Facilitating and inhibiting factors related to treatment adherence in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a qualitative study

Background: Adherence issues in PCOS patients have not been examined thoroughly. Patients report prolonged periods of treatment and side effects of drug as the most common reason for withdrawal from treatment. To improve the effective management of PCOS patients, it is fundamental to understand facilitating and inhibiting factors to treatment adherence. Objective: to explore facilitating /inhibiting factors related to treatment adherence among PCOS patients. Material and Methods: This was a qualitative study with a purposive sample of women with confirmed diagnosis of PCOS. The data were collected via 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews with women aged between 21 to 34. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Five themes were identified which described different types of facilitating /inhibiting factors to treatment adherence. Inhibiting factors included financial issues, patient-related, disease-related, health care provider-related factors; social factors were found to be both facilitating and inhibiting. Conclusion: The findings suggest that successful adherence to PCOS treatment is highly dependent on patients recognizing and adapting to financial, social, and health care related inhibiting factors. It is also crucial for clinicians and policy makers to recognize these key inhibiting factors in order to improve treatment outcomes Keywords: polycystic ovarian syndrome, adherence, qualitative researc

Comparing pregnancy, childbirth, and neonatal outcomes in women with different phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome and healthy women: a prospective cohort study

The aim of this study was to compare pregnancy, childbirth, and neonatal outcomes in women with different phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with healthy women. A prospective cohort study from the beginning to the end of pregnancy for 41 pregnant women with PCOS (case) and 49 healthy pregnant women (control) was completed. Based on the presence or absence of menstrual dysfunction (M), hyperandrogenism (HA), and polycystic ovaries (PCO) on ultrasound, the PCOS (case) group were divided into three phenotypes (HA + PCO (  = 22), M + PCO (  = 9), HA + M+PCO (  = 10). Pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and lower birth weight among newborns were significantly higher in the PCOS case group compared to the control group especially in the phenotype HA + M+PCO (  < .05). High BMI (  = 2.40; =.03) was the strongest predictor of pre-eclampsia in patients with PCOS. High androgen levels (free androgen index) (  = 13.71, 3.02;  < .05), was the strongest predictor of developing diabetes during pregnancy and reduced birth weight baby, respectively.These results suggest that PCOS, particularly in phenotype HA + M+PCO (  < .05), is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and reduced weight babies

A review on the efficient catalysts for algae transesterification to biodiesel

The depletion of fossil fuel resources and increasing environmental pollution led to a trend for using alternative, clean, green, and sustainable fuel and energy resources. To attain this aim, using biomass as an alternative resource for diesel production has been a hotspot among researchers. Biodiesel has several advantages, such as being lower toxic and more renewable, and eco-friendlier than diesel from fossil fuel resources. Several edible and non-edible bio-sources were used for the production of biodiesel from the transesterification process. Algal oil as a non-edible source is considered an abundant, low cost and green substrate for biodiesel production. Various factors such as reaction conditions and the type of catalyst affect the biodiesel production process. Different catalytic systems such as basic and acidic homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts and biocatalysts were introduced for the process in the literature, and each proposed catalyst has its own advantages and disadvantages. For instance, in spite of the lower cost and better mass transfer of base and acid homogeneous catalysts, reaction system corrosion, non-reusability, and soap formation are serious challenges of these catalysts at an industrial scale. On the other hand, acid and base heterogenous catalysts overcame the issues of corrosion and recovery, but some matters such as mass transfer limitation, high cost, and weak performance in catalyzing both esterification of FFAs and transesterification of lipids must be taken into account. In addition, bio-catalysis as a high-cost process led to a purer product formation with less side reaction. Therefore, several significant factors should be considered for transesterification catalysts such as availability, cost, reusability, stability, mass transfer, and the possibility to manage both the transesterification of triglycerides and the esterification of FFAs, selecting a catalyst with predominant pros is viable. Here, a review of the biodiesel production from algal biomass focusing on the efficient catalyst of the process is presented

Catalytic Production of Levulinic Acid (LA) from Actual Biomass

Catalytic conversion of actual biomass to valuable chemicals is a crucial issue in green chemistry. This review discusses on the recent approach in the levulinic acid (LA) formation from three prominent generations of biomasses. Our paper highlights the impact of the nature of different types of biomass and their complex structure and impurities, different groups of catalyst, solvents, and reaction system, and condition and all related pros and cons for this process

Investigation of population genetic structure of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in the south Caspian Sea using mtDNA method (PCR-RFLP)

The population genetic structure of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was examined on 260 specimens from Tajan and Gorgan Rivers, Gorgan Gulf, Anzali Lagoon and other regions in east, middle and west of south Caspian Sea. DNA was extracted from fin tissue by phenol-chlorophorm method with a concentration of 50-100 nanograms. PCR was performed using ND-3/4 and ND-5/6 genes. The PCR products of samples were digested by 15 restriction endonuclease enzymes. The digested products accompanied with standard marker (50 pb). To measure fragment size, samples were run on a 6% vertical poyacrylamide gel. The fragments were visualized by silver staining of the polyacrylamide gel. Statistical analysis of data was performed by Reap software. We detected 14 and 12 different haplotypes in ND-3/4 and ND-5/6 genes of common carp. The mean values of haplotype diversity among populations were 0.59 and 0.48 and the average nucleotide diversity was 0.06 and 0.03 for ND3/4 and ND5/6 genes. Also, the mean values of nucleotide divergence among populations were 0.05% and 0.02%, respectively. The haplotype distribution was not significantly different between Mazandaran and Guilan coasts, Mazandaran and Golestan coasts, Golestan coast and Gorgan Gulf and Gorgan River (P<0.05), but this divergence was significantly different between Guilan region and Anzali Lagoon, Guilan and Golestan coasts, Tajan and Gorgan Rivers (P<0.05). We found a significant genetic divergence between some of the samples such that three genetic groups of common carp were identified in the southern part of the Caspian Sea

The PCR-RFLP investigation of Clupeonella cultriventris from the south Caspian Sea, Iran

Fifty common kilka (Clupeonella culiriventris) specimens from Guilan Province and fifty others from Mazandaran Province, South Caspian Sea were collected to study genetic variation in the fish using Restricted Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) of the mIDNA. DNA was extracted from fm tissue by phenol-chloroform method. The PCR products were digested using 13 restriction endo-nuclease enzymes. Five out of thirteen restriction enzymes were polymorphic resulting in nine different haplotypes. The haplotype divergence ranged from 0.0073 to 0.0369. The mean value of haplotype and nucleotide diversity among populations was 0.7339±0.0006 and 0.0098±0.0, respectively. The nucleotide divergence among populations was 0.01%. Statistically significant differences in haplotype frequencies among all samples were observed (P<0.01). Therefore, we conclude the populations are different genetically