This study presents a methodology for estimating the cost of risk by using the data from feasibility studies and probabilistic analysis by Monte Carlo method, which it has been considered as a result of inflation and the interest rate of loans. The results showed that the methodology was very effective in the financial evaluation of the tenders relating to the projects and the possibility of project failure reduced by increasing the economic stability during the construction period
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between vitamin D deficiency and gestational diabetes mellitus
Get PDFIntroduction: Vitamin D deficiency has become quite prevalent and is known to cause a great many diseases. Numerous studies have investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and gestational diabetes, and the results are somewhat contradictory. The present study deals with the relationship between the vitamin D deficiency and gestational diabetes. Methods: Two researchers made use of MeSH, Scopus, PubMed database, Science Direct, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, CINAHL, and Google Scholar search engines to identify qualified studies and articles carried out and published before August 2017 and reported the risk of gestational diabetes developing as a result of vitamin D deficiency. The association between the two conditions was measured using odds ratios (ORs) with 95 confidence intervals (CIs). Funnel plots, Egger's, and Begg's tests were also used to assess publication bias. All analysis was done by STATA (version 11.2). Results: Twenty-nine eligible studies with a total of 14,497 participants were included in the final analysis. Overall, maternal vitamin D insufficiency was significantly associated with a greater risk of gestational diabetes (OR = 1.15; 95 CI, 1.00-1.30; p<0.001). Serum 25OHD was significantly lower in participants with gestational diabetes mellitus than in those with natural glucose tolerance (-29.7 nmol/L, 95 CI, -36.6 to -22.8; p=0.000). Conclusion: According to the current meta-analysis results, vitamin D deficiency is correlated with the risk of gestational diabetes development
Cost-Effectiveness of Endovascular Aneurysm Repair Versus Open Surgical Repair for Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A Systematic Review
No full textContext: If the diameter of an aneurysm increases by more than 6 cm, the risk of aortic rupture increases by 50 within 10 years. Therefore, rupture of aneurysm, which is usually asymptomatic, can lead to severe complications and increase the risk of mortality. The current study aimed to systematically review studies comparing the cost-effective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and open surgical repair (OSR) as the primary treatment options for patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Methods: An electronic search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Science Direct, Scopus, and other scientific economic databases. Relevant articles were searched from 1999 to 2020 using keywords, such as "abdominal aortic aneurysm", "endovascular", "open surgery", "rupture", "economic evaluation", and "cost-effectiveness". The quality of articles was assessed using the Quality of Health Economic studies (QHES) checklist; finally, five articles were included in this review. Results: The results of the QHES checklist showed that most studies had a good quality. A third-party payer's perspective was the dominant perspective in all selected studies, comparing EVAR with OSR. All studies considered the direct medical costs and did not disclose any discount rates, except for one study, reporting a 3.5 discount rate. Almost all included studies found EVAR to be a costeffective intervention; only one study concluded that EVAR, with a cost-effectiveness ratio of 424,542, was not the best treatment option. Conclusion: In patients with ruptured AAAs, the EVAR intervention improved the quality of life, decreased the mortality rate, and shortened the hospital stay as compared to OSR
The quantum exchange effects on the electromagnetic solitonic excitations in warm plasma
No full textThe phenomena related to the high energy regime in a plasma medium are studied in the framework of relativistic quantum hydrodynamics at the classical level. This theory leads to nonlinear equations even at the weak relativistic regime. These nonlinearities give rise to interesting and novel phenomena in the dynamics of the medium. Here, we consider these effects on the dynamics of a warm plasma environment. In addition, we study the effects of the exchange interaction between electrons on the dynamic of such a plasma. This interaction is a quantum mechanical effect and its strength is influenced by the spin polarization ratio of the electrons. Both the analytical and the numerical solutions are presented which are stable and bounded soliton waves. For the analytical solutions, an extended tanh approach, and for the numeric approach, the techniques of solving eigenvalue problems are applied. The behavior of the vector potential and the density under the spin polarization effects and thermal effects in terms of the speed of the wave are discussed
Social Determinant of Mental Health in Immigrants and Refugees: A Systematic Review
No full textBackground: Refugees are the most vulnerable to mental health problems of all migrant groups. Epidemiological studies measuring the prevalence of mental health disorders in resettled refugee populations have found high rates of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. To investigate the evidence of Social Determinant of Mental Health in Immigrants and Refugees Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest databases electronically. The interval selected for searching articles was between 2000-2021. After selecting articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were extracted, and the results were summarized. Results: Among 306 initial studies, 11 studies were the inclusion criteria. In these studies, the target population was people who had immigrated to countries or become refugees for various reasons. In 7 of 11 studies, social factors affecting the mental health of refugees were examined. In four studies, these factors were examined in immigrants. In most studies, social determinants of mental health were common among refugees and migrants. Conclusion: Improving each of the determinants of health plays an important role in increasing the level of mental health of immigrants and refugees. © 2021 Iran University of Medical Sciences. All Rights Reserved
Economic Evaluation of Denosumab for Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review
No full textBackground: We aimed to review the systematic economic evaluation of denosumab versus than alternative drugs and oral bisphosphonates of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women and help health system policy makers for prioritizing and optimally allocate limited health resources. Methods: We examined the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, ProQuest. Strategy search was designed based on keywords. Inclusion criteria were: studies that conducted economic evaluation denosumab compared to oral bisphosphonates for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Cost-effectiveness studies conducted using decision analysis models based on the economic evaluation approach; studies with available full-text papers; and studies written in English and published between 2010 and 2020. After selecting articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were extracted and the results were summarized. The quality of the articles was evaluated using the CHEERS checklist. Results: Among 214 initial studies, 8 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on the costeffectiveness of denosumab compared with oral bisphosphonates for the treatment of osteoporosis. The study agreed interval ranged from 3 months to 5 years. The costs investigated in the studies were direct medical costs. In most studies, the use of denosumab significantly prevented fractures. Conclusion: Denosumab is generally more cost-effective than alternative drugs and oral bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate, strontium ranelate, ibandronate, and untreated)
Economic evaluation of ivabradine in treatment of patients with heart failure: a systematic review
No full textBACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a clinical status and a progressive health disorder extremely related to increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess systematic review of literature on cost-effectiveness done in patients with heart failure receiving Ivabradine plus standard treatment compared with standard treatment alone. AREAS COVERED: This study is a systematic review in which all published articles related to the study topic were assessed in time range of 2014-2020. In order to find articles, internet search in foreign databases of PubMed, Embase, ISI/Web of Science (WoS), SCOPUS, Global Health databases, through keywords related to the objective was performed. Six articles out of 1524 article related to final topic were assessed. In addition, quality of studies was evaluated using CHEERS checklist. In six countries investigated (Iran, Thailand, Australia, United States of America, United Kingdom, and Greece), willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds higher cost per QALY, and highest ICER for Ivabradine was in USA (55,600 /QALY) and the lowest was in Thailand (10,616/QALY). Most items of CHEERS were estimated in the studies and studies had good quality. EXPERT OPINION: Regarding our investigation, ivabradine combined with standard care was more cost-effective than standard care alone in most of the evaluated studies, although the cost of this intervention was higher than its effectiveness. However, the threshold chosen by each country can have a significant impact on these results. And to have a more accurate result, it is required to pay more attention to the income level in different countries
Economic evaluation of ivabradine in treatment of patients with heart failure: a systematic review
No full textBackground: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a clinical status and a progressive health disorder extremely related to increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess systematic review of literature on cost-effectiveness done in patients with heart failure receiving Ivabradine plus standard treatment compared with standard treatment alone. Areas covered: This study is a systematic review in which all published articles related to the study topic were assessed in time range of 2014�2020. In order to find articles, internet search in foreign databases of PubMed, Embase, ISI/Web of Science (WoS), SCOPUS, Global Health databases, through keywords related to the objective was performed. Six articles out of 1524 article related to final topic were assessed. In addition, quality of studies was evaluated using CHEERS checklist. In six countries investigated (Iran, Thailand, Australia, United States of America, United Kingdom, and Greece), willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds higher cost per QALY, and highest ICER for Ivabradine was in USA (55,600 /QALY) and the lowest was in Thailand (10,616/QALY). Most items of CHEERS were estimated in the studies and studies had good quality. Expert opinion: Regarding our investigation, ivabradine combined with standard care was more cost-effective than standard care alone in most of the evaluated studies, although the cost of this intervention was higher than its effectiveness. However, the threshold chosen by each country can have a significant impact on these results. And to have a more accurate result, it is required to pay more attention to the income level in different countries. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
- …
