Major dietary patterns and sleep quality in relation to overweight/obesity among school children: A case-control study

Background: Childhood overweight/obesity is increasing worldwide. There is evidence on the role of dietary patterns (DPs) and sleep quality on body weight in adults, but studies on the association of major DPs, sleep quality and overweight/obesity among school-age children are scarce, so the present study was done to shade a light on the subject. Methods: This study was a case-control study, conducted on school-age (7-13 years) children. Cases were healthy children who had a body mass index (BMI) percentile of≥85th for age and sex (n=102). Sex-matched children with a BMI percentile between 5th and 85th were considered as control group (n=102). Dietary data were collected using a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire. Sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburgh sleep quality index. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between DPs, sleep quality, and overweight/obesity. Results: Three DPs were identified: "Low-energy healthy", "High-energy healthy" and "Unhealthy diet". Adherence to the first and second DPs was associated with 51%-62% lower odds of overweight/obesity (Odds ratio [OR]: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.24-0.97, and 0.38, 95% CI: 0.15-0.94, respectively, P<0.050). However, we found no significant association for the third DP with overweight/obesity. Furthermore, there was no significant association between sleep quality/duration and overweight/obesity. The interactions of DPs and sleep quality/duration with overweight/obesity were not significant. Conclusion: Eating a diet high in white meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits and juices, nuts, dairy products, whole grains, and low in refined grains and snacks is associated with a lower likelihood of overweight/obesity in children. This inverse association does not depend on sleep quality/duration

اثرات درمانی گیاه ریحان (Ocimum Basilicum) در طب سنتی ایرانی و طب مدرن: یک مرور نقلی

Background and Aim: The purpose of this study is to review the medical applications of basil based on traditional medicine sources and its proven effects in medical studies. Methods: First, reference books and pharmacopoeias of traditional Persian medicine were studied and the mentioned applications and properties for basil were extracted. Then the proven effects of basil were then searched in medical databases including PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar. Finally, Persian medicine teachings were discussed according to the available medical evidence. Ethical Considerations: In this research, the ethical principles of library studies, including authenticity of texts, trustworthiness and honesty, have been observed. Results: So far, several therapeutic effects including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, immunomodulatory and hypolipidemic effects have been proven in studies for basil. This plant also enhances memory and cognitive function and reduces anxiety. It has also been effective in some inflammatory skin diseases and acne. In a comparative evaluation, some of the applications mentioned in Persian medicine literature for this plant, have evidence in medical studies. Conclusion: Basil as a native and available plant with medical effects in Persian medicine and proven evidence in modern studies can be considered a complementary therapy in the field of research and treatment. Please cite this article as: Naseri Z, Derakhshan AR, Norouzi S. Therapeutic Effects of Basil (Ocimum Basilicum) in Traditional Persian Medicine and Modern Medicine: A Narrative Review. Tārīkh-i pizishkī, i.e., Medical History. 2022; 14(47): e32.زمینه و هدف: هدف از این مطالعه مروری بر کاربردهای طبی ریحان بر اساس منابع طب سنتی و اثرات اثبات‌شده آن در مطالعات پزشکی می‌باشد. روش: در این مطالعه ابتدا کتب مرجع و دارونامه‌های طب سنتی ایرانی بررسی و کاربردهای طبی ریحان استخراج گردید، سپس اثرات اثبات‌شده ریحان در پایگاه‌های داده پزشکی شامل پابمد، اسکوپوس و گوگل اسکولار جستجو شد. در انتها آموزه‌های طب ایرانی با توجه به شواهد پزشکی موجود مورد بحث قرار گرفتند. ملاحظات اخلاقی: در این پژوهش اصول اخلاقی مطالعات کتابخانه شامل اصالت متون، امانتداری و صداقت رعایت شده است. یافته‌ها: تاکنون اثرات درمانی متعددی شامل اثرات آنتی‌اکسیدان، ضد التهابی، ضد میکروبی، ضد قارچی، ایمنومدولاتوری و‌ هایپولیپیدمیک برای گیاه ریحان در مطالعات به اثبات رسیده است. همچنین این گیاه منجر به افزایش حافظه و قدرت یادگیری و کاهش اضطراب شده و در برخی بیماری‌های التهابی پوست و آکنه مؤثر واقع شده است. در بررسی تطبیقی برخی از کاربردهای ذکرشده برای این گیاه در منابع طب سنتی ایرانی دارای شواهد در مطالعات پزشکی می‌باشند. نتیجه‌گیری: ریحان به عنوان یک گیاه بومی و در دسترس با دارابودن اثرات طبی در طب سنتی و شواهد اثبات‌شده در مطالعات مدرن می‌تواند به عنوان یک درمان کمکی در حوزه پژوهش و درمان مورد توجه قرار بگیرد

Survival prediction and prognostic factors in colorectal cancer after curative surgery: insights from cox regression and neural networks

Abstract Medical research frequently relies on Cox regression to analyze the survival distribution of cancer patients. Nonetheless, in specific scenarios, neural networks hold the potential to serve as a robust alternative. In this study, we aim to scrutinize the effectiveness of Cox regression and neural network models in assessing the survival outcomes of patients who have undergone treatment for colorectal cancer. We conducted a retrospective study on 284 colorectal cancer patients who underwent surgery at Imam Khomeini clinic in Hamadan between 2001 and 2017. The data was used to train both Cox regression and neural network models, and their predictive accuracy was compared using diagnostic measures such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, accuracy, negative predictive value, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The analyses were performed using STATA 17 and R4.0.4 software. The study revealed that the best neural network model had a sensitivity of 74.5% (95% CI 61.0–85.0), specificity of 83.3% (65.3–94.4), positive predictive value of 89.1% (76.4–96.4), negative predictive value of 64.1% (47.2–78.8), AUC of 0.79 (0.70–0.88), and accuracy of 0.776 for death prediction. For recurrence, the best neural network model had a sensitivity of 88.1% (74.4–96.0%), specificity of 83.7% (69.3–93.2%), positive predictive value of 84.1% (69.9–93.4%), negative predictive value of 87.8% (73.8–95.9%), AUC of 0.86 (0.78–0.93), and accuracy of 0.859. The Cox model had comparable results, with a sensitivity of 73.6% (64.8–81.2) and 85.5% (78.3–91.0), specificity of 89.6% (83.8–93.8) and 98.0% (94.4–99.6), positive predictive value of 84.0% (75.6–90.4) and 97.4% (92.6–99.5), negative predictive value of 82.0% (75.6–90.4) and 88.8% (0.83–93.1), AUC of 0.82 (0.77–0.86) and 0.92 (0.89–0.95), and accuracy of 0.88 and 0.92 for death and recurrence prediction, respectively. In conclusion, the study found that both Cox regression and neural network models are effective in predicting early recurrence and death in patients with colorectal cancer after curative surgery. The neural network model showed slightly better sensitivity and negative predictive value for death, while the Cox model had better specificity and positive predictive value for recurrence. Overall, both models demonstrated high accuracy and AUC, indicating their usefulness in predicting these outcomes

Changes in sexual activities, function, and satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic era: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Little is known about the impact of the coronavirus on sexual behavior, function, and satisfaction. Aim: The aim of the present study was to systematically review people’s sexual function and behaviors and their changes in sexual activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Comprehensive searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were conducted with keywords in accordance with MeSH terms: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, sexual health, sexual function, sexual dysfunctions, sexuality, sexual orientation, sexual activities, and premarital sex. Two reviewers independently assessed full-text articles according to predefined criteria: original design, English studies, and investigating either the general population or sexual minorities. Results: Risk of bias in the studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and data were pooled via random effects meta-analyses. We utilized the standardized mean difference to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual activity, functioning, and satisfaction. We included 19 studies in the analysis and 11 studies in the meta-analysis, with a sample size of 12 350. To investigate sexual activity changes, a sample size of 8838 was entered into the subgroup analysis, which showed a significant decrease in both genders (5821 women, P &lt; .033; 3017 men, P &lt; .008). A subgroup meta-analysis showed that the sexual function of men and women during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly declined (3974 women, P &lt; .001; 1427 men, P &lt; .001). Sexual desire and arousal decreased in both genders, though mainly in women. In investigating sexual satisfaction changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, a meta-analysis with a sample size of 2711 showed a significant decrease (P &lt; .001). The most indicative changes in sexual behaviors during the pandemic were the increase in masturbating and usage of sex toys. Greater COVID-19 knowledge was associated with lower masturbation, oral sex, and vaginal sex. The more protective behaviors were associated with less hugging, kissing, cuddling, genital touching, watching porn with a partner, and vaginal sex. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased challenges and changes for individuals’ sexual behaviors. Efforts for preventive strategies should therefore be concentrated between pandemics, while ensuring that there is information available to the population during a pandemic for help in times of psychological distress or crisis