Intelligent Energy Management with IoT Framework in Smart Cities Using Intelligent Analysis: An Application of Machine Learning Methods for Complex Networks and Systems

Smart buildings are increasingly using Internet of Things (IoT)-based wireless sensing systems to reduce their energy consumption and environmental impact. As a result of their compact size and ability to sense, measure, and compute all electrical properties, Internet of Things devices have become increasingly important in our society. A major contribution of this study is the development of a comprehensive IoT-based framework for smart city energy management, incorporating multiple components of IoT architecture and framework. An IoT framework for intelligent energy management applications that employ intelligent analysis is an essential system component that collects and stores information. Additionally, it serves as a platform for the development of applications by other companies. Furthermore, we have studied intelligent energy management solutions based on intelligent mechanisms. The depletion of energy resources and the increase in energy demand have led to an increase in energy consumption and building maintenance. The data collected is used to monitor, control, and enhance the efficiency of the system

Breast cancer screening beliefs questionnaire : psychometric properties of the Persian version

Background: Valid and reliable instruments are needed to assess such beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge. This study aimed to translate Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire into Persian and evaluate its psychometric properties among Iranian women. Methods: In this methodological study, the twelve-item Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire was translated into Persian and filled out by 1256 Iranian women. Face, content, convergent, and discriminant validity were evaluated and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed for construct validity evaluation. Reliability was also evaluated through calculating Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s omega, Average inter-item correlation, and test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient and finally, composite reliability was estimated. Results: Three factors were extracted in factor analysis which included screening attitude, screening knowledge and perception, and screening practice. These factors explained 55.71% of the total variance of breast cancer screening beliefs. This three-factor model was confirmed in confirmatory factor analysis based on model fit indices (PCFI = 0.703, PNFI = 0.697, CMIN/DF = 2.127, RMSEA = 0.30, GFI = 0.980, AGFI = 0.998, and CFI = 0.991). Convergent and discriminant validity were also confirmed. Composite reliability and test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient were more than 0.7. Conclusion: With a three-factor structure, the Persian Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire has acceptable validity and reliability and hence, can be used to evaluate Iranian women’s breast cancer screening beliefs

Iranian pregnant womenś experiences during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a qualitative study

Background: Prevention and control of coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) in pregnant women has become a major concern. The study was conducted to explain the Iranian pregnant women's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with conventional content analysis. The pregnant women were selected through purposive sampling from six urban health centers until data saturation. Semi structured interviews were conducted through telephone with the interview guide. Systematic thematic analysis was used to identify and organize themes into clusters and categories across interviews. Results: Twelve pregnant women were recruited. Three theme categories were extracted from data analysis; "unpleasant feelings during pregnancy", "adjusted lifestyle" and “safe pregnancy care”. The pregnant women, while paying attention to the importance of pregnancy care, were forced to limit, delay or modify some cares in order to be safe. Conclusion: The pregnant women experienced unpleasant feelings in this crisis; therefore, they should receive the necessary consultation to maintain mental health. The pregnant women reported some changes in their lifestyles and pregnancy care in order to prevent the disease. Regular training for all pregnant women is necessary to manage pregnancy period while maintaining the maternal and fetal health in crisis

High intensity interval exercise alters muscle IL-18, FNDC5, and hepatic MMPs in animal model of steatosis: Evidence of skeletal muscle—liver crosstalk

Steatosis is a common disease worldwide. High intensity interval training (HIIT) may ameliorate steatosis, possibly through interactions between skeletal muscle and liver; however, mechanistic pathways are poorly understood. We aimed to determine potential mechanisms involved in skeletal muscle-liver crosstalk by measuring the gene expression of skeletal muscle interlukin-18 (IL-18) and fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5) and hepatic matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and 9 (MMP-9). Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four group including normal control (C), high intensity interval training (HIIT), hepatic steatosis+ HIIT (HS+HIIT) and sedentary hepatic steatosis (SHS). HIIT was performed 5 days per week for 5 weeks. Tetracycline (140 mg/kg) was administered by gavage for 7 days to induce NAFLD. We found that HIIT and HS+HIIT increased skeletal muscle expression of FNDC5 relative to SHS group but the increase was attenuated in HS+HIIT. SHS increased muscle IL-18 expression relative to HIIT, HS+HIIT, and C. Expression of hepatic MMP-2 and MMP-9 increased significantly in SHS in comparison with C. There was a significant increase in MMP-9 in HIIT compared with C. Moreover, hepatic MMP-9 expression decreased in both HIIT and SHS+HIIT relative to SHS. MMP-2 decreased significantly in HIIT compared with SHS. Furthermore, muscle IL-18 gene expression was significantly associated with gene expression of hepatic MMP-2 and MMP-9. We conclude that HIIT-induced alteration of skeletal muscle-derived myokines may alter the gene expression of hepatic matrix metalloproteinases, collagenases involved in pathogenesis of liver diseases. Furthermore, steatosis may possibly influence myokine profiles in skeletal muscle. Accordingly, skeletal muscle-liver crosstalk is possibly targeted by HIIT and steatosis in terms of therapeutic approach

A cross-sectional study on serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level and shift work among reproductive age women

Background: Among the inflammatory factors, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum hs-CRP level with shift work among reproductive age women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2017 to May 2018 in three cities in Mazandaran Province, North of Iran. Through purposive sampling, 350 women (172 shift workers and 178 day workers) were recruited. The guideline recommended by the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was used to interpret the result of hs-CRP measurement as the following: less than 1 µg/ml: low CVD risk; 1–3 µg/ml: moderate CVD risk; and more than 3 µg/ml: high CVD risk. The data were analyzed using the independent-sample t and the chi-square tests as well as the logistic regression analysis. Results: 11.1 of participants had a serum hs-CRP level of more than 3 µg/ml. This rate among shift workers was significantly greater than day workers (15.6 vs. 7.0; p=0.012). After adjusting the effects of potential confounders shift work significantly increased the odds of serum hs-CRP level of more than 3 µg/ml by 2.45 times (OR=2.45, 95 CI: 1.01–5.93, p=0.047). Conclusion: Shift work is a significant predictor of high serum hs-CRP level probably due to its association with sleep problems and occupational stress. Improving the knowledge of female shift workers about the importance of quality sleep can reduce their CVD risk and improve their health

Cut off Value for Parathormone Level in Children with Vitamin D Deficiency

Background: When serum level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH) D] decreases, intact Parathormone (iPTH) level increases compensatory. This study aimed to determine the cut off value for iPTH level in 2-14-year-old children with vitamin D (VD) deficiency. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 153 children aged 2-14 years old who referred to the endocrinology clinic of Amirkola Children's Hospital for growth assessment. Census sampling was conducted from January 2016 to June 2017 according to the eligibility criteria including height and weight above the percentile of 3% of growth charts and normal serum of calcium level (>8.5 mg/dl). Laboratory parameters such as serum calcium, 25(OH) D and iPTH levels were assessed. The children were divided into three groups based on serum levels of 25(OH) D as mild, moderate and severe VD deficiency. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the cut-off point of iPTH and 25(OH) D. P-Value< 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean VD and iPTH levels in children were 11.8 ± 4.59 ng/ml and 28.3 ± 13.3 pg/ml, respectively. At the iPTH serum level of 23.5 pg/ml, with a sensitivity of 66.1%, there was a possibility of moderate to severe VD deficiency. In the severe deficiency group, at the iPTH serum level of 23.5 pg/ml and above, with a sensitivity of 78.9%, there was a possibility of severe VD deficiency. The cut-off point of 25(OH) D and iPTH, at the serum VD level ≤10 ng/ml were determined. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that the cut-off value for iPTH in children with VD deficiency is serum level of 25OHD≤10ng/ml

Relationship of social capital with overweight and obesity among female health care workers

Background: The epidemic of obesity has turned into a major global health challenge. Environmental and social factors such as social capital, can significantly affect obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of social capital with overweight and obesity among female health-care workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on 680 female health-care workers who were randomly selected from healthcare settings affiliated to Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Workplace Social Capital (WSC) questionnaire. The SPSS Version 21 was employed to analyze the data through conducting the independent-sample t and the chi-square tests as well as the linear and the logistic regression analyses at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: Linear regression analysis revealed that age, marital status, satisfaction with economic status, and structural social capital were significant predictors of body mass index (P&#60;0.05). Moreover, logistic regression analysis indicated that weak social capital increased the odds of overweight/ obesity by 1.3 times (OR=1.345; 95 CI: 0.643&#8211;2.812) and weak structural social capital significantly increased the odds of overweight /obesity by almost four times (OR=3.757; 95 CI: 1.628&#8211;8.671; P=0.002). Conclusion: Social capital, particularly structural social capital, is a significant predictor of body mass index and a protective factor against obesity among female health-care workers. Further studies are needed to determine the paths through which social capital affects obesity- and overweight-related behaviors.

Comparison of serum magnesium level between asthmatic and healthy children

Background and Objective: Hypomagnesemia can lead to bronchial smooth muscle contraction and is associated with wheezeing, airway hyperactivity and impairment of lung function. The aim of this study was to compare serum magnesium levels between asthmatic and healthy children. Methods: This case-control study was performed from September 2018 to February 2019. Totally, 125 children (78 asthmatic and 47 healthy non-asthmatic children) aged 3-14 years referred to Amirkola Children&#39;s Hospital in Iran were entered to the study. Sampling was done using the available method based on inclusion criteria. Serum magnesium levels were measured in all children in the laboratory of Amirkola Children&#39;s Hospital. P&#60;0.05 was considered a significant level. Findings: The mean age of children was 81.21&#177;35.45 months, among them, 77 (61.6) and 48 (38.4) were male and female, respectively. The mean serum magnesium level of children was 2.08 and 2.04 mg/dl in the control and asthma groups, respectively and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.49). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, there is no significant difference between serum magnesium levels in asthmatic patients and the control group and it is not necessary to routinely measure magnesium levels in these patients

The Role of the Iron Transporter ABCB7 in Refractory Anemia with Ring Sideroblasts

Refractory Anemia with Ring Sideroblasts (RARS) is an acquired myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) characterized by an excess iron accumulation in the mitochondria of erythroblasts. The pathogenesis of RARS and the cause of this unusual pattern of iron deposition remain unknown. We considered that the inherited X-linked sideroblastic anemia with ataxia (XLSA/A) might be informative for the acquired disorder, RARS. XLSA/A is caused by partial inactivating mutations of the ABCB7 ATP-binding cassette transporter gene, which functions to enable transport of iron from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm. Furthermore, ABCB7 gene silencing in HeLa cells causes an accumulation of iron in the mitochondria. We have studied the role of ABCB7 in RARS by DNA sequencing, methylation studies, and gene expression studies in primary CD34+ cells and in cultured erythroblasts. The DNA sequence of the ABCB7 gene is normal in patients with RARS. We have investigated ABCB7 gene expression levels in the CD34+ cells of 122 MDS cases, comprising 35 patients with refractory anemia (RA), 33 patients with RARS and 54 patients with RA with excess blasts (RAEB), and in the CD34+ cells of 16 healthy controls. We found that the expression levels of ABCB7 are significantly lower in the RARS group. RARS is thus characterized by lower levels of ABCB7 gene expression in comparison to other MDS subtypes. Moreover, we find a strong relationship between increasing percentage of bone marrow ring sideroblasts and decreasing ABCB7 gene expression levels. Erythroblast cell cultures confirm the low levels of ABCB7 gene expression levels in RARS. These data provide an important link between inherited and acquired forms of sideroblastic anemia and indicate that ABCB7 is a strong candidate gene for RARS

Employment turnover from the perspective of managers in 5 Star Hotels in Tehran : Front Desk

The hospitality and tourism industry is a progressively important part of the all countries because of its effect on economy. One of the important factors regarding this industry is the importance of employees’ impact on service quality, raising income and satisfying guests. Also this industry is known for its high rate of turnover. In hotels guests interact directly with hotel staff and usually it starts from reservation and front desk departments, so that the front office personnel play an important role of making the first picture of hotel in guests' mind. The purpose of this study is to find the factors, which lead an employee to make a decision of leaving a hotel front desk. The data in this study is collected in qualitative format, using semi-structured interviews to gather information. Since the purpose of this study is to understand managers’ point of view, all the interviews were taken from managers. General managers, human resource managers and front desk managers were selected from all 5 star hotels in Tehran to be interviewed. The finding of this thesis indicates that all eight presented factors in frame of reference are true in 5 star hotels in Tehran. Also there are other indicators such as marriage, different work shift schedule, not having related academic background, immigration and starting family business.Validerat; 20160607 (marikav)</p