Prevalence of Home Smoking Bans and its Determinants in Families with Infants

Background Exposure to cigarette smoke has numerous health risks for infants and children. Home smoking ban is a simple way to reduce the detrimental impacts of cigarette smoke. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking bans in homes as well as associated factors in families with infants in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods This study was a population-based cross-sectional survey on 1,112 families with infants, selected through stratified-cluster sampling. In this study, a researcher made questionnaire including four parts: sociodemographic characteristics, smoking status, smoking restrictions, and parental awareness and belief, was completed. The multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between smoking bans in homes and associated factors. Results Complete smoking ban in homes was 37.3%. In the multivariable logistic regression, cigarette smoking ban in homes was significantly higher for employed mothers (odds ratio [OR] = 3.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-7.2, P<0.001), for those who did not have any smoker friends or relatives (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.3-4.4, P<0.001), for those smoking a smaller number of cigarettes (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.4-5.3, P=0.003), and for parents who concurred with the impacts of thirdhand cigarette smoke on infant health (OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.4-14.9, P<0.001). Conclusion This study indicates that complete smoking ban is not established in many households with infants in Iran. Furthermore, it is necessary to perform health interventions for reducing infant exposure to cigarette smoke, while considering the factors associated with smoking ban. Keyword

Educational needs assessment of gestational diabetes in pregnant women for safe delivery and healthy baby birth

زمینه و هدف: دیابت حاملگی با شیوعی حدود 7 درصد موارد حاملگی، مختص زنان باردار می باشد و موجب عدم تحمل گلوکز در آنان می گردد. عدم تشخیص و درمان به موقع آن موجب عوارض جدی در مادر و جنین طی دوران بارداری و هنگام زایمان می شود. این مطالعه با هدف نیاز سنجی آموزشی زنان باردار از دیابت حاملگی جهت انجام زایمان ایمن و تولد نوزاد سالم طراحی و اجرا شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی مقطعی، 101 زن باردار مراجعه کننده به مراکز بهداشتی درمانی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شهرکرد در بهار سال 1393، به روش نمونه گیری آسان انتخاب و وارد مطالعه شدند. از پرسشنامه ای محقق ساخته متشکل از 40 سوال شامل سه بخش سوالات دموگرافیک، آگاهی سنجی و نیاز سنجی آموزشی به عنوان ابزار جمع آوری اطلاعات استفاده شد. میزان آگاهی و نیاز آموزشی زنان باردار در خصوص زایمان ایمن و تولد نوزاد سالم ارزیابی گردید. یافته ها: زنان با تحصیلات در مقطع کاردانی، همچنین زنانی که در بستگان خود دارای فرد دیابتی بودند، اطلاعات بیشتری در مورد دیابت داشتند. به طور میانگین 1/92 درصد زنان باردار به سوالات آگاهی سنجی پاسخ صحیح و 9/7 درصد پاسخ اشتباه دادند. در راستای نیاز سنجی آموزشی 1/64 درصد اعلام نمودند که در رابطه با موضوعات مرتبط با دیابت دوران بارداری نیاز به آموزش دارند و 9/35 درصد اعلام نمودند نیاز به آموزش ندارند. 3/87 درصد زنان از عوارض دیابت حاملگی بر سلامت جنین و نوزاد آگاهی متوسط و خوب و 7/12 درصد آگاهی ضعیف داشتند. نتیجه گیری: زنان باردار با سن کمتر از 35 سال، به علت عدم اطلاع از پایین بودن میزان آگاهی خود، بیشتر در معرض خطر بوده و نیاز به توجه و آموزش بیشتری در زمینه دیابت حاملگی جهت انجام زایمان ایمن و تولد نوزاد سالم دارند

Strong interaction between T allele of endothelial nitric oxide synthase with B1 allele of cholesteryl ester transfer protein TaqIB highly elevates the risk of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract Background The present study was conducted to investigate the possible outcome of interaction between endothelial nitric oxide (NOS3) G894T and cholesteryl ester transfer TaqIB variants on the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The sample included a total of 207 CAD patients (102 CAD patients with T2DM and 105 CAD patients without T2DM). There were also 101 patients with T2DM and 92 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals as controls. All study participants were from Western Iran. The sample was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results The presence of NOS3 T allele was not associated with the risk of CAD or T2DM, and the CETP B1 allele was only significantly associated with the increased risk of CAD in total CAD patients (odds ratio (OR) = 5.1, p = 0.019). However, the concomitant presence of both CETP B1 and NOS3 T alleles significantly increased the risk of CAD in total CAD patients (OR = 18.1, p p = 0.03), and in CAD patients with T2DM (OR = 13.5, p = 0.002). Also, the presence of both alleles increased the risk of T2DM (OR = 12, p = 0.004). Conclusions Our findings, for the first time, indicate that NOS3 T allele strongly interacts with CETP B1 allele to augment the risk of CAD and T2DM in the population of Western Iran.</p

MMP-8 C-799T and MMP-8 C+17G polymorphisms in mild and severe preeclampsia: Association between MMP-8 C-799T with susceptibility to severe preeclampsia

Objective: The aim of present study was to determine the role of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) C-799T (rs11225395) and C+17 (rs2155052) polymorphisms in susceptibility to preeclampsia. Study design: In a case–control study, 256 pregnant women including 152 women with preeclampsia (86 women with mild preeclampsia and 66 women with severe preeclampsia) and 104 women with normal pregnancy from Western Iran with Kurdish ethnic background were investigated for MMP-8 C-799T and C + 17G polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results: Comparing the MMP-8 TT genotype with the combined genotype of CC+CT (recessive model) indicated a significantly higher frequency of the MMP-8 TT genotype (47%) in severe preeclamptic patients than that in healthy pregnant women (30.8%) that was associated with 1.99-fold increased risk of severe preeclampsia (95% CI = 1.05–3.77, p = 0.034). The frequency of MMP-8 G allele was 27.3% in all preeclamptic patients compared to 30.2% in controls (p = 0.56). Also, no significant difference was detected comparing the frequency of G allele in mild (26.6%, p = 0.46) and severe preeclamptic patients (28.4%, p = 0.75) with controls (30.2%). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the MMP-8 C-799T is associated with the risk of developing severe preeclampsia during pregnancy. However, the MMP-8 C + 17G polymorphism might not be a risk factor for susceptibility to preeclampsia

Studying the Application of Epidemic Theory in Transmission Cycle of Technology: A Case Study of Nanotechnology Patent

The aim of this study was to investigate the term Nano in subject categories of patents and to analyze the conceptual relationship between them. The method of this study is based on the study of mathematical models of the disease outbreaks. Population composed of published patents which used the words of “Nano" or "Nanotechnology” in the title or abstract. The patents retrieved from the Institute of Patent and Trademark of United States of America (USPTO). The findings showed that the patents trend had an exponential relationship and an incremental growth. So that the absolute number of patents has increased from 2 in 1995 to 1474 patents in 2013. The cumulative growth of subclasses has been involved in Nano subject over time that has an S state logistics, which is reached from 2 in 1995 to 3032 in 2014. The results showed that the USPTO patents at this time confirm the theory of Goffman (1971) that transmits of an idea as the dissemination of influenza are reversible.

AT1R A1166C variants in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy

Background: There are inconsistent reports related to the role of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its renal complications. Objectives: To identify the association between AT1R A1166C variants with the risk of T2DM and also with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Patients and Methods: In a case-control study, the AT1R A1166C polymorphism was detected in 135 T2DM patients with and without DN and in 98 healthy subjects from Western Iran. The genotypes of AT1R A1166C polymorphism were detected using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results: The frequencies of AT1R A1166C genotypes and alleles were not significantly difference between patients with and without DN and controls. The frequencies of rare allele of 1166 C were 10%, 16.5%, 15.9% and 15.3% in micro-, macro- and normo-albuminuric patients and in healthy individuals, respectively (P > 0.05). The systolic blood pressure and serum creatinine level in DN patients were significantly higher in carriers of AT1R CC compared to carriers of AT1R AA genotype. In the presence of uncontrolled hyperglycemia (HbA1c > 7.5%), there was a trend toward increased risk of macro-albuminuria in carriers of AC+CC genotype (OR=3.66, [95% CI: 0.81-16.58], P = 0.092). Conclusions: Our study indicated the absence of an association between AT1R A1166C polymorphism with the risk of T2DM and DN. It seems in carriers of AT1R C allele systolic blood pressure and serum creatinine level to be higher compared to the A allele carriers