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BACKGROUND: Air pollution is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aims to evaluate the correlation between air pollutants and hospitalization due to myocardial infarction (MI) as part of "correlation of air pollution with hospitalization and mortality of CVDs and respiratory diseases (CAPACITY) study". METHODS: This case-crossover study analyzed the data of 319 patients who were admitted with diagnosis of ST-elevation MI (STEMI) or non-ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI) in three main hospitals of Isfahan, Iran. The data of airborne pollutants including particulate matter < 10 μm (PM10), particulate matter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) as well as climatic indices (temperature, wind speed, and humidity) at 24 hours, 48 hours, and one week before admission were extracted from CAPACITY study. The conditional logistic regression method was used to evaluate the correlation between air pollutants and MI hospitalization. RESULTS: 319 patients with mean age of 63.15 ± 28.14 years, including 238 men (74.6%), and 207 patients (64.8%) with STEMI. The risk of hospitalization significantly increased in STEMI patients with 10-unit increment in PM2.5 at 48 hours before admission [odds ratio (OR) = 3.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.69-7.69]. Although, majority of air pollutants had positive association with hospitalization in patients with NSTEMI, they were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This study showed significant association between elevated PM2.5 at 48 hours with hospitalization of patients with STEMI. This finding can warn policy makers to design and provide better care services for patients at risk of acute MI during the times of increased air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Vitiligo is a pigmentary disorder of skin affecting at least 1% of the world population of all races in both sexes. Its importance is mainly due to subsequent social and psychological problems rather than clinical complications. Various treatment choices are available for vitiligo; however, laser‐based courses have shown to give more acceptable results. Objective: The aim of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy of Er:YAG laser as a supplementary medicine to topical 5FU and clobetasol in vitiligo patients. Methods: Two comparable vitiligo patches from 38 eligible patients were randomized to receive topical 5FU and clobetasol in control group and additional Er:YAG laser in intervention group. Major outcomes of interest were the size of patch and pigmentation score at randomization and 2 and 4 months after therapy. Results: Final sample included 18 (47%) male patients and age of 35.66±8.04. The performance Er:YAG group was superior in all sites. Reduction in the size of patches was greater in Er:YAG group (p‐value=.004). Also, this group showed a higher pigmentation scores in the trial period than control group (p‐value<.001). Conclusions: Greater reduction in the size and increase in pigmentation score was seen in Er:YAG group especially for short periods after therapy and repeating laser sessions may help improving final outcomes. Er:AYG could help in reducing complications of long‐term topical treatments, achieving faster response, and improving patient adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

8-Hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) was used for modification of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and preparation of polyethersulfone (PES)-based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by phase inversion process. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The effect of different concentrations of 8-HQ/Fe3O4 NPs into the PES as membrane matrix was investigated by FESEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The performance of prepared membranes was evaluated by the water contact angle, pure water flux (PWF), porosity, means pore size, and salt rejection. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution was used to investigate the antifouling properties of fabricated membranes. The results showed a decreasing water contact angle from 68.1° for the pristine membrane to 38.3° for M5 at 0.5 wt% 8-HQ/Fe3O4 NPs. The PWF enhanced for all mixed matrix membranes compared with the pristine membrane. The highest PWF (21.5L/m2h) was measured for M4 at 0.2wt% NPs, Wwhile it was 7.1 L/m2h for pristine membrane. Salt rejection improved from 58.55% in M1 (pristine membrane) to 96% in M4 (at 0.2 wt% of 8-HQ/Fe3O4 NPs). Also, the modified membranes showed suitable antifouling property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Considering the high level of air pollution and its impact on health, we aimed to study the correlation of air pollution with hospitalization and mortality of cardiovascular (CVD) and respiratory diseases (ResD) (CAPACITY) to determine the effects of air pollutants on CVD and ResD hospitalizations and deaths in Isfahan, Iran. METHODS: Hourly levels of air pollutants including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3), information of CVD and ResD admissions and death certificate were obtained respectively from Department of Environment (DOE), Iran, hospitals and cemetery. Time series and case-crossover model were used to find the impact of air pollutants. This paper only summarizes the descriptive findings of the CAPACITY study. RESULTS: The total number of hospitalized patients were 23781 in 2010 and 22485 in 2011. The most frequent cause of hospitalization and death was ischemic heart diseases in both years. While the mean annual levels of O3, CO, and PM10 were lower in 2011 than in 2010, NO2 and SO2 levels higher in 2011. In both years, PM10 was similarly increased during last month of fall, late spring and early summer. In 2011, the PM2.5 and PM10 monthly trend of change were similar. CONCLUSION: The CAPACITY study is one of the few large-scale studies that evaluated the effects of air pollutants on a variety of CVD and ResD in a large city of Iran. This study can provide many findings that could clarify the effects of these pollutants on the incidence and burden of both disease groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lichen planopilaris is an inflammatory cicatricial alopecia, and its management is a challenge for dermatologists. We aimed to compare the efficacy of methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine on refractory lichen planopilaris. Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, 29 patients were randomly allocated to receive either 15 mg methotrexate/week or 200 mg hydroxychloroquine twice a day for 6 months. Side effects, symptoms/signs, and laboratory tests were assessed periodically. Lichen Planopilaris Activity Index (LPPAI) was measured before intervention and at 2, 4, and 6 months after. The changes from baseline to the end of the study were analyzed within each group and between the two groups by per-protocol and intention-to-treat analysis. Results: After 2 months, mean (standard deviation [SD]) decrease in LPPAI in methotrexate group was significantly more than that in hydroxychloroquine group (1.68 [1.24] vs. 0.8 [0.71], respectively, P = 0.047). Furthermore, after 6 months, mean (SD) decrease in LPPAI in methotrexate group was significantly higher than that in hydroxychloroquine group (3.3 [2.09] vs. 1.51 [0.91], respectively, P = 0.01). The following symptoms/signs showed significant improvements in frequency and/or severity in methotrexate group after intervention: pruritus (P = 0.007), erythema (P = 0.01), perifollicular erythema (P = 0.01), perifollicular scaling (P = 0.08), spreading (P = 0.001), and follicular keratosis (P = 0.04). In hydroxychloroquine group, only erythema (P = 0.004) showed significant improvement. Conclusions: Methotrexate was more effective than hydroxychloroquine in treating refractory lichen planopilaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current research, poly(phenylene ether-ether sulfone) (PEES)-co-poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) nanofiltration membranes were prepared by a casting solution technique using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent. The ethanol was used as fixed additive for better dispersion of iron oxide nanoparticles into the membranes structure. The effect of iron oxide nanoparticle concentration in the casting solution on the membrane performance/properties was studied. The membrane pure water flux, permeated flux, salt rejection, water content, tensile strength and membrane porosity were studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was also used for the membrane morphology characterization. The results revealed that water content increased from 70.25% for bare PEES to about 83.25% for the membrane filled with 0.05 wt.% nanoparticles. SEM images showed that the membrane structure changed and turned from sponge shape to finger like. The results showed that porosity was increased from 55.92% for PEES one to 69.65% for M3. Additionally, the maximum value of flux was obtained for M3. Moreover, rejection was improved by the addition of nanoparticles into the casting solution compared to the unfilled one. Obtained results showed more appropriate performance for the modified membrane filled with 0.05 wt.% iron oxide nanoparticles compared to other prepared membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study was performed to develop a scoring system for predicting cure status in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Materials and Methods: This study included 199 patients with CL from Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center (Isfahan, Iran). Data were collected as longitudinal in each visit of patients. We applied ordinal logistic generalized estimating equation regression to predict score on this correlated data. To evaluate the fitted model, split sample validation method was applied. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Results: The regression coefficients of the fitted model were used to calculate score for cure status. Based on split-sample validation method, overall correct classification rate was 82%. Conclusion: This study suggested a scoring system predict cure status in CL patients based on clinical characteristics. Using this method, score for a CL patient is easily obtained by physicians or health workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a noncicatricial (nonscarring) alopecia. The association between AA and celiac disease (CD) is debatable. Several studies declare the relationship between AA and CD as measurement of celiac autoantibodies (anti-gliadin IgA and anti-gliadin IgG), but a few studies consider anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency distribution of celiac autoantibodies (all of them) in patients with AA compared with controls. Methods: This study is a case-control study. Thirty-five patients entered in each group. Anti-gliadin IgA, anti-gliadin IgG, and anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA were tested in all patients. Samples were examined in ELISA method with binding site's kits, and the result was reported as positive/ negative. Finally, the frequency distribution of autoantibodies was examined. Results: The age average did not show a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.62). In addition, there was no significant difference between the two groups based on gender (P = 0.15). The prevalence of antibody in case and control groups was 2.85% and 0%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.31). Conclusions: There may be a relationship between CD and AA, but the absence of statistical association between AA and CD does not mean that there is no relationship between gluten and AA in certain patients. Thus, we have shown here that the biological tests to search for CD do not bring information and proof enough, and it is why we recommend another approach to disclose gluten intolerance in AA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delegation of authority is one of the key required skills for managers which are carried out by delegating the necessary authority to subjects and subordinates to fulfill their duty and creating a sense of responsibility in them in return for fulfilling their duties. Therefore, managers should delegate the responsibility for affairs to others. On this ground, the present research is done with an aim of carry out a descriptive study on delegating authority to the hospital nurse managers in the private and state-run hospitals of the city Isfahan in the year 2015-16. This research is a descriptive-quantitative research in which eighty (80) nurse managers were selected through simple sampling and were studied. The data was collected through a Likert scale questionnaire and in the domains of the privileges of an effective delegation of authority, planning for the delegation of authority, implement the delegation of authority, and the existing obstacles in the way to delegation of authority and it was analyzed by means of descriptive and analytical statistics and in the SPSS software. The results indicated that the mean score for the item of the delegation of power by nursing managers of private hospitals is 3.44. Also, the mean score for the delegation of authority by nursing managers of state-run hospitals is 4.17 which at last it became evident that there is a difference between the effective delegation of powers in the state-run and private hospitals and the average (mean score) for the quantity of the effective delegation of authority in the state-run hospitals is higher than that of privaterun hospitals. This study indicates that the delegation of authority in the state-run hospitals of Isfahan is higher than that of private-run hospitals that perhaps some reasons such as miscellaneous and specific codes which govern the private hospitals and also the absence of nursing managers' complete trust in their subordinates in such hospitals which leave more time for a greater consideration are among the factors influencing these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to importance of considerable effects of ecotourism on environment, the effect of ecotourism on plant biodiversity in Cherlagh zone was investigated .To acquire the aim of the article, the sampling area was selected under the condition that the ecotourism is solely the variable factor and the slope, direction and height are considered constant factor after evaluation of the ecological land unit drawings. Two zones of high pressured and low pressured ecotourism were considered after evaluation of related drawings. Samples were taken in spring 2010. For evaluation of the plant biodiversity 60 samples of 1 m2 (30 samples in each zone) were taken randomly and then the list of flora and the cover percentage of vegetation were recorded and then the percentage of vegetation data were analyzed in PAST software individual , the biodiversity (Shanon, Simpson) richness (Menhinick, Margalef) evenness (Dominance, Berger parker,) indices were calculated. The mentioned indices were inserted in SPSS II software and the data normality was tested through Kolomogrov-Smirnov test also the homogeneity of variances was tested using Leven test. Due to data normality, non-paired T test was used in order to compare diversity analysis. The results indicate that the richness and individual indices show significant effects of ecotourism on biodiversity indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) remains to be determined; recently a possible change in the immune system with production of immunoglobulins is proposed. As vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, with the ability to decrease the serum levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in atopic patients, we aimed to evaluate the effect of oral vitamin E on treatment of AD. Materials and Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comprised seventy participants with mild-to-moderate AD, based on the Hanifin and Rajka diagnostic criteria. The patients were randomly selected from teaching skin clinics in Isfahan, Iran. They were randomly assigned to two groups of equal number, receiving vitamin E (400 IU/day) and placebo for four 4 months. Each month, the extent, severity, and subjective symptoms including itch and sleeplessness were measured by SCORAD index. Three months after the end of intervention, the recurrence rate was assessed. Results: The improvement in all symptoms, except sleeplessness, was significantly higher in the group receiving vitamin E than in controls (-1.5 vs. 0.218 in itching, -10.85 vs. -3.54 in extent of lesion, and -11.12 vs. -3.89 in SCORAD index, respectively, P < 0.05). Three months after the end of intervention, the recurrence rate of AD was evaluated. Recurrence rate between all 42 individuals, who remained in the study, was 18.6%. Recurrence ratio of the group receiving vitamin E compared to the placebo group was 1.17, without significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that vitamin E can improve the symptoms and the quality of life in patients with AD. As vitamin E has no side effects with a dosage of 400 IU/day, it can be recommended for the treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder and its subsequent complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, ulcers, disability, and amputation increase the burden of the disease. Patient knowledge-improving programs are employed to prevent disease progression and to improve the quality of life of the patients. In this way, we need to characterize the groups of patients in urgent need for more and rich-in-content programs. In the present study, we used piecewise regression to evaluate the trends of diabetic nephropathy prevalence in patients registered in the Sedigheh-Tahereh Research Center and to identify patients who were in need of more attention. Materials and Methods: Piecewise regression, used in this study, is a statistical method to identify change points, if any, in the trends of mortality rates, prevalence of a disease, or any other trends. Available information for 1,935 patients were retrieved from the database. Joinpoint program 3.5.3 and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20 was used to fit piecewise regression and obtain descriptive statistics, respectively. Results: We assessed the trend of diabetic nephropathy in different groups of diabetic patients with respect to sex, blood pressure status, education, family history of diabetes, and age. The results showed an increasing trend in females, patients without family history of diabetes, and eover th recent years. The prevalence of diabetic nephropathy in patients with academic education was high. Conclusion: The groups with high prevalence or increasing trends need more preventive intervention and detailed assessment of the present trends. Exploring high-risk groups is beneficial for better policy-making in the future. However, discovering the reasons for the increased trend of the disease is really helpful in controlling diabetes complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A number of treatments for reducing the appearance of acne scars are available, but general guidelines for optimizing acne scar treatment do not exist. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness and side effects of fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser resurfacing combined with punch elevation with fractional CO2 laser resurfacing alone in the treatment of atrophic acne scars. Materials and Methods: Forty-two Iranian subjects (age range 18-55) with Fitzpatrick skin types III to IV and moderate to severe atrophic acne scars on both cheeks received randomized split-face treatments: One side received fractional CO2 laser treatment and the other received one session of punch elevation combined with two sessions of laser fractional CO2 laser treatment, separated by an interval of 1 month. Two dermatologists independently evaluated improvement in acne scars 4 and 16 weeks after the last treatment. Side effects were also recorded after each treatment. Results: The mean ± SD age of patients was 23.4 ± 2.6 years. Clinical improvement of facial acne scarring was assessed by two dermatologists blinded to treatment conditions. No significant difference in evaluation was observed 1 month after treatment (P = 0.56). Their evaluation found that fractional CO2 laser treatment combined with punch elevation had greater efficacy than that with fractional CO2 laser treatment alone, assessed 4 months after treatment (P = 0.02). Among all side effects, coagulated crust formation and pruritus at day 3 after fractional CO2 laser treatment was significant on both treatment sides (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Concurrent use of fractional laser skin resurfacing with punch elevation offers a safe and effective approach for the treatment of acne scarring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite advances in the field of intravenous therapy, phlebitis is still a common complication of peripheral venous catheter and finding an appropriate solution to prevent and reduce the incidence of this complication remains challenging. One of the methods used in reducing the incidence of phlebitis is the use of saline lock, which is forgotten in most hospitals. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate its impact on the incidence and severity of phlebitis. Materials and Methods: In a single‑blind (the researcher) clinical trial, 88 patients with peripheral venous catheter admitted in cardiac care units in selected hospitals of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were selected through convenient sampling method. They were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control groups using random number table. The intervention group received 3 ml of 0.9% normal saline sterilized before and after each intravenous drug or every 12 h. However, in the control group, the intravenous drugs were given as routine and saline lock was not used. The evaluation of intravenous catheter regarding the incidence of phlebitis and its degrees using Jackson's Visual Infusion Phlebitis Scale was performed 6 times within 72 h (every 12 h). Results were evaluated by SPSS software using descriptive statistics, Chi‑square test, t‑test, and Mann-Whitney test. Results: Results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the degree of phlebitis (P = 0.003). The percentage of phlebitis incidence in the control group was 88.6% and in the intervention group was 43.2%. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001). The risk of incidence of phlebitis in the group without saline lock (control), compared to the intervention group, was 10.3 times greater (CI = 95%). The incidence of phlebitis in both groups increased with increase in the duration of catheter placement. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the use of saline lock in the intervention group compared to the control group, in which saline lock was not used, can have a significant impact on reducing the incidence of phlebitis and its degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reference percentile curves are usually used as a screening tool to determine growth disorders. Anthropometric indices are population-dependent and may differ according to ethnicity, dietary pattern and lifestyle habits. This study aims to compare the curves of anthropometric measures obtained in two national studies conducted among Iranian children and adolescents in 2003-2004 and 2009-2010. Materials and Methods: Anthropometric measures obtained in two nationwide surveys conducted in 10-18-year-old Iranian students were compared. Lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) Chart Maker Pro program was used to develop age- and gender-specific percentiles and to smooth and fit the model. Results: In 2003-2004, the mean and standard deviation (SD) of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were 18.98 ± 3.81 kg/m2 and 67.50 ± 11.05 cm in boys; and 19.44 ± 3.78 kg/m2 and 66.55 ± 9.89 cm in girls, respectively. In 2009-2010, the corresponding figures were 19.16 ± 4.07 kg/m2, 69.42 ± 11.43 cm, 19.63 ± 4.11 kg/m2, and 67.29 ± 9.69 cm, respectively. Height curves did not show considerable changes in two studies. Comparison of two series of studies showed that the weight, BMI, WC, and waist-to-height ratio were lower in adolescent girls than boys especially in higher percentiles. Moreover, in both genders, weight, BMI, and WC percentiles decreased. Conclusion: The growth charts of Iranian children and adolescents aged 10-18 years have changed over 5 years. The reference growth curves change over time in the pediatric age group, repeated surveys should be conducted to update the age- and gender-specific reference curves in different populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Our target in this study was the preparation of electrodialysis ion-exchange membranes with appropriate properties for applications in water recovery and treatment. Composite mixed-matrix, anion-exchange membranes were prepared by a solution casting technique with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene as a base binder, resin powder as a functional group agent, activated carbon as an adsorptive filler, and an Ag nanolayer as a surface modifier. The Ag nanolayer was used with a magnetron sputtering method. The effect of the nanolayer deposition rate ( Rq) and substrate and annealing temperatures on the physicochemical characteristics of the membranes were studied. The X-ray diffraction results show that average grain size of the nanolayer and membrane crystallinity were improved with increasing Rq. The atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy results show that the membrane roughness was enhanced with increasing Rq. The height distribution results also show the best height distribution for the modified membrane at low Rq. The selectivity and flux decreased with increasing nanolayer Rq in the membranes. The selectivity was also decreased initially with increases in the substrate and annealing temperatures from 300 to 325 K in the membranes and then showed an increasing trend. An opposite trend was found for flux with variations in the temperature. The modified membrane containing a 20-nm Ag nanolayer at low Rq showed better performance compared to the other modified membranes and the pristine one. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 40025. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Growth is one of the most important indices in child health. The best and most effective way to investigate child health is measuring the physical growth indices such as weight, height and head circumference. Among these measures, weight growth is the simplest and the most effective way to determine child growth status. Weight trend at a given age is the result of cumulative growth experience, whereas growth velocity represents what is happening at the time. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted among 606 children repeatedly measured from birth until 2 years of age. We used linear mixed model to analyze repeated measures and to determine factors affecting the growth trajectory. LOWESS smooth curve was used to draw velocity curves. Results: Gender, child rank, birth status and feeding mode had a significant effect on weight trajectory. Boys had higher weight during the study. Infants with exclusive breast feeding had higher weight than other infants. Boys had higher growth velocity up to age 6 month. Breast fed infants had higher growth velocity up to 6 month, but thereafter the velocity was higher in other infants. Conclusions: Many of the studies have investigated child growth, but most of them used cross-sectional design. In this study, we used longitudinal method to determine effective factors on weight trend in children from birth until 2-year-old. The effects of perinatal factors on further growth should be considered for prevention of growth disorders and their late complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a variation in trends of oral cancers all over the world. Many investigations have reported evidence of an increasing incidence in oral cancers during recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate time trend and changes in demographic distribution of oral cancers incidence in Isfahan during 1991-2010. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective analytic study archive of Oral Pathology Department of School of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences from 1991 to 2010 were reviewed. A total of 231 Pathology reports were analyzed. Age, sex, primary site, histologic type of cancer, and the referral year were recorded. Data were analyzed by using Jointpoint Regression Program 3 and SPSS 18. P value less than 0.05 consider as significant level. Results: Out of all malignancies, 55% were male and 45% were female. The most frequent cancer was squamous cell carcinoma. Comparing the two time intervals (1991-2000) and (2001-2010) showed that the ratio of carcinomas and salivary gland tumors had decreased while there was an increase in incidence of sarcomas and lymphomas. Among young persons, the occurrence of oral carcinomas (mostly SCC) is rare but sarcomas were more common in younger patients. Gingiva was the most frequently involved in oral cancers with (46%), followed by tongue with (18%). Conclusion: According to this study it revealed that some changes in trends of oral cancer have happened in Isfahan that calls for more study and evaluation of etiologies of these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to show up-to-date estimates of incidence and prevalence in Isfahan for all cancers, except non-melanoma skin cancer over the period 2001-2010 to provide projections up to 2015, based on a statistical method that uses mortality and cancer patients' survival data. Methods: Mortality data in Isfahan province were collected from various sources such as hospitals, medical forensic, cemetery, and health centers. In addition, population data by sex, age, location, and calendar year in the period of 2001-2010 were acquired from the Statistical Center of Iran. Relative survival probabilities for all cancers combined and for selected specific cancers were estimated based on observed cancer death and expected mortality data. Incidence and prevalence estimates were computed with Mortality-incidence Analysis Model (MIAMOD) method. Results: The estimated age-standardized cancer incidence rate had higher increase rate for urban females than for males. Also, the number of prevalent cancers was higher among females, which was mostly due to better cancer survival rates in women. Age-adjusted incidence was estimated to increase by 6.9 and 8.7 per 100000 annually, between 2001 and 2015, in males and females, respectively. The prevalence is to increase by 24 and 40 and mortality by 2.8 and 2.5 per 100000 between 2001 and 2015. Conclusion: The present study does not only show the incidence and prevalence estimates of all cancers combined, but also gives information about cancer burden, which can be used as a bases for planning healthcare management and allocating recourses in public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a variation in trends of oral cancers all over the world. Many studies have reported evidence of increasing incidence in oral cancers during recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate time trends and changes in demographic distribution of oral cancers incidence in Isfahan during 1991-2010. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective analytic study, we collected and recorded data on patients with oral cancers at Oral Pathology Department of Dental School of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences during 1991-2010. Collected data include age at presentation, gender, primary site, and histologic type of cancer. Statistical analysis performed using Jointpoint Regression Program version 3 and SPSS version 18. Results: We analyzed data from 231 Pathology reports. The most frequent cancer was squamous cell carcinoma. Comparing the two time intervals (1991-2000) and (2001-2010), we found that carcinomas and salivary gland tumors had decreased while there was an increase in incidence of sarcomas and lymphomas. Gingiva was the most common site (46%) of oral cancers followed by tongue with (18%) through these 20 years. Male to female ratio was decreased from 1.4 to 1.1 during these two decades of study. Conclusion: According to this study, there might be some changes in risk factors as well as changes in the diagnosis of oral cancers in Isfahan that calls for further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent investigations in colon cancer biology suggest that cancer growth is driven by colon cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance, spreading and relapse. The aim of this study was to isolate and propagate tumorigenic colon CSCs in vitro. Methods: Tumor samples from colon cancers were subjected to mechanical and enzymatic disassociation. After passing of tumor cell suspensions through the cell strainers, tumor cells were counted and their viability was determined. Then tumor cells were plated in the special stem cells medium (contains serum-free DMEM/F12 supplemented by growth factors). Tumor cells growth was evaluated by inverted microscope. Findings: After about 3 weeks of plating in specific medium, colon CSCs were appeared as cell spheres whereas differentiated tumor cells and nonmalaginent cells were unable to grow. Colon cancer spheres were able to propagated and passaged in the specific stem cells medium. Conclusion: Isolation and propagation of tumorigenic colon CSCs in vitro would help to devise novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Isolated colon CSCs can be applied for the studying of cell signaling and assessment of the effect of anti-cancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of essential oils using compressed carbon dioxide is a modern technique offering significant advantages over more conventional methods, especially in particular applications. The prediction of extraction efficiency is a powerful tool for designing and optimizing the process. The current work proposed a new method based on the artificial neural network (ANN) for the estimation of the extraction efficiency of the essential oil oregano bract. In addition, the work used the back-propagation learning algorithm, incorporating different training methods. The required data were collected; pre-treating was used for ANN training. The accuracy and trend stability of the trained networks were verified according to their ability to predict unseen data. The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm has been found to be the most suitable algorithm, with the appropriate number of neurons (i.e., ten neurons) in the hidden layer and a minimum average absolute relative error (i.e., 0.019164). In addition, some excellent predictions with maximum error of 0.039313 were observed. The results demonstrated the ANN's capability to predict the measured data. The ANN model performance was also compared to a suitable mathematical model, thereby confirming the superiority of the ANN model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Acne scarring is treatable by a variety of modalities. Ablative carbon dioxide laser (ACL), while effective, is associated with undesirable side effect profiles. Newer modalities using the principles of fractional photothermolysis (FP) produce modest results than traditional carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers but with fewer side effects. A novel ablative CO2 laser device use a technique called ablative fractional resurfacing (AFR), combines CO2 ablation with a FP system. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of Q-switched 1064-nm Nd: YAG laser and that of fractional CO2 laser in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe acne scarring. METHODS: Sixty four subjects with moderate to severe facial acne scars were divided randomly into two groups. Group A received Q-Switched 1064-nm Nd: YAG laser and group B received fractional CO2 laser. Two groups underwent four session treatment with laser at one month intervals. Results were evaluated by patients based on subjective satisfaction and physicians' assessment and photo evaluation by two blinded dermatologists. Assessments were obtained at baseline and at three and six months after final treatment. RESULTS: Post-treatment side effects were mild and transient in both groups. According to subjective satisfaction (p = 0.01) and physicians' assessment (p < 0.001), fractional CO2 laser was significantly more effective than QSwitched 1064- nm Nd: YAG laser. CONCLUSIONS: Fractional CO2 laser has the most significant effect on the improvement of atrophic facial acne scars, compared with Q-Switched 1064-nm Nd: YAG laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fractional Co2 laser is a good procedure to treat acne scar, surgical scar and senile wrinkles but it is almost painful and if we provide a good pain relief the patient will have a good cooperation during laser, so we can use higher fluence with better results. To determine the safety and efficacy of piroxicam gel in the control of pain and erythema caused by fractional Co2 laser compared with lubricant gel. Methods: In this clinical trial we chose 122 patients who refered to Novin laser clinic for fractional Co2 laser. The patients used gel A (piroxicam gel) on one side of the face and gel B (lubricant gel) on the other side of the face as placebo an hour before laser. To determine pain level we used VAS (Visual analogue scale) score from one point to ten. Each patient scored the pain during, immediately after, 1 hour later and 24 hours after laser. To determine the severity of erythema during, immediately after, 1 hour later and one week after laser we compared the erythema of both side of the face with each other. We also compare the prevalence of Post-inflammatory pigmentation (PIP) after 1 month of laser with both gels. At the end we analyzed the data with SPSS18. Findings: Piroxicam gel can provide better pain relief during laser, immediately after laser and 1 hour later compared with lubricant gel but pain score was the same 24 hours later with both gels. The severity of erythema with both gels was the same during laser, immediately after, 1 hour later and after one week. In fact piroxicam gel has no effect on the erythema caused by fractional Co2 laser. The prevalence of PIP was the same for both gels after one month so piroxicam gel can not prevent PIP caused by fractional Co2 laser. Conclusion: As a result piroxicam gel can use as a safe and effective drug before fractional Co2 laser to decrease the pain but has no effect on erythema and PIP caused by fractional Co2 laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to develop and test the validity of a risk score to be used as a simple tool to identify those children at high risk of sonographic non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 962 participants aged 6-18 years in Isfahan, Iran. They consisted of three groups of nearly equal number of normal-weight, overweight and obese individuals. Coefficients of the logistic regression models were used to assign a score value for each variable and the composite sonographic NAFLD risk score was calculated as the sum of those scores. Performance of model was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve procedure. Findings: Data of 931 participants was included in the analysis. The sonographic findings of 16.8% of participants were compatible with NAFLD. Age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference and serum triglycerides level were diagnosed as factors associated with NAFLD. The risk score was calculated as 50 for sonographic NAFLD. Conclusion: This study, to the best of our knowledge is the first of its kind in the pediatric age group, focuses on predicting sonographic NAFLD from easily-measured factors. It may suggest an association of hypertriglyceridemic-waist phenotype with NAFLD in the pediatric age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New types of composite anion-exchange membranes were prepared by blending of suspension-produced poly(vinyl chloride) (S-PVC) and poly(styrene- co-butadiene), otherwise known as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), as binder, along with anion-exchange resin powder to provide functional groups and activated carbon as inorganic filler additive. Also, an ultrasonic method was used to obtain better homogeneity. In solutions with mono- and divalent anions, the effect of activated carbon and sonication on the morphology, electrochemical properties and selectivity of these membranes was elucidated. For all solutions, ion-exchange capacity, membrane potential, permselectivity, transport number, ionic permeability, flux and current efficiency of the prepared membranes initially increased on increasing the activated carbon concentration to 2 wt% in the casting solution and then began to decrease. Moreover, the electrical resistance and energy consumption of the membranes initially decreased on increasing the activated carbon loading to 2 wt% and then increased. S-PVC- blend-SBR membranes with additive showed a decrease in water content and a slight decrease in oxidative stability. Also, these membranes showed good monovalent ion selectivity. Structural images of the prepared membranes obtained using scanning optical microscopy showed that sonication increased polymer-particle interactions and promoted the compatibility of particles with binder. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry The effects of addition of activated carbon and use of sonication on the properties of suspension-produced poly(vinyl chloride)- blend-poly(sty- rene- co-butadiene) heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes were evaluated in solutions with mono- and divalent anions. The selectivity and permeability of the membranes were improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes disease is a common disease in the world and diabetic retinopathy that is an eye disease, involve these patients so hardly that leads patients to blindness in elderly. Because of high incidence of type II diabetes in the society and the danger of retinopathy in this group of patients, in this study we attempted to introduce a classification and predictive model according to Classification and Regression Tree (CART) model for this disease. Methods: This study was performed according to the information of about 3734 patients with type II diabetes, consulted to Isfahan Metabolic and Endocrine Research Center from 1991 to 2006. According to the CART model, a classification pattern was introduced for predicting of retinopathy in these patients. Findings: In this study, classification tree model (CART) obtained with accuracy of 67 percents according to duration of disease, age, sex, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, cholosterol and fasting blood sugar. This classification model had the sensitivity of 71% and specifity of 62%. Conclusion: By this study founds that the duration of diabetes is one of the most important element of retinopathy, in such a manner that the danger of retinopathy in type II diabetes patients with more than 7.5 years is more than other patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new approach was adopted to design monovalent cation permselective membranes. • Silane functionalized graphene oxide(S-f-GO) was added to the anionic layer. • Incorporating S-f-GO improved the compactness of the terminating cationic layer. • The (S-f-GO)-containing membranes exhibited the antifouling property of membranes. • Incorporating S-f-GO enhanced monovalent permselectivity (P Mg 2 + Na + ) up to 6. This study reports a novel layer-by-layer (LbL) strategy for producing a monovalent cation perm-selective membrane with an improved antifouling property. LbL architectures were fabricated by using the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) based heterogeneous cation exchange membrane as the substrate and chitosan (CS) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) as the polycation and polyanion, respectively. The coating layers on the substrate consist of 1.5 bilayers with CS as the initiating and terminating layer and PAA blended with silane functionalized graphene oxide (S-f-GO) as the middle layer. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) of the utilized materials proved the availability of appropriate reactive sites in their structures. FTIR spectra, EDX analysis, zeta-potential measurement, and FESEM images verified successful LbL assembly of CS and PAA blended with S-f-GO. The presence of S-f-GO in the anionic layer of the LbL architectures caused more compactness of the terminating cationic layer and increased the porosity of the anionic layer. LbL membranes containing S-f-GO possessed lower surface roughness and more hydrophilic surface and provided higher antifouling property, monovalent selectivity, and electrical conductivity than LbL architecture without additive. Results showed that utilizing 2 wt% S-f-GO in the anionic layer led to increasing permselectivity (P Mg 2 + Na + ) from 1.03 to 6. Also, the incorporation of S-f-GO was found to enhance the regeneration ability of the LbL membranes. This novel strategy for producing the MCPM can open up a new insight into designing advanced monovalent selective ion exchange membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) assisted chitosan (Cs) was utilized to surface modification of poly(ether sulphone) (PES) nanofiltration membranes. The effect of CNFs-co-Cs nanocomposite layer on physical/chemical properties and separation performance of prepared membranes was investigated. The ability of membranes in heavy metal ions removal from water was studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Scanning optical microscopy (SOM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 3D surface images were employed for the membranes characterization. Moreover membrane porosity, mean pore size, water content, water contact angle, flux, salt rejection and tensile strength of fabricated membranes measured. The FTIR analysis verified formation of CNFs-co-Cs layer on the membrane surface. SOM images revealed relatively uniform surface for the prepared membrane. Introducing of CNFs-co-Cs on the PES substrate led to decline of water contact angle from 62.66° to 43.86° sharply. Modified membranes showed higher porosity and water content than virgin PES membrane. The Na 2 SO 4 rejection was measured >66% for PES membrane while it was >82% for PES/CNFs-co-Cs membrane containing of 0.5 wt% CNFs. Pure water flux also enhanced from 4.25 (L/m2.h) for virgin PES membrane up to 13.58 (L/m2.h) for the surface modified membranes. Mechanical tensile strength was also increased considerably for the PES/CNFs-co-Cs membrane containing of 0.5 wt% CNFs that were 3.5 times more than the tensile strength for PES membrane. The Cu, Cr and Pb rejections measured 97.86%, 98.40% and 96.54% for the PES/CNFs-co-Cs membrane with 0.5 wt % CNFs while they were 45.3%, 48.46% and 38.02 for PES substrate respectively. [Display omitted] • PES/CNFs-co-Cs nanofiltration membrane fabricated through intra-networking. • PWF measured 4.25 and 13.58 (L/m 2 h) for PES and [PES/CNFs-co-Cs] membranes. • Na 2 SO4 rejection was >66% and >88% for virgin and surface modified membranes. • [PES/CNFs-co-Cs] membrane showed high ability in Cu, Cr, Pb removal from water. • Outstanding tensile strength obtained for CNFs-co-Cs coated PES based NF membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fear of falling is multifactorial in etiology and is associated with falls. It has been demonstrated that foot problems increase the risk of falls in older people. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the associations of foot and ankle characteristics with fear of falling and mobility in community-dwelling older people. Method: One hundred and eighty-seven community-dwelling older adults (106 females) aged 62–90 years (mean 70.5 ± 5.2) from Isfahan, Iran, were recruited. Foot and ankle characteristics (including foot posture, range of motion, muscle strength, deformity, tactile sensation, pain and dynamic function), fear of falling (Fall Efficacy Scale International) and mobility (Timed Up and Go Test) were measured. Two multivariate linear regression analyses identified variables independently associated with fear of falling and mobility. Results: Linear regression analysis revealed that less ankle plantarflexor muscle strength, greater pressure-time integral, foot pain, and reduced tactile sensitivity of the ankle were significantly and independently associated with increased fear of falling. The total variance explained by the model was 59%. Less ankle plantarflexor muscle strength, greater pressure-time integral, and slower centre of pressure velocity were significantly and independently associated with poorer mobility. The total variance explained by the model was 48%. Conclusion: Several foot and ankle characteristics are associated with fear of falling and mobility in older people. Targeting these modifiable risk factors may play a role in reducing fear of falling and enhancing mobility performance in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]