Resilience level and its relationship with hypochondriasis in nurses working in COVID-19 reference hospitals

Introduction: A new coronavirus, called COVID-19, is an acute respiratory disease, which may arouse many psychological disorders since there is no specialized knowledge about it. The present study aimed to investigate the level of resilience and its relationship with hypochondriasis in nurses working in a COVID-19 reference hospital in south of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020, in which 312 nurses participated using the census method. Data collection tools were the Conker-Davidson standard resilience scale (CD-RISC) and the Evans Hypoglycaemia Awareness Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression using SPSS software version 23. Results: The mean scores of resilience and hypochondriasis were 72.38 ± 7.11 and 49.75 ± 8.13, respectively, indicating the moderate level of these two variables among nurses. Hypochondriasis in 18.91, 61.22, and 1.28% of the nurses was mild, moderate, and severe, respectively. There was a significant negative correlation between resilience and hypochondriasis (r = − 0.214 and P < 0.001). In this regard, control (P < 0.001), positive acceptance of change (P < 0.001), spiritual effects (P = 0.001), trust in individual instincts (P = 0.001), and perception of competence (P = 0.002) were detected as the predictors of nurses’ hypochondriasis. Conclusion: The nurses had moderate levels of resilience and hypochondriasis. Promoting knowledge about COVID-19and increasing information on how to protect oneself and others against the disease along with supportive packages from their managers are thus recommended

Opium use, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption in relation to pancreatic cancer

Background and Aims: Although several studies have suggested opium as a risk factor for cancers of the esophagus, stomach, larynx, lung, and bladder, no previous study has examined the association of opium with pancreatic cancer. We aimed to study the association between opium use and risk of pancreatic cancer in Iran, using a case-control design. We also studied the association of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption with pancreatic cancer, for which little information was available from this population. Methods: Cases and controls were selected from patients who were referred to 4 endoscopic ultrasound centers in Tehran, Iran. We recruited 316 histopathologically (all adenocarcinoma) and 41 clinically diagnosed incident cases of pancreatic cancer, as well as 328 controls from those with a normal pancreas in enodosonography from January 2011 to January 2015. We used logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 confidence intervals (CIs). Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, opium use (OR 1.91; 95 CI 1.06-3.43) and alcohol consumption (OR 4.16; 95 CI 1.86-9.31) were significantly associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. We did not find an association between ever tobacco smoking and pancreatic cancer risk (OR 0.93; 95 CI 0.62-1.39). Conclusion: In our study, opium use and alcohol consumption were associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, whereas cigarette smoking was not. Copyright © 2016 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved

Heparan Sulfate Regrowth Profiles Under Laminar Shear Flow Following Enzymatic Degradation

The local hemodynamic shear stress waveforms present in an artery dictate the endothelial cell phenotype. The observed decrease of the apical glycocalyx layer on the endothelium in atheroprone regions of the circulation suggests that the glycocalyx may have a central role in determining atherosclerotic plaque formation. However, the kinetics for the cells’ ability to adapt its glycocalyx to the environment have not been quantitatively resolved. Here we report that the heparan sulfate component of the glycocalyx of HUVECs increases by 1.4-fold following the onset of high shear stress, compared to static cultured cells, with a time constant of 19 h. Cell morphology experiments show that 12 h are required for the cells to elongate, but only after 36 h have the cells reached maximal alignment to the flow vector. Our findings demonstrate that following enzymatic degradation, heparan sulfate is restored to the cell surface within 12 h under flow whereas the time required is 20 h under static conditions. We also propose a model describing the contribution of endocytosis and exocytosis to apical heparan sulfate expression. The change in HS regrowth kinetics from static to high-shear EC phenotype implies a differential in the rate of endocytic and exocytic membrane turnover.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Grant HL090856-01)Singapore-MIT Allianc

Frequency of Candida species isolated from patients in children’s medical center, Tehran, Iran

Background: Candida species originating from either endogenous or exogenous sources are one of the main causes of opportunistic infections. Colonization is an important independent risk factor for invasive candidiasis, and many patients admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are colonized with Candida species that may result in invasive candidiasis. Awareness among clinicians about various aspects of colonization is critical to optimal management. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and species distribution of Candida strains isolated from predisposed patients hospitalized at Children’s Medical Center (CMC), Tehran, Iran. Methods: From June 2014 to June 2016, 347 Candida isolates were collected from 341 patients either hospitalized in different wards or referred as outpatients. The yeasts were identified by colony color characteristics using CHROMagar Candidamediumand by amplification of the ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region in DNA extracted from each isolate followed by analysis of species specific electrophoretic patterns of PCR products digested with the restriction enzyme MspI. Results: Of the 341 patients, 213 were males and 128 were females. Most samples were obtained from the 1 – 12-month age group, and the majority of samples represented urine (n = 182), throat swabs (n = 57), and stool samples (n = 53), respectively. The samples were mostly from patients in general wards. The most commonly isolated species was C. albicans (77%), followed by C. tropicalis (8.4%), C. parapsilosis (7.5%), C. glabrata (2.3%), C. kefyr (1.7%), C. krusei (1.1%), C. lusitaniae (0.6%), C. guilliermondii (0.3%), C. albicans + C. parapsilosis (1.4%), and C. albicans + C. glabrata (0.3%). Conclusions: C. albicans is the most common species isolated from children in Iran, followed by C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis, a prevalence pattern that is relatively different from studies in other countries. Neonates and infants 1 - 12 months of age hospitalized in ICU, were more colonized by Candida species than other group

Meat consumption and risk of esophageal and gastric cancer in the Golestan Cohort Study, Iran

Red meat and processed meat are associated with some gastrointestinal cancers. Our study aims to investigate the association of different meat types with esophageal and gastric cancer (EC, GC) in a high-risk population. The Golestan Cohort Study (GCS) is a population-based cohort of 50 045 individuals aged 40 to 75 from northeast Iran. Detailed data on different exposures were collected using validated questionnaires. We considered quintiles of meat consumption, using grams and density (g/1000 kcal/day). We calculated intake of red, processed, organ and white meat, as well as total red meat, including the first three. We used proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95 confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between meat types and cancer. During 12 years of follow-up, out of 49 585 participants (57.4 women), 369 developed EC (48.2 women) and 368 developed GC (27.5 women), including 309 esophageal squamous cell, 20 esophageal adenocarcinomas, 216 cardia and 95 non-cardia GC. No association was found for EC except for red meat among females (HR for one quintile increase 1.13, 95 CI = 1.00-1.27). The risk of GC increased for intake of total red meat (HR 1.08, 95 CI = 1.00-1.17) and red meat separately (HR 1.09, 95 CI = 1.00-1.18). The HR for red meat and non-cardia GC was 1.23 (95 CI = 1.02-1.48). No associations were observed for other types of meat. In conclusion, in this high-risk population red meat intake is associated with GC, but not EC, suggesting a substantial role of this modifiable factor in determining the burden of GC. © 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC

Joint effect of diabetes and opiate use on all-cause and cause-specific mortality: the Golestan cohort study

BACKGROUND: Many diabetic individuals use prescription and non-prescription opioids and opiates. We aimed to investigate the joint effect of diabetes and opiate use on all-cause and cause-specific mortality. METHODS: Golestan Cohort study is a prospective population-based study in Iran. A total of 50 045 people-aged 40-75, 28 811 women, 8487 opiate users, 3548 diabetic patients-were followed during a median of 11.1�years, with over 99 success follow-up. Hazard ratio and 95 confidence intervals (HRs, 95 CIs), and preventable death attributable to each risk factor, were calculated. RESULTS: After 533 309 person-years, 7060 deaths occurred: 4178 (10.8) of non-diabetic non-opiate users, 757 (25.3) diabetic non-users, 1906 (24.0) non-diabetic opiate users and 219 (39.8) diabetic opiate users. Compared with non-diabetic non-users, HRs (95 CIs) for all-cause mortality were 2.17 (2.00-2.35) in diabetic non-opiate users, 1.63 (1.53-1.74) in non-diabetic opiate users and 2.76 (2.40-3.17) in diabetic opiate users. Among those who both had diabetes and used opiates, 63.8 (95 CI: 58.3-68.5) of all deaths were attributable to these risk factors, compared with 53.9 (95 CI: 50-57.4) in people who only had diabetes and 38.7 (95 CI: 34.6-42.5) in non-diabetic opiate users. Diabetes was more strongly associated with cardiovascular than cancer mortality. The risk of early mortality in known cases of diabetes did not depend on whether they started opiate use before or after their diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Using opiates is detrimental to the health of diabetic patients. Public awareness about the health effects of opiates, and improvement of diabetes care especially among individuals with or at risk of opiate use, are necessary. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association 2020. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US

Causes of premature death and their associated risk factors in the Golestan Cohort Study, Iran

Objectives To examine the causes of premature mortality (<70 years) and associated risk factors in the Golestan Cohort Study. Design Prospective. Setting The Golestan Cohort Study in northeastern Iran. Participants 50 045 people aged 40 or more participated in this population-based study from baseline (2004-2008) to August 2017, with over 99 success follow-up rate. Main outcome measures The top causes of premature death, HR and their 95 CI and population attributable fraction (PAF) for risk factors. Results After 444 168 person-years of follow-up (median of 10 years), 6347 deaths were reported, of which 4018 (63.3) occurred prematurely. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) accounted for 33.9 of premature death, followed by stroke (14.0), road injuries (4.7), stomach cancer (4.6) and oesophageal cancer (4.6). Significant risk/protective factors were: wealth score (HR for highest vs lowest quintile: 0.57, PAF for lowest four quintiles vs top quintile: 28), physical activity (highest vs lowest tertile: 0.67, lowest two tertiles vs top tertile: 22), hypertension (1.50, 19), opium use (1.69, 14), education (middle school or higher vs illiterate: 0.84, illiterate or primary vs middle school or higher: 13), tobacco use (1.38, 11), diabetes (2.39, 8) and vegetable/fruit consumption (highest vs lowest tertile: 0.87, lowest two tertiles vs top tertile: 8). Collectively, these factors accounted for 76 of PAF in men and 69 in women. Conclusion IHD and stroke are the leading causes of premature mortality in the Golestan Cohort Study. Enhancing socioeconomic status and physical activity, reducing opium and tobacco use, increasing vegetable/fruit consumption and controlling hypertension and diabetes are recommended to reduce premature deaths. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2018. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ