A cellular automata model for monitoring and simulating urban land use/cover changes toward sustainability

This study presents an integrated model based on cellular automata for assessing and simulating land use/cover changes and their impact on the environment. Satellite images from Landsat TM and ETM + sensors from the time period of 1985 to 2014 were applied. Seven static and five dynamic variables were applied. These included elevation, slope, aspect, soil salinity, soil texture, distance from rivers, and roads, and distance from the five classes of land use. The model was validated by a fuzzy reciprocal similarity method. The results showed that this model is suitable for simulating changes in periods of less than 15 years and patches with areas greater than 25 hectares. The model was run for 15 years, beginning with the year 2014. The results for the study area predict that settlement areas will expand; agricultural land, rangeland and barren areas will decline; and forests will remain unchanged until 2029

Survey and Analysis on Content of Primary Education Textbooks from Life Skills Training Point of View

ABSTRACT The current research is intended to give information about Life Skills which have been considered by the researcher(s) in Primary Education Textbooks and their interpretation and analysis that was carried out within Content Analysis framework and by means of different sources. Statistical population of this study was selected as all textbooks in Primary Education Course except for Quran Training Book and Lets' Read Persian book where they included totally 26 volumes. The analysis criteria have been formulated based on: Analysis of text, images, stories, questions, exercises, verses, fluently reading, reading chorally and designs of front and back of book cover. Researching tool was sentence that was selected as the smallest unit of analysis and recording unit was utilized to measure frequencies where by counting them it was referred to the rate of paying attention to life skills by means of aforesaid books. Persian sources, theses and the related studies have been adopted to deal with theoretical frameworks of the given research and due to lack any previous sample in order to be compared with this study; thus, no test has been carried out in this content analysis while descriptive statistics was utilized like preparation of appropriate tables, frequency distribution, percentage and diagram for this purpose. Results came from this study showed that of total 2775 sentences, the relevant images or phrases in 12 topics of life skills in textbooks, the maximum frequency has belonged to Creative-Critical Thought Skill with 488 cases and ratio of 17.55%, while the minimum frequency has belonged to Political Skill with 47 cases and rate of 1.69%

Diagnosis Performance of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis with Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Venography in Zahedan (Southeast of Iran): A Series of 57 Patients

BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a scarce disease with poor prognosis and its diagnosis often challenges physicians due to nonspecific symptoms and widespread clinical manifestations. AIM: To investigate the findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) of patients with CVST diagnosis in Ali Ebne Abitaleb Hospital in Zahedan during 2013–2016 and to evaluate imaging pitfalls involving in late diagnosis, complications, and even death. METHODS: This retrospective descriptive study was done on 57 patients with confirmed CVST during 2013–2016 in Ali Ebne Abitaleb Hospital in Southeast of Iran (Zahedan). The MRI and MRV findings and related diagnostic pitfalls were evaluated. Twenty-one patients are pediatrics and 33 patients are adults. RESULTS: Of 57 patients, evidences of cerebral edema were found in 33 patients, among whom 2 patients showed parenchymal edema (cerebral edema) without infarction, and 31 patients exhibited parenchymal edema with infarction. The frequency of involvement in descending order was as followed; transverse sinus (96.49%), sigmoid sinus (49.12%), superior sagittal sinus (29.82%), jugular vein (19.29%), internal cerebral veins (7.01%), straight sinus (5.2%), and cortical veins (5.2%). Diagnostic pitfalls were also found in 8 patients. Seven patients exhibited acute and subacute thrombosis mimicked normal sinus flow void in T2-weighted images. No filling defect was seen on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted image in the other patient due to the sub-acute phase of thrombosis. CONCLUSION: The delayed diagnosis of CVST originating from nonspecific clinical features and diagnostic imaging pitfalls can result in poor outcomes in patients. To prevent the diagnostic pitfalls, the clinician should give a brief history and clinical data and radiologist(s) should interpret the findings in addition to the use of advanced MR sequences

Bacillales: From Taxonomy to Biotechnological and Industrial Perspectives

first_page settings Order Article Reprints Open AccessReview Bacillales: From Taxonomy to Biotechnological and Industrial Perspectives by Sharareh Harirchi 1 [ORCID] , Taner Sar 1 [ORCID] , Mohaddaseh Ramezani 2, Habibu Aliyu 3 [ORCID] , Zahra Etemadifar 4 [ORCID] , Seyed Ali Nojoumi 5,6 [ORCID] , Fatemeh Yazdian 7, Mukesh Kumar Awasthi 8 [ORCID] and Mohammad J. Taherzadeh 1,* [ORCID] 1 Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås, 50190 Borås, Sweden 2 Microorganisms Bank, Iranian Biological Resource Centre (IBRC), Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran 3 Institute of Process Engineering in Life Science II: Technical Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany 4 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 8174673441, Iran 5 Microbiology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran 6 Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran 7 Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran 1439957131, Iran 8 College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Taicheng Road 3#, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Microorganisms 2022, 10(12), 2355; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10122355 Received: 26 October 2022 / Revised: 18 November 2022 / Accepted: 21 November 2022 / Published: 28 November 2022 (This article belongs to the Section Microbial Biotechnology) Download Browse Figure Versions Notes Abstract For a long time, the genus Bacillus has been known and considered among the most applicable genera in several fields. Recent taxonomical developments resulted in the identification of more species in Bacillus-related genera, particularly in the order Bacillales (earlier heterotypic synonym: Caryophanales), with potential application for biotechnological and industrial purposes such as biofuels, bioactive agents, biopolymers, and enzymes. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the taxonomy, growth requirements and physiology, genomics, and metabolic pathways in the highly diverse bacterial order, Bacillales, will facilitate a more robust designing and sustainable production of strain lines relevant to a circular economy. This paper is focused principally on less-known genera and their potential in the order Bacillales for promising applications in the industry and addresses the taxonomical complexities of this order. Moreover, it emphasizes the biotechnological usage of some engineered strains of the order Bacillales. The elucidation of novel taxa, their metabolic pathways, and growth conditions would make it possible to drive industrial processes toward an upgraded functionality based on the microbial nature

Exploring the Relationship between Drug Addiction and Quality of Life in Herat, Afghanistan: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Addiction is a global public health problem, with over 36 million people suffering from drug-use disorders. Afghanistan, the world’s leading opium producer, has high rates of drug use owing to the easy access to drugs in this country. This study aimed to investigate drug users’ quality of life in Herat, Afghanistan, and identify the factors affecting it.Methods: This cross-sectional study examined health-related quality of life at six rehabilitation camps in Herat, Afghanistan, from March to July 2019, using the short form-36 questionnaire (SF-36). Data collected through interviews were analyzed using SPSS software (version 25).Findings: A total of 240 participants from six rehabilitation camps in Herat, Afghanistan participated in this study. The majority of participants (80%) rated their overall health as “good” or “very good”. Men had higher average scores for mental health and vitality than women and those aged 30-39 had the highest quality of life. Statistically significant differences were found in bodily pain (P=0.038), vitality (P=0.042), and social functioning (P=0.046) among users of different types of drugs. Opium abusers had the highest scores for the physical and mental components, followed by heroin, methamphetamine, hashish, and crack abusers.Conclusion: This study explored the relationship between drug addiction and quality of life in Herat, Afghanistan. The findings showed that young adults were more vulnerable to drug use and male addicts and opium users had the highest quality of life. This study can inform the development of effective rehabilitation programs but more research is needed for addiction treatment strategies

Lipid Profile and the Risk of Stroke: A Study from North of Iran

Stroke is the second cause of mortality in the world and third in Iran and lipid abnormalities are the main cause of stroke. The relation of dyslipidemia and the risk of stroke is mater of controversy. The aim of this paper is to determine the relationship of dyslipidemia and the risk of stroke in Sayad Shirazi hospital, Gorgan, Northeastern Iran. Retrospectively, we investigated all medical records with a diagnosis of stroke based on International Classification of Diseases, Revision 10, from August 2015 to August 2016 in Sayyad Shirazi hospital. We include those records with laboratory reports on serum lipid profile. The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guideline was used to classifying lipid profile. The Data management and analysis was performed using SPSS 20. Out of 415 identified records, 9.6% had an unspecified diagnosis of stroke subtype. Only, in 160 records the lipid parameters were measured. The majority of cases with dyslipidemia was men (56.6%) and age older than 60 years (71%). There was a significant difference between ethnic groups and dyslipidemia (p=0.04) and between discharge outcome and lipid profile in women (p=0.05). Furthermore, the relation between dyslipidemia and another comorbid risk factor for stroke including diabetes (p=0.004), ischemic heart disease (0.035), and prior stroke (0.002) was significant. This study has shown that dyslipidemia coexisting with diabetes, ischemic heart diseases, and prior stroke increases the risk of stroke especially in older age. In general, therefore, it seems that lipid-lowering therapy must be one of the priorities in this population

Association of body mass index and physical activity with fatigue, depression, and anxiety among Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis

IntroductionDepression, fatigue, and anxiety are three common clinical comorbidities of multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated the role of physical activity (PA) level and body mass index (BMI) as modifiable lifestyle factors in these three comorbidities.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in the MS specialist clinic of Sina Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Demographic and clinical data were collected. BMI was categorized in accordance with the WHO’s standard classification. Physical activity (PA) level and sitting time per day were obtained using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Fatigue, anxiety, and depression scores were measured using the Persian version of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck’s Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) questionnaires, respectively. The correlation between the metabolic equivalent of tasks (MET), BMI, and daily sitting hours with depression, anxiety, and fatigue were checked using the linear regression test. The normal BMI group was considered a reference, and the difference in quantitative variables between the reference and the other groups was assessed using an independent sample t-test. Physical activity was classified with tertiles, and the difference in depression, anxiety, and fatigue between the PA groups was evaluated by a one-way ANOVA test.ResultsIn total, 85 MS patients were recruited for the study. The mean ± SD age of the participants was 39.07 ± 8.84 years, and 72.9% (n: 62) of them were female. The fatigue score was directly correlated with BMI (P: 0.03; r: 0.23) and sitting hours per day (P: 0.01; r: 0.26) and indirectly correlated with PA level (P < 0.01; r: −0.33). Higher depression scores were significantly correlated with elevated daily sitting hours (P: 0.01; r: 0.27). However, the correlation between depression with PA and BMI was not meaningful (p > 0.05). Higher anxiety scores were correlated with BMI (P: 0.01; r: 0.27) and lower PA (P: 0.01; r: −0.26). The correlation between anxiety and sitting hours per day was not significant (p > 0.05). Patients in the type I obesity group had significantly higher depression scores than the normal weight group (23.67 ± 2.30 vs. 14.05 ± 9.12; P: 0.001). Fatigue (32.61 ± 14.18 vs. 52.40 ± 12.42; P: <0.01) and anxiety (14.66 ± 9.68 vs. 27.80 ± 15.48; P: 0.01) scores were significantly greater among participants in the type II obesity group in comparison with the normal weight group. Fatigue (P: 0.01) and anxiety (P: 0.03) scores were significantly different in the three levels of PA, but no significant difference was found in the depression score (P: 0.17).ConclusionOur data suggest that a physically active lifestyle and being in the normal weight category are possible factors that lead to lower depression, fatigue, and anxiety in patients with MS

Epidemiology of familial multiple sclerosis in Iran: a national registry-based study

Background Admittedly, little is known about the epidemiological signatures of familial multiple sclerosis (FMS) in different geographical regions of Iran. Objective To determine the epidemiology and the risk of FMS incidence in several provinces of Iran with a different ethnic population including, Fars, Tehran, Isfahan (Persians), and Mazandaran (Mazanis), Kermanshah (Kurds), and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (Lors). Methods This cross-sectional registry-based study was performed on nationwide MS registry of Iran (NMSRI) data collected from 2018 to 2021. This system, registers baseline characteristics, clinical presentations and symptoms, diagnostic and treatments at regional and national levels. Results A total of 9200 patients including, 7003 (76.1%) female and 2197 (23.9%) male, were participated. About 19% of patients reported a family history of MS; the order from highest to lowest FMS prevalence was as follows: Fars (26.5%), Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (21.1%), Tehran (20.5%), Isfahan (20.3%), Mazandaran (18.0%), and Kermanshah (12.5%). Of all FMS cases, 74.7% (1308 cases) were female and 25.3% (442 cases) were male. FMS occurrence was much more common in females than males (P-value = 0.001). Further, the mean age at onset was 30 years among FMS cases. A substantially higher probability of relapsing-remitting MS and secondary-progressive MS was found among FMS cases than sporadic MS (SMS) (P_value = 0.001). There was no significant difference in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores between FMS and SMS. The majority of FMS cases were observed among first-degree relatives, with the highest rate in siblings. There was a significant association between MS risk and positive familial history in both maternal and paternal aunt/uncle (P_value = 0.043 and P_value = 0.019, respectively). Multiple sclerosis occurrence among offspring of females was higher than males (P_value = 0.027). Conclusions In summary, our findings imply a noteworthy upward trend of FMS in Iran, even more than the global prevalence, which suggests a unique Atlas of FMS prevalence in this multi-ethnic population. Despite the highest rate of FMS within Persian and Lor ethnicities, no statistically significant difference was observed among the provinces

A Post-Marketing Surveillance Study to Evaluate the Safety Profile of AlvotereⓇ (Docetaxel) in Iranian Patients Diagnosed with Different Types of Cancers Receiving Chemotherapy

Background Docetaxel is a clinically well established antimitotic chemotherapy medication. Labeled docetaxel indications are breast cancer, gastric cancer, head and neck cancer, non–small cell lung cancer, and prostate cancer. Objective This is a Phase IV study to evaluate the safety profile of docetaxel (Alvotere; NanoAlvand, Iran) in Iranian patients diagnosed with different types of cancers receiving chemotherapy regimens with docetaxel. Methods Patients who received Alvotere as a part of their chemotherapy regimen were enrolled in this Phase IV, observational, multicenter, open-label study. Alvotere was administrated as a single agent or in combination with other chemotherapy agents. Safety parameters in each cycle were assessed, and the related data were recorded in booklets. Findings A total of 411 patients with different types of cancers were enrolled from 25 centers in Iran. The most common malignancies among participants were breast cancer (49.88%), followed by gastric cancer (22.63%). Participants’ mean age was 53.33 years, and the mean total dose used in each cycle was 132 mg. According to the results, 341 patients experienced at least 1 adverse event, that the most common was alopecia (41.12%). In total, 92 (22.38%) patients had at least 1 adverse event of grade 3 or 4, and 25 (6.08%) patients showed 54 serious adverse events, which the causality assessment for all was possibly related to Alvotere. There was a significant difference between men and women in the incidence of skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders (55.63% in women vs 41.73% in men; P = 0.009). Also, the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders, nervous system disorders, skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders, hepatic enzymes increase, and fluid retention was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in patients receiving anthracyclines in their chemotherapy regimens. Conclusions The findings of this open-label, observational, multicenter, postmarketing surveillance showed that Alvotere appears to have an acceptable safety profile in Iranian cancer patients receiving chemotherapeutic regimens. (Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2022; 82:XXX–XXX) © 2022 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc

Global, regional, and national burden of epilepsy, 1990 - 2016 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

Background: Seizures and their consequences contribute to the burden of epilepsy because they can cause health loss (premature mortality and residual disability). Data on the burden of epilepsy are needed for health-care planning and resource allocation. The aim of this study was to quantify health loss due to epilepsy by age, sex, year, and location using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study. Methods: We assessed the burden of epilepsy in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016. Burden was measured as deaths, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs; a summary measure of health loss defined by the sum of years of life lost [YLLs] for premature mortality and years lived with disability), by age, sex, year, location, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI; a compound measure of income per capita, education, and fertility). Vital registrations and verbal autopsies provided information about deaths, and data on the prevalence and severity of epilepsy largely came from population representative surveys. All estimates were calculated with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Interpretation: Despite the decrease in the disease burden from 1990 to 2016, epilepsy is still an important cause of disability and mortality. Standardised collection of data on epilepsy in population representative surveys will strengthen the estimates, particularly in countries for which we currently have no or sparse data and if additional data is collected on severity, causes, and treatment. Sizeable gains in reducing the burden of epilepsy might be expected from improved access to existing treatments in low-income countries and from the development of new effective drugs worldwide