A Framework for Discovery and Diagnosis of Behavioral Transitions in Event-streams

Date stream mining techniques can be used in tracking user behaviors as they attempt to achieve their goals. Quality metrics over stream-mined models identify potential changes in user goal attainment. When the quality of some data mined models varies significantly from nearby models—as defined by quality metrics—then the user’s behavior is automatically flagged as a potentially significant behavioral change. Decision tree, sequence pattern and Hidden Markov modeling being used in this study. These three types of modeling can expose different aspect of user’s behavior. In case of decision tree modeling, the specific changes in user behavior can automatically characterized by differencing the data-mined decision-tree models. The sequence pattern modeling can shed light on how the user changes his sequence of actions and Hidden Markov modeling can identifies the learning transition points. This research describes how model-quality monitoring and these three types of modeling as a generic framework can aid recognition and diagnoses of behavioral changes in a case study of cognitive rehabilitation via emailing. The date stream mining techniques mentioned are used to monitor patient goals as part of a clinical plan to aid cognitive rehabilitation. In this context, real time data mining aids clinicians in tracking user behaviors as they attempt to achieve their goals. This generic framework can be widely applicable to other real-time data-intensive analysis problems. In order to illustrate this fact, the similar Hidden Markov modeling is being used for analyzing the transactional behavior of a telecommunication company for fraud detection. Fraud similarly can be considered as a potentially significant transaction behavioral change

Age at Menarche and its Nutrition-Related Factors among School Girls in Shiraz, Southern Iran

Background: Menarche is an important period in the health of adolescent girls, and different factors, including genetic and environmental factors affect the age of menarche. The aim of the present study was to determine the age at menarche and its nutrition-related factors in school girls in Shiraz, southern Iran. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 481 adolescent girls aged 10-13 years were enrolled based on a two-stage cluster random sampling. Weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were assessed. Z-scores for weightfor- age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), and BMI-for-age (BMIZ) were determined based on World Health Organization standards. Associations between food intake and anthropometric measures and menarche age and also between anthropometric measures and menarche age were tested using Pearson correlation and linear regression, respectively Results: Mean age at menarche was 12.27±0.73 years. A significant correlation was observed between the age of menarche and cheese, dairy, legume, and egg consumption. Logistic regression analyses showed z-scores significantly for WAZ (-0.64, -0.24), HAZ (-0.70, -0.37), and BMIZ (-0.59, -0.16) as strong predictors for age at menarche. Conclusion: HAZ, WAZ, and BMIZ and consumption of cheese, dairy, legume, and egg had significant inverse associations with menarches’ age

Cytochrome P450 2C19 Polymorphism in Iranian Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

<p><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> The polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) gene are major prognostic factors for the response to clopidogrel therapy in patients with coronary artery diseases (CAD). The CYP2C19*2 is the most important allele responsible for resistance to clopidogrel therapy. This study examined CYP2C19 gene polymorphism (CYP2C19*1 and *2) in Iranian patients.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>METHODS:</strong> This cross-sectional study was performed on 43 Iranian patients with CAD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and received drug-eluted stents (DES). CYP2C19 polymorphisms were assessed using real time PCR and frequency of CYP2C19*1 and CYP2C19*2 were determined, and then homo- or heterozygous state of genes was detected by Melt Curve Analysis method.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Forty three patients (mean age = 58.8 &plusmn; 10.0 years, 79.1% male) participated in this study. CYP2C19*1/CYP2C19*1 genotype was observed in 31 (72.1%) of participates, CYP2C19*1/CYP2C19*2 genotype in 10 (23.3%), and CYP2C19*2/CYP2C19*2 genotype in 2 patients (4.7%). The frequency of CYP2C19*2 allele in the sample was 27.9%.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> This study demonstrated a high prevalence of CYP2C19*2 gene polymorphism in Iranian patients. Further studies with larger samples or longitudinal are required to determine the effects of this polymorphism on the prognosis of CAD patients in our population.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Keywords:</strong> CYP2C19, Polymorphism, Clopidogrel, Coronary Artery Disease, Iran.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p

Bismuth-silicon and bismuth-polyurethane composite shields for breast protection in chest computed tomography examinations

The article aims at constructing protective composite shields for breasts in chest computed tomography and investigating the effects of applying these new bismuth composites on dose and image quality. Polyurethane and silicon with 5% of bismuth were fabricated as a protective shield. At first, their efficiency in attenuating the X-ray beam was investigated by calculating the total attenuation coefficients at diagnostic energy range. Then, a physical chest phantom was scanned without and with these shields at tube voltage of 120 kVp, and image parameters together with dose values were studied. The results showed that these two shields have great effects on attenuating the X-ray beam, especially for lower energies (<40 kV), and in average, the attenuation coefficients of bismuth-polyurethane composite are higher in this energy range. The maximum relative differences between the average Hounsfield units (HUs) and noises of images without and with shield for both composites in 13 regions of interest were 4.5% and 15.7%, respectively. Moreover, primary investigation confirmed the ability of both shields (especially polyurethane-bismuth composite) in dose reduction. Comparing these two composites regarding the amount of dose reduction, the changes in HU and noise, and attenuation coefficients in diagnostic energy range, it seems that polyurethane composite is more useful for dose reduction, especially for higher tube voltages

Quality of Different Residency Programs in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2019: A Mixed Method Study

Background and purpose: Clinical education is a good opportunity for students to test themselves in different areas, including knowledge, clinical skills, ethics, communication with patients, problem solving, and decision making. This will help them in getting prepared for future position. The present investigation aimed at studying the quality of different residency programs in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2019. Materials and methods: We conducted a combined study. In first phase a qualitative study using content analysis was performed and in second phase, a quantitative survey was carried out using a questionnaire. In quantitative phase, 140 assistants were selected from 15 educational groups via nonprobability sampling. The participants were asked to complete survey items with a five-point Likert scale. Graneheim and Lundman qualitative approach was used for content analysis and Goba and Lincoln criteria were used to assess the accuracy and robustness of the study. Results: According to findings, residents' satisfaction with welfare facilities, rest time on duty, educational justice, log book, skill lab, and responsibility assignment were 19.6%, 24.7%, 36%, 39.3%, 55.8%, and 54.5%, respectively. The respondents were satisfied with morning reports, morning and evening clinical rounds, evening grand rounds, and OSCE test (more than 75%). Conclusion: This study showed that many educational programs are in a relatively unfavorable situation that should be among our intervention priorities

The Content Validity of the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI)

Aims. The present study investigates content validity of the open-ended items in Cultural Formulation Interview in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). Methods. After translating into Persian and assessing the content validity of the items and their modification by psychiatrists, the questionnaire was translated back into English by two translators and then retranslated into Persian. The final Persian version and its back-translation were submitted for approval to the DSM-5 design workshop in the United States. After obtaining the group’s approval on the back-translation and permission to use the questionnaire, samples were distributed among panel members and the content validity of the questionnaire was thus examined. Results. The content validity index (CVI) of cultural formulation interview was 0.51 and all the items were acceptable although some, especially those on the cultural perception of the context and the cultural factors affecting current help-seeking, had lower content validity ratios (CVR). Conclusion. The cultural formulation interview seems to have an overall acceptable content validity although it is weak and thus needs further studies in relation to the two domains of the cultural perception of the context and the cultural factors affecting help-seeking in the Iranian population

Targeted next generation sequencing reveals genetic defects underlying inherited retinal disease in Iranian families

Contains fulltext : 202147.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Targeted next generation sequencing reveals genetic defects underlying inherited retinal disease in Iranian families

Purpose: Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous showing progressive retinal cell death which results in vision loss. IRDs include a wide spectrum of disorders, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), cone-rod dystrophy (CRD), and Stargardt disease (STGD1). Methods: In this study, we performed targeted next-generation sequencing based on molecular inversion probes (MIPs) that allowed the sequence analysis of 108 IRD-associated genes in 50 Iranian IRD probands. Results: The sequencing and variant filtering led to the identification of putative pathogenic variants in 36 out of 50 (72%) probands. Among 36 unique variants, we identified 20 novel variants in 15 genes. Four out of 36 probands carry compound heterozygous variants, and 32 probands carry homozygous variants. Conclusions: Employing a cost-effective targeted next-generation sequencing procedure, we identified the genetic causes of different retinal disorders in the majority of Iranian families in this study