The plasma Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) does not have any correlation with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)

We performed this study to measure the Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) plasma level and to survey its correlation with disease activity in the newly diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients and those who were under treatment with the combination of Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug (DMARD) plus Prednisolone (PSL).We enrolled 30 newly diagnosed RA patients who received no treatment regarding their disease, 30 patients under treatment with the combination of Methotrexate (MTX) + Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) + PSL and 30 healthy subjects in this case-control study from September 2017 to December 2017. The level of plasma TNF-α was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in each group. For assessment of disease severity, we used Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS-28) formula, and regarding DAS-28, we divided patients into four groups, including remission, low, moderate and high disease activity. There were no significant differences in the plasma level of TNF-α between the newly diagnosed RA patients and subjects who received MTX + HCQ + PSL, as well as healthy controls (p>0.05). There was a significant correlation between plasma levels of TNF-α and DAS-28 in the newly diagnosed patients with RA (r = 0.594, P = 0.001). Targeting TNF-α at the early stage of RA could have more beneficial effects on the amelioration of disease activity

Evaluating Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Ventilation Treatment of Patients with COVID-19: A Review

The prevalence of COVID-19 in the world is rapidly increasing. Although some patients show mild symptoms of the virus, some others need special care due to the exacerbation of the disease. Therefore, invasive treatments are needed to treat these patients. Data were collected from PubMed and Google scholars at various time points up to the 2020 academic year. The related keywords are listed as follows: "COVID-19", "Treatment", "Pathogenesis", and "Lung disorder". Studies have shown that although the use of ECMO and ventilation can provide oxygen to patients and improve their clinical status; these procedures can lead to the activation of inflammatory responses and the activation of the renin-angiotensin system. Inflammation and activation of the renin-angiotensin system are among the weak prognoses for COVID-19-infected patients. ECMO and ventilation treatment procedures are like double-edged swords, and monitoring patients during treatment is essential to prevent renin-angiotensin activation. *Corresponding Author: Zahra Gatavizadeh; Email: [email protected] Please cite this article as: Hybar H, Samimi A, Maniati M, Jodat J, Gatavizadeh Z. Evaluating Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Ventilation Treatment of Patients with COVID-19: A Review. Arch Med Lab Sci. 2020;6:1-6 (e16). https://doi.org/10.22037/amls.v6.3355

Forecasting Industrial Employment in Iran using Artifical Neural Network Method and ARIMA Model

  Industry is one of the important and fundamental parts of economic and a ground for economic growth and development. Development and growth in industry section provide the ground for growth and development of other section such as agricultural, service, transport and energy. This section plays an important role in providing job in development process. According to the importance of forecasting in economic planning and policy-making and the importance of employment in industrial section, the present study dealt with forecasted number of industrial employment of Iran ANN and ARIMA artificial neural network method. For this reason 1358-1390 data were used. examine the validity of the research Mean Absolute Percentage Error MAPE, Root Mean Square Error RMSE and Theil U Ststistic were used. The research results show that back-propagation neural network has a high power in forecasting industrial employment in Iran and has lesser error in comparison to ARIMA method.  

Effect of telephone follow-up by nurses on self-care in children with diabetes

Background: Diabetes is a serious chronic disease during childhood. Because of the chronic nature of the disease, self-care is necessary. Education alone is not effective in providing care. Misunderstanding by the patients regarding diabetes during the training programs render telephone follow-up after training essential. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study with two groups (experimental and control) was conducted in two phases in 2014. The study population consisted of 70 children of 10–18 years of age with type I diabetes (35 patients in the experimental group and 35 in the control group). The participants were randomly selected from the patients referring to the Sedigheh Tahereh Diabetic Research and Treatment Center in Isfahan, Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on self-care and a glycosylated hemoglobin recording form. The experimental group received 12 weeks of telephone follow-up training by the center, whereas the control group received no follow-up. Results: The results showed that, after intervention, the total mean score of self-care in all aspects of diabetes care for children was significantly higher in the experimental group (p < 0.001). In addition, a statistically significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups in terms of mean glycosylated hemoglobin after the intervention (p = 0.030). Conclusions: It can be concluded that telephone follow-up by a nurse can improve total self-care and glycosylated hemoglobin in patients with type I diabetes

Evaluation of mRNA Contents of YBX2 and JHDM2A Genes on Testicular Tissues of Azoospermic Men with Different Classes of Spermatogenesis

Objective: Animal model studies have shown that MSY2 and JHDM2A genes have an important role in spermatogenesis process and fertility of male mice. But the potential role of these genes in human spermatogenesis and fertility is not known yet. Therefore, we evaluated expression ratios of these genes in testis tissues of men with normal and impaired spermatogenesis. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis from 50 non-obstructive azoospermic and 12 normal testis tissues, the expression ratios of genes were evaluated by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Hematoxcylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used for histological classification of testis tissues. For statistical analysis, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was carried out. Results: Our results showed a significant reduction in mRNA level of YBX2 in samples with impaired spermatogenesis (p<0.001) compared to samples with qualitatively normal spermatogenesis and normal spermatogenesis; however, in JHDM2A gene, despite sensible reduction in gene expression level in men with impaired spermatogenesis, no significant differences were shown (p>0.05). Furthermore in YBX2, a significant negative correlation was demonstrated between the efficiency score of spermatogenesis and the threshold cycle (CT) (r=-0.7, p<0.0001), whereas in JHDM2A, this negative correlation was not significant (r=-0.4, p=0.06). Conclusion: Generally, these data indicated that YBX2 and JHDM2A genes may play an important role in male infertility, and suggested that these molecules can act as useful biomarkers for predicting male infertility

Generalizability Appraisal of a Code-switching Scale in the Iranian ELT and Psychology Context: Examining the Role of Gender, Age, Proficiency and Educational Levels

This quantitative study was an endeavor to generalize the findings of a qualitatively-oriented inquiry of code switching (CS). Therefore, in accordance with the themes and categories of the previous model, that is, 8 themes and 26 categories, a code switching survey consisting of 8 hypothetical factors and 43items was designed. Piloting the survey among 215 EFL learners, it gained acceptable requirements for reliability and validity indices, except for the loading of 4 items that were discarded in the final version of the survey. Subsequently, the 39 item Likert-scale survey was distributed among 418 ELT students. To verify the factor structure of the instrument, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used which verified good fit indices. In addition, the findings showed that a tool for augmenting understanding was the most and teacher code switching as a barrier to learning and communication was the least influential factor of CS. Besides, the results indicated that the following demographic variables (gender, language proficiency, and educational level) but age had significant roles in the overall selection of code switching factors. Also, findings of this study could make it easier for the specialists in the field of educational psychology to fill the gaps of educational problems such as anxiety. So, the results of this study could help the ELT classroom to be a non-threatening place. Finally, it can be implicated that the model can be used in educational settings because it can help both students and teachers to achieve their pedagogic goals

Goods Movement Study in Illinois: Application to Freight Transportation and Logistics

This report details the results generated by a recently completed nationwide online freight establishment study. The survey was assembled with the intention of allowing the formulation or enhancement of new or existing freight-demand microsimulation models. Within this report is an overview of the steps taken in designing and implementing the establishment and shipment questionnaires of the freight survey. Following that is a descriptive analysis of the results of key questions posed in our survey. Over the course of the study, 966 usable establishment surveys and 1,844 shipment forms were collected and assembled in a database, an adequate number for modeling purposes.Illinois Department of Transportation R27-83published or submitted for publicationnot peer reviewe

Studying Income Distribution and Money Demand Relationship in Iran

In recent centuries, many surveys have been done about money demand function and the variables which affect it, in developed and developing countries. As far as knowing this function accurately, it helps economic planners to adopt suitable monetary and fiscal policies, in order to achieve economic ends. Besides the known variables which estimate the money demand function, Gini coefficient variable can be used as income distribution variable in this function. In this article, the effect of Gini coefficient on money demand has been studied and evaluated. Also autoregressive distributed lag method (ARDL) and the annual data of 1999-2004 have been used. The results show that real money balance according to limited and wide money definition is cointegration with gross domestic product, rate of  inflation and foreign exchange rate. And sign of Gini coefficient theoretically is not correct. To study short-run analysis of long-run equilibrium the error correction model was used, and the error correction term coefficient shows that, moving towards long-run equilibrium is slow in money market. The stability tests results show the stability of money demand function coefficients. In other words we can accept that money demand function is stable in Iran

Intra-mPFC injection of sodium butyrate promotes BDNF expression and ameliorates extinction recall impairment in an experimental paradigm of post-traumatic stress disorder

Objective(s): Therapeutic strategies that facilitate extinction are promising in the treatment of post -traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has a crucial role in neural plasticity, a process needed for the retention of fear extinction. In this study, we investigated the effects of local administration of a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, sodium butyrate (NaBu), on BDNF transcription and behavioral markers of extinction in the single prolonged stress (SPS) model of PTSD.Materials and Methods: NaBu was infused into the infralimbic (IL) subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male rats. The freezing response was recorded as the criterion to assess fear strength on the day of extinction as well as 24 hr later in the retention test. Other behavioral tests were also measured to evaluate the anxiety level, locomotor activity, and working memory on the retention day. HDAC activity and BDNF mRNA expression were evaluated after the behavioral experiments.Results: NaBu facilitated the recall of fear extinction in SPS rats (P<0.0001). SPS rats had higher HDAC activity (P<0.0001) and lower BDNF expression (P<0.05) than non-SPS animals. Also, anxiety was higher in the SPS group (P<0.0001), but locomotor activity (P=0.61) and working memory (P=0.36) were not different between SPS and Non-SPS groups.Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence that the mechanism of action of NaBu in the improvement of extinction recall is mediated, in part, by enhancing histone acetylation and reviving BDNF expression in IL