Applications of two new algorithms of cuckoo optimization (CO) and forest optimization (FO) for solving single row facility layout problem (SRFLP)

Nowadays, due to inherent complexity of real optimization problems, it has always been a challenging issue to develop a solution algorithm to these problems. Single row facility layout problem (SRFLP) is a NP-hard problem of arranging a number of rectangular facilities with varying length on one side of a straight line with aim of minimizing the weighted sum of the distance between all facility pairs. In this paper two new algorithms of cuckoo optimization and forest optimization are applied and compared to solve SRFLP for the first time. The operators of two algorithms are adapted according to the characteristics of SRFLP and results are compared for two groups of benchmark instances of the literature. These groups consist of instances with the number of facilities less and more than 30. Results on two groups of instances show that proposed cuckoo optimization based algorithm has better performance rather than proposed forest optimization based algorithm in both aspects of finding the best solution and Computational time

Effect of alternating and direct currents on Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth in vitro

Eradication of pathogenic bacteria from important part of our life such as dental tools, foods and wounds is necessary. Based on the effect of natural selection, these bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. In some cases such as the section where burnt are treated in the hospital, we observe high rate of mortality as well as high numbers of resistant bacteria. In order to solve these problems, electrical stimulation (ES) is proposed. This has being shown to be an effective method. One of the reasons why it works could be due to the bacteria static property of electrical stimulation. So, more studies must be done so as to reach optimum voltage and currents. The test media were Muller-Hinton agar and eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar. In this research Pseudomonas aeruginosa which was isolated from patients wounds was examined with levels of alternating and direct current (AC and DC) electrical stimulation (1.5V, 3.5V, 5.5V and 10V) to see if these currents could inhibit P. aeruginosa growth in vitro. The experiment was performed in two forms: The first was carried out immediately while the second was carried out 19 h after being cultured. Different patterns of zone of inhibition were observed in the two forms of our research. AC current had low inhibitive effect on P. aeruginosas growth. Anode and cathode showed different zone of inhibition, in each of the forms and media. The maximum inhibition zone (22 mm) was observed around cathode in 3.5 V direct current which was immediately used in the media. Direct current significantly inhibits growth of P. aeruginosa. Based on other studies on different bacterial species, ES can be applied to sterilization and controlling of superficial infections like in burnt patients.Key words: Electrical stimulation, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wound healing

Rural residency has a protective effect and marriage is a risk factor for NAFLD

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the leading cause of liver disease worldwide. Although many previous studies have evaluated the potential risk factors of NAFLD, few studies have determined the effect of residency or marriage status on NAFLD. Objectives: We aim to evaluate whether residency and marriage status increased the risk factors for NAFLD. Materials and Methods: We utilized data from 5,052 participants, 18 years and older, from a cohort study conducted using 6,140 participants in northern Iran. The population was divided into 16 subgroups according to sexandage; the age groupshadan interval of 10 years. We randomly selected the subjects from each subgroup in proportion to the size of each subpopulation group. Logistic regression analyses were conducted on NAFLD as an outcome of marriage status, residency (rural vs. urban), and other potential risk factors. Results: We found that NAFLD had an inverse association with rural living in men (OR = 0.513, 0.422 - 0.622, P value < 0.001) and women (OR = 0.431, 0.345 - 0.539, P value < 0.001). Furthermore, we determined that NAFLD had a direct association with marriage status for men (OR = 2.770, 2.004 - 3.831, P value < 0.001) and women (OR = 1.241, 1.033 - 1.490, P value = 0.0209). Conclusions: While rural living has a protective effect on NAFLD, marriage may be a potential risk factor for this condition. © 2016, Kowsar Corp

Metabolic Syndrome Is Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life in Suspected Patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Objective: This study was designed to examine the effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with suspected nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Subjects and Methods: Three hundred thirty-two patients (236 males and 96 females) with suspected NASH from the Amol cohort study were included in this study. MetS was diagnosed based on Adult Treatment Panel III criteria and HRQOL was measured using the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaire (with 8 subscales and 2 summary components). A multivariable linear regression model was used to assess the independent effect of MetS on HRQOL. Results: The mean age of the study population was 42 ± 13 years (range 18-82). The prevalence of MetS was 43.4 (n = 144) and the mean scores on the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and the Mental Component Summary were 72.4 ± 20.86 and 42.7 ± 12.42, respectively. The multivariable linear regression model showed that MetS was negatively associated with 4 subscales of HRQOL that included: role limitations due to physical problems (RP) (B = -14.05, p = 0.004), bodily pain (BP) (B = -7.37, p = 0.02), vitality (VT) (B = -7.72, p = 0.022), and role limitations due to emotional problems (RE) (B = -12.67, p = 0.005) after adjustment for other variables. Also, MetS had a borderline association with the general health and mental health subscales and the PCS (p < 0.1). Conclusion: In this study, there was a strong association between MetS and 4 subscales (RP, BP, VT, and RE) of HRQOL in patients with suspected NASH; this could be considered as a part of health policy to improve general health. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel

Metabolic Syndrome Is Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life in Suspected Patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Objective: This study was designed to examine the effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with suspected nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Subjects and Methods: Three hundred thirty-two patients (236 males and 96 females) with suspected NASH from the Amol cohort study were included in this study. MetS was diagnosed based on Adult Treatment Panel III criteria and HRQOL was measured using the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaire (with 8 subscales and 2 summary components). A multivariable linear regression model was used to assess the independent effect of MetS on HRQOL. Results: The mean age of the study population was 42 ± 13 years (range 18-82). The prevalence of MetS was 43.4 (n = 144) and the mean scores on the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and the Mental Component Summary were 72.4 ± 20.86 and 42.7 ± 12.42, respectively. The multivariable linear regression model showed that MetS was negatively associated with 4 subscales of HRQOL that included: role limitations due to physical problems (RP) (B = -14.05, p = 0.004), bodily pain (BP) (B = -7.37, p = 0.02), vitality (VT) (B = -7.72, p = 0.022), and role limitations due to emotional problems (RE) (B = -12.67, p = 0.005) after adjustment for other variables. Also, MetS had a borderline association with the general health and mental health subscales and the PCS (p < 0.1). Conclusion: In this study, there was a strong association between MetS and 4 subscales (RP, BP, VT, and RE) of HRQOL in patients with suspected NASH; this could be considered as a part of health policy to improve general health. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel

Lithium cobalt(II) pyrophosphate, Li1.86CoP2O7, from synchrotron X-ray powder data

Structure refinement of high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction data of the title compound gave the composition Li1.865CoP2O7, which is also verified by the ICP measurement. Two Co sites exist in the structure: one is a CoO5 square pyramid and the other is a CoO6 octa­hedron. They share edges and are further inter­connected through P2O7 groups, forming a three-dimensional framework, which exhibits different kinds of inter­secting tunnels containing Li cations and could be of great inter­est in Li ion battery chemistry. The structure also exhibits cation disorder with 13.5% Co residing at the lithium (Li1) site. Co seems to have an average oxidation state of 2.135, as obtained from the strutural stochiometry that closely supports the magnetic susceptibility findings

Body roundness index and waist-to-height ratio are strongly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A population-based study

Background: A strong association between obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been reported. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate if new obesity indices, including a body shape index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI), have stronger associations with NAFLD than waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we utilized the data of 4,872 participants aged 18 74 years from a cohort study conducted among 6,143 subjects in northern Iran. Logistic regression analysis was performed on NAFLD as the outcome and obesity measures (based on Z-score values) as potential predictors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted, in which NAFLD was considered as a reference variable and obesity measures as classification variables. The discriminatory ability of the obesity measures was reported based on area-under-the-curves, and the related cut-off points of BRI and WHtR were determined using the Youden index (YI). Results: Based on our results, BRI (OR = 5.484 for men and OR = 3.482 for women) and WHtR (OR = 5.309 for men and OR = 3.854 for women) showed a higher association with NAFLD than ABSI (OR = 1.363 for men and OR = 1.003 for women) and WHR (OR = 3.123 for men and OR = 1.628 for women). The optimal cut-off points for BRI were 4.00 (sensitivity = 82.7, specificity = 70.8) for men and 5.00 (sensitivity = 83.3, specificity = 71.7) for women. The optimal cut-off points for WHtR were 0.533 (sensitivity = 82.7, specificity = 70.8) for men and 0.580 (sensitivity = 83.3, specificity = 71.7) for women. Conclusions: While BRI and WHtR have equally strong associations with NAFLD, ABSI and WHR have weaker associations with NAFLD than BRI and WHtR. � 2016, Kowsar Corp

Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C virus infection in Amol city, north of Iran: A population-Based study (2008-2011)

Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease and related problems in the world.There are few population-based studies on the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C infection in Iran, which could not provide enough information. Moreover, the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C infection are not similar in all parts of Iran. Objectives: The aim of this survey was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HCV infection in the general population of the city of Amol, north of Iran. Patients and Methods: This was a population-based study. Using a cluster sampling approach, 6145 individuals of both genders and different ages were involved from general population of urban and rural areas of Amol, The inclusion criteria were Iranian nationality, willing to participate in the study, and lifelong residence in Amol city and surrounding areas. Anti-hepatitis C antibody was measured by a third generation of ELISA. The positive results were confirmed by Recombinant Immuno Blot Assay (RIBA) and quantitative HCV-RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Potential risk factors of HCV transmission were recorded. Results: The mean age of participants was 42.70 ± 17.10 years. Of these participants, 57.2 (n = 3483) were male. Anti-HCV antibody was positive in 12 individuals from which five were RIBA positive. Three of these subjects were PCR positive. The prevalence of HCV was more predominant among males than females. The common risk factors among the study subjects included history of minor or major surgery (34.7), unsterile punctures (21.2), history of traditional phlebotomy (5.8), and history of hepatitis among close relatives (5.7). In univariate regression analysis, unsterile punctures and history of infection in family members were associated with HCV infection. Conclusions: We confirm that in Amol city and surrounding areas, the prevalence of true HCV infection is 0.05, which is lower than that previously reported from Iran. © 2013, Kowsar Corp.; Published by Kowsar Corp

The incidence and risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A cohort study from Iran

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition with a global prevalence of 24. A broad spectrum of liver complications has been attributed to this condition. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the incidence of NAFLD and its potential risk factors in a seven-year follow-up study in Iran. Methods: This is a prospective cohort population-based study conducted in the northern region of Iran. In phase I of the cohort study, 2,461 participants were selected, between 2009 and 2010, using the stratified randomization method based on the sex and age of individuals. Ultrasonographic examination was performed again after a seven-year follow-up between 2016 and 2017. The multiple binary regression analysis was applied to evaluate the association between the development of NAFLD and potential risk factors. Results: The incidence of NAFLD was 27.88 (95 CI: 25.41-30.35) in men and 30.17 (95 CI: 27.40-32.94) in women (P = 0.226) in a seven-year follow-up period. Based on the multiple binary logistic regression analysis, body mass index (BMI) OR = 1.219 (95% CI: 1.162-1.278) P < 0.001, triglyceride (TG) OR = 1.003 (95% CI: 1.001-1.005); P = 0.005 and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) OR = 0.986 (95% CI: 0.972-0.999); P = 0.046 showed a significant association with the incidence of NAFLD in men. In contrast, the marital status OR = 2.141 (95% CI: 1.286-3.565); P = 0.003, BMI OR = 1.165 (95% CI: 1.121-1.211); P < 0.001 and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) OR = 1.164 (95% CI: 1.041-1.301); P = 0.007 had a significant relationship with the incidence of NAFLD in women. Conclusions: It seems that NAFLD is markedly rising in the northern part of Iran. Higher levels of BMI, TG, and HDL are considered independent risk factors for the development of NAFLD in men, while the marital status, BMI, and HOMA-IR exhibited independent risk factors with the incidence of NAFLD in women. © 2020, Author(s)