Some No-go Theorems for String Duals of Non-relativistic Lifshitz-like Theories

We study possibilities of string theory embeddings of the gravity duals for non-relativistic Lifshitz-like theories with anisotropic scale invariance. We search classical solutions in type IIA and eleven-dimensional supergravities which are expected to be dual to (2+1)-dimensional Lifshitz-like theories. Under reasonable ansaetze, we prove that such gravity duals in the supergravities are not possible. We also discuss a possible physical reason behind this.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, flux conditions clarified (v2), brief summary of results added (v3

Effect of melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) on sexual dysfunction in women: A double- blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is the most prevalent female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and its bio-psychosocial multifactorial etiology justifies its multifaceted treatment. In Persian Medicine (PM), the weakness of the main organs (heart, brain and liver) is one of the important causes of lack of sexual desire; hence, their strengthening is a priority during treatment. Melissa officinalis is one of the medicinal plants with tonic characteristics for the main organs in PM and was used for treatment in this study. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of M. officinalis in the improvement of HSDD in women. Eighty nine (89) eligible women suffering from decreased sexual desire were randomly assigned to groups. The participants received medication (500 mg of aqueous extract of M. officinalis) or placebo 2 times a day for 4 weeks. Changes in scores of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain were evaluated at the end of 4 weeks of treatment using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire in the two groups. Forty three participants completed the study. The increase in desire (P < 0.001), arousal (P < 0.001), lubrication (P < 0.005), orgasm (P < 0.001), satisfaction (P < 0.001), pain (P < 0.002) and FSFI total score (P < 0.001) in the M. officinalis group was significantly more than that of the placebo group. The willingness to continue treatment was significantly higher in the M. officinalis as compared to the placebo group (P < 0.001). M. officinalis may be a safe and effective herbal medicine for the improvement of HSDD in women. © 2018 by School of Pharmacy Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services

Effect of melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) on sexual dysfunction in women: A double- blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is the most prevalent female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and its bio-psychosocial multifactorial etiology justifies its multifaceted treatment. In Persian Medicine (PM), the weakness of the main organs (heart, brain and liver) is one of the important causes of lack of sexual desire; hence, their strengthening is a priority during treatment. Melissa officinalis is one of the medicinal plants with tonic characteristics for the main organs in PM and was used for treatment in this study. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of M. officinalis in the improvement of HSDD in women. Eighty nine (89) eligible women suffering from decreased sexual desire were randomly assigned to groups. The participants received medication (500 mg of aqueous extract of M. officinalis) or placebo 2 times a day for 4 weeks. Changes in scores of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain were evaluated at the end of 4 weeks of treatment using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire in the two groups. Forty three participants completed the study. The increase in desire (P < 0.001), arousal (P < 0.001), lubrication (P < 0.005), orgasm (P < 0.001), satisfaction (P < 0.001), pain (P < 0.002) and FSFI total score (P < 0.001) in the M. officinalis group was significantly more than that of the placebo group. The willingness to continue treatment was significantly higher in the M. officinalis as compared to the placebo group (P < 0.001). M. officinalis may be a safe and effective herbal medicine for the improvement of HSDD in women. © 2018 by School of Pharmacy Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services

D-branes on AdS flux compactifications

We study D-branes in N=1 flux compactifications to AdS_4. We derive their supersymmetry conditions and express them in terms of background generalized calibrations. Basically because AdS has a boundary, the analysis of stability is more subtle and qualitatively different from the usual case of Minkowski compactifications. For instance, stable D-branes filling AdS_4 may wrap trivial internal cycles. Our analysis gives a geometric realization of the four-dimensional field theory approach of Freedman and collaborators. Furthermore, the one-to-one correspondence between the supersymmetry conditions of the background and the existence of generalized calibrations for D-branes is clarified and extended to any supersymmetric flux background that admits a time-like Killing vector and for which all fields are time-independent with respect to the associated time. As explicit examples, we discuss supersymmetric D-branes on IIA nearly Kaehler AdS_4 flux compactifications.Comment: 43 pages, 2 pictures, 1 table; v2: added references, color to figure and corrected typo in (6.21b

Intermediate versus standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation and statin therapy versus placebo in critically-ill patients with COVID-19: Rationale and design of the INSPIRATION/INSPIRATION-S studies

Background: Microvascular and macrovascular thrombotic events are among the hallmarks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Furthermore, the exuberant immune response is considered an important driver of pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19. The optimal management strategy to prevent thrombosis in critically-ill patients with COVID-19 remains unknown. Methods: The Intermediate versus Standard-dose Prophylactic anticoagulation In cRitically-ill pATIents with COVID-19: An opeN label randomized controlled trial (INSPIRATION) and INSPIRATION-statin (INSPIRATION-S) studies test two independent hypotheses within a randomized controlled trial with 2 � 2 factorial design. Hospitalized critically-ill patients with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed COVID-19 will be randomized to intermediate-dose versus standard dose prophylactic anticoagulation. The 600 patients undergoing this randomization will be screened and if meeting the eligibility criteria, will undergo an additional double-blind stratified randomization to atorvastatin 20 mg daily versus matching placebo. The primary endpoint, for both hypotheses will be tested for superiority and includes a composite of adjudicated acute arterial thrombosis, venous thromboembolism (VTE), use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or all-cause death within 30 days from enrollment. Key secondary endpoints include all-cause mortality, adjudicated VTE, and ventilator-free days. Key safety endpoints include major bleeding according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium definition and severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count 3 times upper normal limit and clinically-diagnosed myopathy. The primary analyses will be performed in the modified intention-to-treat population. Results will be tested in exploratory analyses across key subgroups and in the intention-to-treat and per-protocol cohorts. Conclusions: INSPIRATION and INSPIRATON-S studies will help address clinically-relevant questions for antithrombotic therapy and thromboinflammatory therapy in critically-ill patients with COVID-19. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

National guidelines for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation of Iranian traumatic brain injury patients

Background: Individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have prolonged cognitive impairments, resulting in long-term problems with their real-life activities. Given the urgent need for evidence-based recommendations for neuropsychological management of Iranian TBI patients, the current work aimed to adapt eligible international guidelines for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation of the TBI patients in Iran. Methods: The project was led by an executive committee, under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). Following a systematic literature search and selection process, four guidelines were included for adaptation. Clinical recommendations of the source guidelines were tabulated as possible clinical scenarios for 90 PICO clinical questions covering all relevant phases of care. After summing up the scenarios, our initial list of recommendations was drafted according to the Iranian patients� conditions. The final decision-making, with the contribution of a national interdisciplinary panel of 37 experts from across the country, was conducted in two rounds using online and offline survey forms (Round 1), and face-to-face and telephone meetings (Round 2). Results: A total of 63 recommendations in six sections were included in the final list of recommendations, among which 24 were considered as key recommendations. In addition, some of the recommendations were identified as fundamental, meaning that proper implementation of the other recommendations is largely dependent on their implementation. Conclusion: Iranian health policy makers and rehabilitation program managers are recommended to address some fundamental issues to provide the necessary infrastructure to set up an efficient cognitive rehabilitation service system. © 2020 Academy of Medical Sciences of I.R. Iran. All rights reserved

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010–19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND: Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. METHODS: The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk–outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. FINDINGS: Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4·45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4·01–4·94) deaths and 105 million (95·0–116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44·4% (41·3–48·4) of all cancer deaths and 42·0% (39·1–45·6) of all DALYs. There were 2·88 million (2·60–3·18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50·6% [47·8–54·1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1·58 million (1·36–1·84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36·3% [32·5–41·3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20·4% (12·6–28·4) and DALYs by 16·8% (8·8–25·0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34·7% [27·9–42·8] and 33·3% [25·8–42·0]). INTERPRETATION: The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden

The effect of work- related stress on development of neck and shoulder complaints among nurses in one tertiary hospital in Iran

Background: There are some challenges about the role of work- related stress on development of musculoskeletal complaints. The present prospective study was conducted on nurses of Milad hospital in Tehran (Iran) to assess the role of work- related stress on development of neck and shoulder pain among nurses. Methods: From the 1,900 nurses who completed the registry forms, 1,450 nurses met the inclusion criteria. We divided the participants into exposed and unexposed groups according to their DASS-21 scores. We collected the data of neck and shoulder pain among the nurses at two points of the first and the second year after the study, using the Nordic Questionnaire. Qualitative and quantitative variables were compared between the exposed and unexposed variables with chi-square and independent sample t-test, respectively. Results: One year after the commencement of the study, 62 (9.1) nurses in the exposed group and 36 (4.7) in the unexposed group had been reported as new cases of neck and shoulder pain, respectively. The incidence of the new cases of neck and shoulder pain was significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group (p= 0.001). Two years after the start of the study, at the second follow-up point, 135 (19.8) nurses in the exposed group and 76 (9.9) in the unexposed group had been reported as new cases of neck and shoulder pain, respectively. The incidence of new cases of neck and shoulder pain was significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The incidence of neck and shoulder pain was higher in those nurses with high level of workrelated stress. According to our results, more attention should be paid to mental health as well as physical symptoms and limitations of the healthcare workers when they refer to occupational health services with musculoskeletal pain complaints

Aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) improves the spatial performance of a rat model of Alzheimer's disease

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most important neurodegenerative disorders. It is characterized by dementia including deficits in learning and memory. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) on spatial performance of AD rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were first divided into control and AD groups. Rat model of AD was established by intracerebroventricular injection of 10 μg Aβ1-42 20 d prior to administration of the lavender extract. Rats in both groups were then introduced to 2 stages of task learning (with an interval of 20 d) in Morris water maze, each followed by one probe test. After the first stage of spatial learning, control and AD animals received different doses (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) of the lavender extract. Results: In the first stage of experiment, the latency to locate the hidden platform in AD group was significantly higher than that in control group. However, in the second stage of experiment, control and AD rats that received distilled water (vehicle) showed similar performance, indicating that the maze navigation itself could improve the spatial learning of AD animals. Besides, in the second stage of experiment, control and AD rats that received lavender extract administration at different doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) spent less time locating the platform (except for the AD rats with 50 mg/kg extract treatment), as compared with their counterparts with vehicle treatment, respectively. In addition, lavender extract significantly improved the performance of control and AD rats in the probe test, only at the dose of 200 mg/kg, as compared with their counterparts with vehicle treatment. Conclusion: The lavender extract can effectively reverse spatial learning deficits in AD rats. © 2011 Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in bus and truck drivers in Kashan, Iran

Background: Bus and truck drivers are apparently more involved in metabolic syndrome and its complications due to their working conditions. The related impacts are not only harmful for driver's health, but also may endanger others. The present research was carried out to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among bus and truck drivers in Kashan, a city in Iran. Materials. In 2007, 429 bus and truck male drivers were enrolled to this cross sectional study to examine the metabolic syndrome using ATPIII criteria. Statistical tests including Chi-Square test, T-student test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Results: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in subjects was 35.9. Hypertension and diabetes were seen in 42.9 and 7 of the drivers respectively. Body mass index (BMI) in 41 of the drivers within the range of 25-30 was considered overweight and 23 of them were found to be obese. High triglyceride (53.4) and low HDL-C levels (48.7) were more common than other components of metabolic syndrome. A significant positive correlation was seen between BMI, diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome (p < 0.001); but there was no positive correlation between metabolic syndrome and smoking (p < 0.06). Conclusion: High prevalence of metabolic syndrome and other relevant risk factors for coronary heart diseases (CHD) were detected among the drivers. Based on these findings, it is recommended to consider training programs, establish pertinent health regulations, and focus on the metabolic syndrome complications in high risk group to improve and maintain their quality of life and to promote their public health. © 2011 Saberi et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd