Blastocystis: Emerging Protozoan Parasite with High Prevalence in Iran

Background: Blastocystis is a zoonotic protozoan parasite habit in intestinal tract of humans and wide range of animals. Because of the mysterious nature and unknown or less-known aspects of Blastocystis, comprehensive information about epidemiology of this parasite is not available. The objective of this study was to investigate the available parasitology studies during the last decade in Iran and determine the prevalence of Blastocystis and its position among other intestinal parasites. As well as, investigate the effective factors in its prevalence.Materials and Methods: All available studies related to the prevalence of intestinal parasites in Iran during the recent decade were collected using information databases. After determinant the mean prevalence of each parasite, the most common parasites, and effective factors on their prevalence were assessed and analyzed.Results: Different studies showed that the most common intestinal parasite at this period of time was Blastocystis spp. with 14.6% prevalence rate. Additionally, in 44.5% of cases Blastocystis spp. allocated the first and in 100% of cases, the first to third rank of the most common intestinal parasites in Iran. Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba coli were in the next category.Conclusion: To our knowledge, the present study is the first survey in which the Blastocystis spp. introduces as one of the most common intestinal parasites in human. Various factors, including the low sensitivity of routine diagnostic methods, hosts multiplicity, easy transportation and unknown impressive factors are effective in the increased prevalence of this parasite. The results of this study could improve the attitude of teachers and researchers towards Blastocystis spp

Interactive Buildings: A Review

Buildings are widely regarded as potential sources for demand flexibility. The flexibility of thermal and electric load in buildings is a result of their interactive nature and its impact on the building&rsquo;s performance. In this paper, the interaction of a building with the three interaction counterparts of the physical environment, civil infrastructure networks and other buildings is investigated. The literature review presents a wide variety of pathways of interaction and their associated potential impacts on building performance metrics such as net energy use, emissions, occupant comfort and operational cost. It is demonstrated that all of these counterparts of interaction should be considered to harness the flexibility potential of the buildings while maintaining other buildings performance metrics at a desired level. Juxtaposed with the upside potential for providing demand flexibility, numerous implementation challenges are identified that are associated with the evaluation and financial valuation of the capacity for demand flexibility, the aggregated flexibility potential, as well as the control and communication to facilitate the interactions.</p

The Effect of Mind Simulation Method on Reducing Stuttering and Communication Attitude

Background and Aims Fluency disorder or stuttering is a Speech disorder in humans whose prevalence is higher at the ages before puberty. Mind simulation may be effective in reducing the severity of stuttering and some associated problems such as negative attitude towards communication. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of mind simulation method on reducing stuttering and improving communication attitude in children and adolescents with stuttering aged 7-16 years.Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test/follow-up design. Participants were 30 children and adolescents with stuttering aged 7-16 years (9 females and 21 males) referred to a psychology clinic in 2020. They completed DeNil and Brutten’s communication attitude test-revised (CAT-R) and Riley’s Stuttering Severity Instrument- 4(SSI-4) in the pre-test stage. Then, they underwent treatment by the Mind Simulation method for three months. Immediately after and one month after treatment, they completed the CAT-R and SSI-4 questionnaires again. Repeated Measure Analysis of Variance and Friedman Test were used to analyze the collected data.Results There was a significant difference between pre-test, post-test, and follow-up phases in stuttering severity (P=0.0001) and communication attitude (P=0.0001). The severity of stuttering decreased in the post-test and follow-up phases compared to the pre-test phase, while communication attitude improved in the post-test phase compared to the pre-test phaseConclusion The mind simulation method can reduce stuttering and improve communication attitude in children and adolescents with stuttering

Barriers to support nurses as second victim of medical errors: A qualitative study

BackgroundGiven the inevitability of medical errors and their impact on health workers, providing support to those who suffer is vital for their physical and mental recovery. Identifying the barriers to obtaining support is imperative in this regard.AimsThe current study was conducted to identify the barriers regarding supporting nurses as second victims of nursing errors in clinical settings in Iran.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted with a sample, which was included 18 nurses. The subjects were selected through the purposive sampling method, and data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using methods as described by Graneheim and Lundman (citation needed). The research context included the general and specialized departments of hospitals in Tehran, Iran, during 2017.ResultsAccording to the results, mismanagement, Cultural barriers, inadequate information, and Legal barriers were the main barriers to supporting nurses.ConclusionTraining nurses about the second victim phenomenon is recommended as well as the methods to manage the effects of this phenomenon, the supportive resources, and legal issues

Pulmonary manifestations in a cohort of patients with inborn errors of immunity : an 8-year follow-up study

Background: Inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) are a group of congenital diseases caused by genetic defects in the development and function of the immune system. The involvement of the respiratory tract is one of the most common presentations in IEIs. Methods: Overall, 117 patients with diagnosed IEIs were followed-up within 8 years at the National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD). Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected in a questionnaire. Pulmonary function test (PFT), chest X-ray (CXR), and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans were obtained where applicable. Results: Our study population consisted of 48 (41%) patients with predominantly antibody deficiencies (PADs), 39 (32%) patients with congenital defects of phagocytes, 14 (11.9%) patients with combined immunodeficiency (CID), and 16 (14%) patients with Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD).. Recurrent pneumonia was the most common manifestation, while productive cough appeared to be the most common symptom in almost all diseases. PFT showed an obstructive pattern in patients with PAD, a restrictive pattern in patients with CID, and a mixed pattern in patients with CGD. HRCT findings were consistent with bronchiectasis in most PAD patients, whereas consolidation and mediastinal lesions were more common in the other groups. Conclusions: Pulmonary manifestations vary among different groups of IEIs. The screening for lung complications should be performed regularly to reveal respiratory pathologies in early stages and follow-up on already existing abnormalities. (C) 2022 Codon Publications. Published by Codon Publications.Peer reviewe

Association between dietary glycemic index and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

ObjectiveManaging dietary glycemic index (GI) deserves further attention in the interplay between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between dietary GI and the odds of NAFLD in patients with T2DM.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out between April 2021 and February 2022, including 200 participants with T2DM aged 18-70 years, of which 133 had NAFLD and 67 were in the non-NAFLD group. Cardiometabolic parameters were analyzed using standard biochemical kits and dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was applied to explore odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for NAFLD according to tertiles of dietary GI.ResultsHighest vs. lowest tertile (&lt; 57 vs. &gt; 60.89) of energy-adjusted GI was not associated with the odds of having NAFLD (OR 1.25, 95% CI = 0.6-2.57; P-trend = 0.54) in the crude model. However, there was an OR of 3.24 (95% CI = 1.03-10.15) accompanied by a significant trend (P-trend = 0.04) after full control for potential confounders (age, gender, smoking status, duration of diabetes, physical activity, waist circumference, HbA1c, triglycerides, total cholesterol, dietary intake of total carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates, fat, and protein).ConclusionHigh dietary GI is associated with increased odds of NAFLD in subjects with T2DM. However, interventional and longitudinal cohort studies are required to confirm these findings

Socioeconomic inequalities in prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension: evidence from the PERSIAN cohort study

Background Elevated blood pressure is associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease. In this study, we examined the socioeconomic inequality and its related factors in prevalence, Awareness, Treatment and Control (ATC) of hypertension (HTN) in Iran. Method The study used data from the recruitment phase of The Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN). A sample of 162,842 adults aged > = 35 years was analyzed. HTN was defined according to the Joint National Committee)JNC-7(. socioeconomic inequality was measured using concentration index (Cn) and curve. Results The mean age of participants was 49.38(SD = +/- 9.14) years and 44.74% of the them were men. The prevalence of HTN in the total population was 22.3%(95% CI: 20.6%; 24.1%), and 18.8%(95% CI: 16.8%; 20.9%) and 25.2%(95% CI: 24.2%; 27.7%) in men and women, respectively. The percentage of awareness treatment and control among individuals with HTN were 77.5%(95% CI: 73.3%; 81.8%), 82.2%(95% CI: 70.2%; 81.6%) and 75.9%(95% CI: 70.2%; 81.6%), respectively. The Cn for prevalence of HTN was -0.084. Two factors, age (58.46%) and wealth (32.40%), contributed most to the socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of HTN. Conclusion The prevalence of HTN was higher among low-SES individuals, who also showed higher levels of awareness. However, treatment and control of HTN were more concentrated among those who had higher levels of SES, indicating that people at a higher risk of adverse event related to HTN (the low SES individuals) are not benefiting from the advantage of treatment and control of HTN. Such a gap between diagnosis (prevalence) and control (treatment and control) of HTN needs to be addressed by public health policymakers

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationIn buildings, indirect emissions are from electricity use, and onsite fuel combustion produces direct emissions. Factors like tradeoffs between gas and electricity use, grid dynamics, location, and application of the building determine the proper energy management scenarios. This work utilizes building and grid interactions to achieve economic and environmental objectives rather than only focusing on energy efficiency in the built environment. Drivers on both the demand and supply sides of electricity market determine the marginal generators and the fuel mix and emission production of the grid. Emission factors depend on the amount of generation, generator heat-rate, the efficiency of the power plant, and finally the active generators. So, as the demand changes during the day, the emission production and emission factors vary. Researchers estimate the effect of load interventions on emission by studying and evaluating the temporal emission factors. The results of this study critically compare the available methods of emission factors estimation for building emission production. The time and the amount of electricity use are both critical in indirect emissions. Casespecific factors such as the building specifications and grid topology determine the effectiveness of emission-reducing load reductions (achievable with proper energy-saving retrofits) and load shifting measures (by changing the building operation). This work evaluates the hourly effect of the operational, managerial, and constructional retrofits on the building energy use in several locations to estimate total emission savings. Because of the grid dynamics and the effect of variable factors like onsite generation, weather conditions, and the building operation, this work incorporates optimization methods for demand response to incorporate both onsite and grid driven factors in a day-ahead framework. The multiobjective optimization results suggest 0.4% to 11.38% emission savings while maintaining thermal comfort. This research studies electricity supply and demand interactions specifically in commercial buildings. The results (1) lay the framework for proper calculation of indirect emissions, (2) emphasize the importance of electricity use timing and location on cost and emissions, and (3) represent the optimized building operation for economic and environmental objectives. This work shows the value of building grid interactions by providing interdisciplinary solutions for building's emission reduction. i

Interactive Buildings: A Review

Buildings are widely regarded as potential sources for demand flexibility. The flexibility of thermal and electric load in buildings is a result of their interactive nature and its impact on the building’s performance. In this paper, the interaction of a building with the three interaction counterparts of the physical environment, civil infrastructure networks and other buildings is investigated. The literature review presents a wide variety of pathways of interaction and their associated potential impacts on building performance metrics such as net energy use, emissions, occupant comfort and operational cost. It is demonstrated that all of these counterparts of interaction should be considered to harness the flexibility potential of the buildings while maintaining other buildings performance metrics at a desired level. Juxtaposed with the upside potential for providing demand flexibility, numerous implementation challenges are identified that are associated with the evaluation and financial valuation of the capacity for demand flexibility, the aggregated flexibility potential, as well as the control and communication to facilitate the interactions