Investigation of depression prevalence in slow coronary artery patients

Introduction: There is limited information about the association between Coronary Slow Flow (CSF) phenomenon and depression. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression in slow coronary artery patients in compression of patients with normal coronary artery and those with significant coronary stenosis under angiography at Shafa hospital of Kerman in 2018. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that was performed on 180 people. All participants were divided into three groups (60 patients with CSF diagnosed by elective Coronary Angiography (CAG), 60 people with Coronary Normal Flow (CNF), and 60 patients with significant coronary artery diseases (CAD) who were referred to Shafa hospital of Kerman in 2018. The data collection tool was a questionnaire that included two parts: demographic information and Beck Depression Scale. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 24 software. Results: The results showed that 55 % of the sample were male and the incidence of mild, moderate, and severe depression is significantly higher among patients with CSF in compromising with normal and coronary stenosis group (P <0.0001). Conclusion: Due to the significant association between depression and CSF, it is necessary for people with cardiovascular disease to be screened for psychiatric problems

Investigation of nitrate and nitrite concentration and other physicochemical parameters of drinking water sources in Saveh city during the year of 2018

Abstract   Background and Purpose:Qualitative parameters of drinking water such as concentration of nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, total soluble solids, sodium, magnesium, fluoride, total hardness and electrical conductivity can play an important role in groundwater resources and are mainly related to agriculture, waste disposal areas and sewage. The aim of this study was to determine these parameters in drinking groundwater resource of Saveh city using Geographic Information System during the year of 2018 and investigation of contaminant’s in the region’s aquifer. Materials and Methods:This research is a descriptive-analytic study. 120 samples of water from 12 drinking water wells were prepared in spring and two times in the morning and afternoon in different parts of the city of Saveh. The quality parameters of drinking water, including concentration of nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, total soluble solids, sodium, magnesium, fluoride, total hardness and electrical conductivity were entered into the GIS software and stored in a database and then processed by the information system software, color mapping was prepared and geographical maps (GIS) were mapped to qualitative status. Also, reverse interpolation was used to estimate the conditions of the whole region. Findings:The average concentration of chlorine, sulfate, electrical conductivity, total soluble solids, total hardness and sodium exceeds the permissible limits, and the non-qualitative water conditions are quite evident. Also, the amount of two magnesium and sulfate ions was above the standard 1053. It should be kept in mind that the high levels of these two ions can interfere with the digestive system. Fluoride and nitrate levels were also acceptable range in all areas. Conclusion:The highest deviation level from 1053 standard was for total soluble solids, sodium, magnesium, and sulfate. It is better to consider a comprehensive program to solve the problem, including use of nanotechnology, filtering or ion exchange

Voluntary Exercise Prevents Lead-Induced Elevation of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Markers in Male Rat Blood

Regular mild exercise enhances antioxidant and anti-inflammatory systems of the body. The present study investigates voluntary exercise effects on lead toxicity as a known oxidative stressor. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups. Sedentary control: the animals were housed 7 weeks in the regular cages. Exercise group: the animals were housed 7 weeks in the running wheel equipped cages, that is, the animal model of voluntary exercise. During the 7th week, all animals were administered lead acetate. Blood samples were collected at the end of the 6th week and 7th week (before and after lead administrations). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) were measured in the samples. Our results showed that lead administration reduced blood SOD, GPx and CAT and increased TNF-; in the controls, but in the exercise group, changes were not statistically significant. MDA in both groups increased after lead injections but it was significantly lower in exercise group compared to the sedentary animals. We concluded that voluntary exercise may be considered as a preventive tool against lead-induced oxidative stress and inflammation

Effect of Intermediate-Dose vs Standard-Dose Prophylactic Anticoagulation on Thrombotic Events, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Treatment, or Mortality among Patients with COVID-19 Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: The INSPIRATION Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance: Thrombotic events are commonly reported in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Limited data exist to guide the intensity of antithrombotic prophylaxis. Objective: To evaluate the effects of intermediate-dose vs standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation among patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Design, Setting, and Participants: Multicenter randomized trial with a 2 � 2 factorial design performed in 10 academic centers in Iran comparing intermediate-dose vs standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation (first hypothesis) and statin therapy vs matching placebo (second hypothesis; not reported in this article) among adult patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. Patients were recruited between July 29, 2020, and November 19, 2020. The final follow-up date for the 30-day primary outcome was December 19, 2020. Interventions: Intermediate-dose (enoxaparin, 1 mg/kg daily) (n = 276) vs standard prophylactic anticoagulation (enoxaparin, 40 mg daily) (n = 286), with modification according to body weight and creatinine clearance. The assigned treatments were planned to be continued until completion of 30-day follow-up. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of venous or arterial thrombosis, treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or mortality within 30 days, assessed in randomized patients who met the eligibility criteria and received at least 1 dose of the assigned treatment. Prespecified safety outcomes included major bleeding according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (type 3 or 5 definition), powered for noninferiority (a noninferiority margin of 1.8 based on odds ratio), and severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <20 �103/µL). All outcomes were blindly adjudicated. Results: Among 600 randomized patients, 562 (93.7) were included in the primary analysis (median interquartile range age, 62 50-71 years; 237 42.2% women). The primary efficacy outcome occurred in 126 patients (45.7%) in the intermediate-dose group and 126 patients (44.1%) in the standard-dose prophylaxis group (absolute risk difference, 1.5% 95% CI,-6.6% to 9.8%; odds ratio, 1.06 95% CI, 0.76-1.48; P =.70). Major bleeding occurred in 7 patients (2.5%) in the intermediate-dose group and 4 patients (1.4%) in the standard-dose prophylaxis group (risk difference, 1.1% 1-sided 97.5% CI,-� to 3.4%; odds ratio, 1.83 1-sided 97.5% CI, 0.00-5.93), not meeting the noninferiority criteria (P for noninferiority >.99). Severe thrombocytopenia occurred only in patients assigned to the intermediate-dose group (6 vs 0 patients; risk difference, 2.2% 95% CI, 0.4%-3.8%; P =.01). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19, intermediate-dose prophylactic anticoagulation, compared with standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation, did not result in a significant difference in the primary outcome of a composite of adjudicated venous or arterial thrombosis, treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or mortality within 30 days. These results do not support the routine empirical use of intermediate-dose prophylactic anticoagulation in unselected patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04486508. © 2021 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Friendship Network and Dental Brushing Behavior among Middle School Students: An Agent Based Modeling Approach.

By using a standard questionnaire, the level of dental brushing frequency was assessed among 201 adolescent female middle school students in Tehran. The initial assessment was repeated after 5 months, in order to observe the dynamics in dental health behavior level. Logistic Regression model was used to evaluate the correlation among individuals' dental health behavior in their social network. A significant correlation on dental brushing habits was detected among groups of friends. This correlation was further spread over the network within the 5 months period. Moreover, it was identified that the average brushing level was improved within the 5 months period. Given that there was a significant correlation between social network's nodes' in-degree value, and brushing level, it was suggested that the observed improvement was partially due to more popularity of individuals with better tooth brushing habit. Agent Based Modeling (ABM) was used to demonstrate the dynamics of dental brushing frequency within a sample of friendship network. Two models with static and dynamic assumptions for the network structure were proposed. The model with dynamic network structure successfully described the dynamics of dental health behavior. Based on this model, on average, every 43 weeks a student changes her brushing habit due to learning from her friends. Finally, three training scenarios were tested by these models in order to evaluate their effectiveness. When training more popular students, considerable improvement in total students' brushing frequency was demonstrated by simulation results

Agent-Based Modeling: An Innovative Opportunity for Population-Based Oral Health Promotion

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Relationship between C-reactive protein and physical fitness, physical activity, obesity and selected cardiovascular risk factors in schoolchildren

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between C-reactive protein (CRP) with physical fitness, physical activity, obesity, and selected cardiovascular risk factors in school -children. Methods: Forty-four boy schoolchildren (mean ± SD: age 10.25 ± 0.75 years, height 144 ± 0.2 cm, body weight 46.1 5± 4.59 kg, body mass index 22.16 ± 2.16 kg/m 2 ) voluntarily participated in this study. Physical fitness and physical activity were assessed using the 20-meter fitness test. Adiposity was estimated using body mass index. Blood samples were taken after an overnight fast and meas-ured for CRP, LDL, HDL and cholesterol. Pearson′s correlation was calculated to determine the relations between these factors. Results: Mean (SD) CRP concentration was 1.07 (0.82) mg/l. A significant correlation was observed between CRP and VO2max (r=-0.45, P= 0.001), body mass index (r=0.55, P=0.000) and cho-lesterol (r=-0.35, P=0.04). No significant relation was found be-tween CRP and physical activity, LDL and HDL (P> 0.05). Moreover, significant associations were observed between body mass index and VO2max (r=-0.33, P=0.02) and physical activity (r=-0.43, P=0.04). Conclusions: Body mass index was the most powerful predictor of serum concentrations of CRP in schoolchildren. It may be an important factor to control body weight to prevent an increase in serum CRP in children and to help the primordial prevention of chronic diseases

Caloric Restriction Prevents Lead-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Rat Liver

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of caloric restriction on liver of lead-administered rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: Ad libitum fed group (AL, free access to normal rat chow) and caloric restriction group (CR, fed 65% of AL animals’ food intake). After 6 weeks, half of the animals of each group were injected lead acetate and the other half were injected saline. Liver tissue samples were collected at the end of the experiments. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were measured in the tissue extracts. Histological studies were also performed. Our results showed that lead administrations (not saline injections) reduced liver SOD and GPx and increased MDA and TNF-α in AL animals, but in the CR animals lead injections did not significantly change the measured parameters. The histological studies supported the biochemical findings. We concluded that 65% CR may prevent lead-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in rat liver

Comparison of the cross correlation values for different friendship level of empirical data and simulation.

<p>(a) static network model and (b) dynamic network model. The u, as probability of changing an agent’s brushing frequency habit in a week, was assumed to be 0.02 and 0.023 for static and dynamic network model respectively.</p

Schematic of the Agent Based Model.

<p><b>(a)</b> Four different status of agent’s brushing frequency. Nodes’ color shows the level of the agent’s brushing frequency of brushing and node’s size shows her popularity. <b>(b)</b> Changing a student’s friendship relations in the network (dynamic network model).</p