The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase in Golestan Province, Northeast Iran

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level in a population-based study in Golestan Province, northeast Iran. Methods: From the randomly invited individuals (2,292), 698 out of the 916 males and 1,351 out of the 1,376 females participated in the study (participation rate: 76.2 and 98.1, respectively). One hundred and twenty-one participants were excluded due to positive hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis C virus antibody and/or drinking more than 20 grams of alcohol per day. A total of 1,928 participants (1300 females) were included. The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level was defined as the 95th percentile. Results: The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level in normal weight and nondiabetics was significantly lower than the total study group (36 versus 45 U/L). Serum alanine aminotransferase level was independently associated with male gender, body mass index, and diabetes mellitus (OR=2.05; 95Cl: 1.44 - 2.94, OR=2.76; 95Cl: 1.84 - 4.13, and OR=2.96; 95Cl: 1.56-5.61, respectively). Conclusion: Considering the lower calculated upper normal limit in normal weight nondiabetic participants in this study, we recommend setting new upper normal limit for serum alanine aminotransferase level, It seems reasonable to set upper normal limit for serum alanine aminotransferase level in males and females separately

The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase in Golestan Province, Northeast Iran

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level in a population-based study in Golestan Province, northeast Iran. Methods: From the randomly invited individuals (2,292), 698 out of the 916 males and 1,351 out of the 1,376 females participated in the study (participation rate: 76.2 and 98.1, respectively). One hundred and twenty-one participants were excluded due to positive hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis C virus antibody and/or drinking more than 20 grams of alcohol per day. A total of 1,928 participants (1300 females) were included. The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level was defined as the 95th percentile. Results: The upper normal limit of serum alanine aminotransferase level in normal weight and nondiabetics was significantly lower than the total study group (36 versus 45 U/L). Serum alanine aminotransferase level was independently associated with male gender, body mass index, and diabetes mellitus (OR=2.05; 95Cl: 1.44 - 2.94, OR=2.76; 95Cl: 1.84 - 4.13, and OR=2.96; 95Cl: 1.56-5.61, respectively). Conclusion: Considering the lower calculated upper normal limit in normal weight nondiabetic participants in this study, we recommend setting new upper normal limit for serum alanine aminotransferase level, It seems reasonable to set upper normal limit for serum alanine aminotransferase level in males and females separately

An EF2X Allocation Protocol for Restricted Additive Valuations

We study the problem of fairly allocating a set of $m$ indivisible goods to aset of $n$ agents. Envy-freeness up to any good (EFX) criteria -- whichrequires that no agent prefers the bundle of another agent after removal of anysingle good -- is known to be a remarkable analogous of envy-freeness when theresource is a set of indivisible goods. In this paper, we investigate EFXnotion for the restricted additive valuations, that is, every good has somenon-negative value, and every agent is interested in only some of the goods. We introduce a natural relaxation of EFX called EFkX which requires that noagent envies another agent after removal of any $k$ goods. Our maincontribution is an algorithm that finds a complete (i.e., no good is discarded)EF2X allocation for the restricted additive valuations. In our algorithm wedevise new concepts, namely "configuration" and "envy-elimination" that mightbe of independent interest. We also use our new tools to find an EFX allocation for restricted additivevaluations that discards at most $\lfloor n/2 \rfloor -1$ goods. This improvesthe state of the art for the restricted additive valuations by a factor of $2$.<br

The novel albumin–chitosan core–shell nanoparticles for gene delivery: preparation, optimization and cell uptake investigation

Natural polymers and proteins such as chitosan (CS) and albumin (Alb) have recently attracted much attention both in drug delivery and gene delivery. The underlying rationale is their unique properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility and controlled release. This study aimed to prepare novel albumin–chitosan–DNA (Alb-CS-DNA) core–shell nanoparticles as a plasmid delivery system and find the best conditions for their preparation. Phase separation method and ionic interaction were used for preparation of Alb nanoparticles and Alb-CS-DNA core–shell nanoparticles, respectively. The effects of three important independent variables (1) CS/Alb mass ratio, (2) the ratios of moles of the amine groups of cationic polymers to those of the phosphate groups of DNA (N/P ratio), and (3) Alb concentration, on the nanoparticle size and loading efficiency of the plasmid were investigated and optimized through Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions were found to be CS/Alb mass ratio = 3, N/P ratio = 8.24 and Alb concentration = 0.1 mg/mL. The most critical factors for the size of nanoparticles and loading efficiency were Alb concentration and N/P ratio. The optimized nanoparticles had an average size of 176 ± 3.4 nm and loading efficiency of 80 ± 3.9 %. Cytotoxicity experiments demonstrated that the prepared nanoparticles were not toxic. The high cellular uptake of nanoparticles (~85 %) was shown by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy.Tarbiat Modares UniversityUnited States. National Institutes of Health (Grant R01A1050875

A virtual collaborative platform to support building information modeling implementation for energy efficiency

There is increased interest in complying with the new regulations and policies associated with the climate change. In particular industries such as the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry seek to find new strategies and practices for facilitating sustainability but also new regulations to improve efficiency at the building level. Institutions and industrial bodies are now in the process of alignment with new legislative stipulations regarding carbon emissions with wider reflection into environment, social and economic models. At building level such strategies refer to decarbonisation and energy efficiency supported with data driven techniques enriched with virtual collaboration and optimization methods. The increased interest of the research community in Building Information Modeling (BIM) has facilitated numerous solutions ranging from digital products, information retrieval, and optimization techniques all aiming at addressing energy optimization and performance gap reduction. In this paper we present how a virtual collaborative system can be efficiently used for implementing BIM based energy optimization for controlling, monitoring buildings and running energy optimization, greatly contributing to creating a BIM construction community with energy practices. The solution described, known as energy-bim.com platform, disseminates energy efficient practices and community engagement and provides support for building managers in implementing energy efficient optimization plans

Evaluation of a weighting approach for performing sensitivity analysis after multiple imputation.

BACKGROUND: Multiple imputation (MI) is a well-recognised statistical technique for handling missing data. As usually implemented in standard statistical software, MI assumes that data are 'Missing at random' (MAR); an assumption that in many settings is implausible. It is not possible to distinguish whether data are MAR or 'Missing not at random' (MNAR) using the observed data, so it is desirable to discover the impact of departures from the MAR assumption on the MI results by conducting sensitivity analyses. A weighting approach based on a selection model has been proposed for performing MNAR analyses to assess the robustness of results obtained under standard MI to departures from MAR. METHODS: In this article, we use simulation to evaluate the weighting approach as a method for exploring possible departures from MAR, with missingness in a single variable, where the parameters of interest are the marginal mean (and probability) of a partially observed outcome variable and a measure of association between the outcome and a fully observed exposure. The simulation studies compare the weighting-based MNAR estimates for various numbers of imputations in small and large samples, for moderate to large magnitudes of departure from MAR, where the degree of departure from MAR was assumed known. Further, we evaluated a proposed graphical method, which uses the dataset with missing data, for obtaining a plausible range of values for the parameter that quantifies the magnitude of departure from MAR. RESULTS: Our simulation studies confirm that the weighting approach outperformed the MAR approach, but it still suffered from bias. In particular, our findings demonstrate that the weighting approach provides biased parameter estimates, even when a large number of imputations is performed. In the examples presented, the graphical approach for selecting a range of values for the possible departures from MAR did not capture the true parameter value of departure used in generating the data. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the weighting approach is not recommended for sensitivity analyses following MI, and further research is required to develop more appropriate methods to perform such sensitivity analyses

The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis B core antibody in Iran: A population-based study

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is a very common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. It is estimated that 3 of Iranians are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus. Current population-based studies on both rural and urban prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in Iran are sparse with results that do not always agree. We performed this study to find the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis B core antibody, and associated factors in the general population of three provinces of Iran. Methods: We randomly selected 6,583 subjects from three provinces in Iran, namely Tehran, Golestan, and Hormozgan. The subjects were aged between 18 and 65 years. Serum samples were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis B core antibody. Various risk factors were recorded and multivariate analysis was performed. Results: The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis B core antibody in Iran was 2.6 and 16.4, respectively. Predictors of hepatitis B surface antigen or anti-hepatitis B core antibody in multivariate analysis included older age, not having high-school diploma, living in a rural area, and liver disease in a family member. We did not find any significant differences between males and females. Conclusion: In spite of nationwide vaccination of newborns against hepatitis B virus since 1992, hepatitis B virus infection remains a very common cause of chronic liver disease in Iran which should be dealt with for at least the next 30-50 years

Evaluating the independent impact of renal function decline on coronary artery calcification in patients undergone cardiac ct scan

Background: Cardiovascular events are the leading global cause of death. Calcification of coronary arteries is a common complication of renal failure and the leading cause of death in this population. However, its multifactorial mechanism is not fully understood. Objectives: The current study aimed to, firstly, investigate the association between renal dysfunction and the calcification of coronary arteries in patients with severe and milder stages of renal failure and, secondly, to determine the role of this variable by eliminating the effect of established confounding factors. Methods: Following a retrospective design, 261 patients with cardiovascular risk factors or atypical symptoms were investigated. Estimated GFR (glomerular filtration rate) was calculated using both Cockcroft-Gault and MDRD equations. An ECG-gated multidetector CT scan was performed to calculate CACS (coronary artery calcification score) using the Agatston method. The presence of significant CAC (coronary artery calcification) was defined as CACS &gt; 100. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using binary logistic regression. Results: A total of 134 cases were diagnosed with CAC, and the mean CACS was 83.4 ± 18. According to univariate analysis, older age, male gender, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and higher TG levels were correlated with the degree of CAC. HbA1C showed a weak correlation with CACS (P-value = 0.04). Renal insufficiency resulted in increased CAC, and lower eGFR (calculated with both Cockgraft-Gault and MDRD equations) was associated with higher calcification (P-value &lt; 0.01). Our analysis shows that serum Ca, P, LDL, and HDL levels do not have a significant influence on calcification changes. After adjusting for confounding factors, male sex, age, triglyceride level, and eGFR were recognized as independent risk factors for CACS � 100, a marker of coronary artery atherosclerosis. However, HbA1C and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were no longer considered as factors that contribute to the risk of CAC. Conclusions: We observed a gradual and independent association between lower eGFR and higher CAC scores. © 2021, Author(s)

Diiodido(1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione-κ2 N,N′)mercury(II)

The HgII atom in the title complex, [HgI2(C12H6N2O2)], is tetra­hedrally coordinated by the N atoms of the chelating 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione ligand and two I atoms. The range of tetra­hedral angles is broad, viz. 68.94 (17)° for the chelate angle to a wide 132.627 (15)° for the I—Hg—I angle. The ligand mol­ecule is non-planar with the O atoms lying 0.422 (5) and −0.325 (5) Å out of the plane through the remaining atoms [r.m.s. deviation = 0.068 Å]. Mol­ecules are consolidated in the crystal packing by C—H⋯O inter­actions

Volume Changes After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Animal Studies - A Systematic Review

There are limited data on the lesion volume changes following spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, a meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the volume size changes of the injured spinal cord over time among animal studies in traumatic SCI. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive electronic search of English literature of PubMed and EMBASE databases from 1946 to 2015 concerning the time-dependent changes in the volume of the spinal cord following mechanical traumatic SCI. A hand-search was also performed for non-interventional, non-molecular, and non-review studies. Quality appraisal, data extraction, qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed afterward. Of 11,561 articles yielded from electronic search, 49 articles were assessed for eligibility after reviewing of titles, abstracts, and references. Ultimately, 11 articles were eligible for quantitative synthesis. The ratio of lesion volume to spinal cord total volume increased over time. Avascularity appeared in spinal cord 4 hours after injury. During the first week, the spinal subarachnoid space decreased. The hemorrhagic lesion size peaked in 1 week and decreased thereafter. Significant loss of gray and white matter occurred from day 3 with a slower progression of white matter damage. Changes of lesion extent over time is critical in pathophysiologic processes after SCI. Early avascularity, rapid loss of gray matter, slow progression of white matter damage, and late cavitation are the pathophysiologic key points of SCI, which could be helpful in choosing the proper intervention on a timely basis