Psychometric Properties of the Persian Internet Addiction Test-Social Networking Sites Version: Dimensionality Assessment of Social Networking Site Addiction

Background: By evaluating the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Internet Addiction Test-Social Networking Sites version (IAT-SNS) in a sample of Iranian university students, this study investigated the dimensionality of SNS addiction for the first time. Methods: A total of 620 SNS users (414 women) participated in the study. The study questionnaire comprised demographic information, SNS usage patterns, the IAT-SNS, and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Findings: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified the 3-factor structure of the IAT-SNS, namely ‘Lack of Control’, ‘Emotional and Relational Conflict’, and ‘Preference for online relationships’ that explained 54% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the current model. Problematic users on average exhibited higher scores on the whole IAT-SNS and each of the 3 factors as compared to non-problematic users. The IAT-SNS and its factors showed good internal consistency, and strong convergent and concurrent validity. Conclusion: The Persian version of the IAT–SNS is valid and reliable, and is applicable for measuring the 3 dimensions of SNS addiction among students

Two-dimensional Parameter Relationships for W UMa-type Systems Revisited

Reviewing the empirical and theoretical parameter relationships between various parameters is a good way to understand more about contact binary systems. In this investigation, two-dimensional (2D) relationships for P-M_V(system), P-L_1,2, M_1,2-L_1,2, and q-L_ratio were revisited. The sample used is related to 118 contact binary systems with an orbital period shorter than 0.6 days whose absolute parameters were estimated based on the Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) parallax. We reviewed previous studies on 2D relationships and updated six parameter relationships. Therefore, Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and Machine Learning (ML) methods were used, and the outcomes were compared. We selected 22 contact binary systems from eight previous studies for comparison, which had light curve solutions using spectroscopic data. The results show that the systems are in good agreement with the results of this study.Comment: Accepted by the Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA) journa

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTS AND PROCESS ENGINEERING EGFP reporter protein: its immunogenicity in Leishmania-infected BALB/c mice

Abstract Optical reporter genes such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) and luciferase are efficiently and widely used in monitoring and studying the protective/therapeutic potential of candidate agents in leishmaniasis. But several observations and controversial reports have generated a main concern, whether enhanced GFP (EGFP) affects immune response. To address this issue, we studied the immunogenicity of EGFP in vivo by two lines of stably transfected parasites (Leishmania major EGFP or L. major EGFP-LUC ) in BALB/c model and/or as a recombinant protein (rEGFP) produced in vitro by bacteria in parallel. Disease progression was followed by footpad swelling measurements and parasite burden in draining lymph nodes using microtitration assay and real-time PCR, and immune responses were also evaluated in spleen. EGFP-expressing parasites generated larger swellings in comparison with wild-type (L. major) while mice immunized with rEGFP and challenged with wild-type parasite were quite comparable in footpad swelling with control group without significant difference. However, both conventional and molecular approaches revealed no significant difference in parasite load between different groups. More importantly, no significant inflammatory responses were detected in groups with higher swelling size measured by interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-10, IL-5, and nitric oxide against frozen and thawed lysate of parasite as stimulator. Altogether, these results clearly revealed that EGFP protein expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts is not an immunological reactive molecule and acts as a neutral protein without any side effects in mice. So, EGFP expressing Leishmania could be a safe and reliable substitution for wildtypes that simplifies in situ follow-up and eliminates the animal scarification wherever needed during the study

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Protective Role of Apigenin Against Aβ 25-35 Toxicity Via Inhibition of Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Release

Introduction: Cognitive dysfunction is the most common problem of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). The pathological mechanism of cognitive impairment in AD may contribute to neuronal loss, synaptic dysfunction, and alteration in neurotransmitters receptors. Mitochondrial synapses dysfunction due to the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) is one of the earliest pathological features of AD. The flavone apigenin has been reported to play some protective roles in AD through the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed at investigating the effects of apigenin on spatial working memory and neural protection by restoring mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibition of caspase 9. Methods: Intracerebroventricular (ICV) microinjection of Aβ 25-35 was used for AD modeling. Working memory was assessed 21 days later using the Y maze test. Neuronal loss was detected in the hilar area of the hippocampus using Nissl and Fluoro-jade B staining, whereas immunohistochemistry was used to illustrate cytochrome c positive cells and caspase 9. Results: The results revealed that apigenin significantly ameliorated spatial working memory. It also significantly reduced the number of degenerative neurons in the hilus area. Apigenin almost completely blocked the release of cytochrome c and caspase 9 in hilus. Conclusion: Apigenin may improve the spatial working memory deficits and neuronal degeneration through the amelioration of the mitochondrial dysfunction

Evaluation of Iranian Students’ Mental Health: A Cross-sectional Survey: Students Mental Health Assessment

Background: Mental health is a significant problem in developed and developing countries which influences all aspects of life. We aimed to evaluate the status of Iranian students’ mental health. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 2052 elementary school students located in Tehran, Iran, in September 2018. We used the Census sampling method for sampling and the general health questionnaire comprising 28 items. For statistical analysis SPSS software, version 21 was used. Results: A total of 2052 elementary school students (1373 girls and 679 boys) participated in this study. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) ages of the girls and boys were 14.1±1.7 and 13.9±1.1 years, respectively. The mean ± SD of anxiety, social dysfunction, and depression scores were 7.42±4.92, 7.35±3.33, 6.83±2.26 in the girls and 5.65±3.89, 6.30±3.09, 4.61±1.74 in the boys, respectively. The mean ± SD total scores in boys and girls were 20.48±12.31 and 27.90±14.66, respectively. Conclusion: The mental health status of elementary school students was generally low, especially in male students

Evaluation of the prevalence of cardiometabolic disorders (diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) diagnosed, undiagnosed, treated, and treatment goal in the elderly: Bushehr Elderly Health Program (BEH)

Abstract As the population ages, the global burden of cardiometabolic disorders will increase. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cardiometabolic disorders (diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) in elderly and to evaluate the effects of various variables including age, sex, education, marital status, smoking, income, physical activity, dementia and depressed mood on untreated cardiometabolic disorders. This was a cross sectional study conducted in Bushehr Elderly Health Program. A total 2381 participants were included. Medical data were collected by trained interviewers. The mean age of the study participants was 69.34 years. Proportions of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia were 43.25%, 75.71%, 64.74% and 35.31% respectively. Untreated diabetes prevalence was higher for males (OR = 1.60, 95%CI = 1.20–2.15), older adults (OR = 1.02, 95%CI = 1.00–1.05), and pre-frail status (OR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.52–0.92). Males (OR = 2.16, 95%CI = 1.64–2.84) and current smokers (OR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.05–1.93), in contrast to married participants (OR = 0.25, 95%CI = 0.08–0.78), people with higher education levels (OR = 0.51, 95%CI = 0.29–0.89) and dementia (OR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.61–1.00) were more likely to have untreated HTN. Untreated dyslipidemia is more common in smokers (OR = 1.78, 95%CI = 1.19–2.66) and males (OR = 1.66, 95%CI = 1.21–2.27), while untreated hypercholesteremia is more common in males (OR = 3.20, 95%CI = 1.53–6.69) and is reported lower in people with dementia (OR = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.28–1.01)