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Individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and flat feet are more likely to experience increased pain and cartilage damage. This study aimed to investigate the knee kinetics, kinematics, pain, and physical function in individuals with moderate symptomatic KOA, in comparison to asymptomatic control participants. Thirty volunteers with moderate KOA (with flat feet n = 15, with normal feet n = 15) and 30 asymptomatic people (with flat feet n = 15, with normal feet n = 15) were evaluated. The knee adduction angular impulse, knee flexion moment, knee flexion angular impulse, and knee flexion angle were measured during level walking. The pain was assessed in patients with KOA. The study found that individuals with KOA had a significant increase in the knee adduction angular impulse compared with the asymptomatic people (P <.05). The KOA with flat feet group had significantly lower knee flexion moment, knee flexion angular impulse, and knee flexion angle values than the KOA with normal feet group (P <.05). Furthermore, the KOA with flat feet group had a higher pain score than the KOA with normal feet group. Individuals with osteoarthritis and flat feet had lower knee flexion moments which may indicate reduced knee force exerted through compensatory mechanisms. Despite this reduction, they reported significantly higher levels of pain compared with those without flat feet, a finding that warrants further investigation in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal plastic-bottled water use is highly commodified, raising an array of cost and environmental concerns, and continues to grow globally. Studies in lower-income nations suggest safety as a primary motivation for such water purchases, but studies in high-income nations with greater relative affordability suggest it is more tied to socially situated consumer decisions like status and aesthetics. Here, we consider what motivates bottled water use in an urban city (Mashhad) in a middle-income predominantly Muslim country (Iran), where there is a likely intersection of safety (due to contamination), social norms, and status concerns. Surveys were collected with a random population-representative sample of resident adults from discrete households (n = 970). Structured equation modeling testing the relative effects on reported bottled water intentions and use shows that all these factors are shaping people's decisions. Both higher- and lower-income residents' responses suggest that status and social norms considerably influence intentions to use. Overall, even despite real safety issues with tap water, social norms and status concerns seem to weigh more heavily on residents' decisions to drink bottled water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is known as the most common endocrine and metabolic disorder in the reproductive-age women. Due to the effects of PCOS on the physical and mental health, the investigation of the factors affecting the development of PCOS is crucial. Hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PD) is a microsomal enzyme that catalyzes the first two reactions of the oxidative chain of the pentose phosphate pathway. The present study examined the polymorphisms of the H6PD gene (R453Q and D151A) in PCOS patients of Iranian Kurdish women. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, a total, of 200 female volunteers in two equal groups participated in our study. The PCOS patients were selected based on the Rotterdam diagnostic criteria. The association of H6PD gene polymorphisms, D151A and R453Q, with the development of PCOS were investigated. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used for genotyping. Statistical analysis was applied by the SPSS (version 16) software. Results: Statistically significant lower frequencies of AA+AG genotype (37% vs. 55%, P=0.01) and A allele (22.5% vs. 34%, P=0.01) of R453Q were observed in the patients compared to the controls. In the case of D151A, no significant differences were observed in the frequency of genotypes and alleles between the two groups. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that variants of H6PD R453Q affect the risk of PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a hazardous component that can seriously threaten the public health. Terxine is a component used in traditional soup and found in the western mountainous regions of Iran. Several microorganisms have been reported to bind or degrade aflatoxins (AFs) in foods and feeds. This research aimed to investigate the effect of Terxine fermentation by  Lactobacillus plantarum  strains AF1 and LU5 on AFB1. Fermentation was carried out, and pH, lactic acid and AFB1 amount and microbial count were further determined. In addition, the kinetic experimental data of AFB1 by L. plantarum  AF1 and LU5 (obtained at 37°C) were fitted to the zero-order, first-order and parabolic diffusion models. According to the coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square of errors (RMSE), the zero-order model best described AF degradation. The growth of Lactobacillus strains was increased by the rise in the fermentation time; in this regard, the number of L. plantarum AF1 increased from 4.2 to 5.1 log cfu/g and that of L. plantarum LU5 increased from 4.1 to 5.2 log cfu/g in the first 8 h, reaching 7.2 and 7.4 log cfu/g in the next 8 h, respectively. The results also showed that the amount of lactic acid increased whereas the pH value decreased during the 24 h fermentation. Both microorganisms reduced the amount of AFB1 while L. plantarum AF1 was more effective. Therefore, L. plantarum  strains AF1 and LU5 can be effectively used to reduce AFB1 in fermented foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the known endocrinopathy disorder in the reproductive phase of women's life. More than half of the women with PCOS suffer from obesity which impacts the ovarian functions by leptin levels. Here the R223Q and P1019P polymorphisms of leptin receptor (LEPR) gene were examined in PCOS patients of Kurdish women from west of Iran. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, one hundred women with PCOS and 100 healthy women bearing similar age range were selected based on Rotterdam diagnostic criteria. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to genotype polymorphisms LEPR (R223Q and P1019P), by respectively the BsaWI and NcoI restriction enzymes. Pearson's chi-square (χ²) test was used to analyze the variation in genetic distributions and unconditional logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR; 95% CI). Results: Genotype frequencies of the R223Q and P1019P polymorphisms showed significant difference between the patients with PCOS compared to the controls. G allele (R223Q) reduced the risk of PCOS about 0.49-fold (P<0.001). While, T allele (P1019P) increased the risk of PCOS 2.69-fold (P<0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the R223Q and P1019P polymorphisms showed a significant association with PCOS susceptibility risk. It seems that G allele (R223Q) with reducing OR had a protective effect on this syndrome, while T allele (P1019P) with increasing OR was a risk factor for PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) protect cells from oxidative stress (OS). In humans, the GST omega class contains two expressed genes, GSTO1 and GSTO2. Because OS is involved in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between GSTO1 A140D (rs4925) and GSTO2 N142D (rs156697) polymorphisms in PCOS patients. Methods: 175 PCOS patients and 161 healthy controls were selected among women in Kermanshah province, Iran. GSTO1 and GSTO2 were genotyped using allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) and PCR-RFLP, respectively. Results: For GSTO1, the DD genotype and the D allele led to 2.17- (P= 0.02) and 1.5-fold (P= 0.01) increases, respectively, in the odds ratios for PCOS. No significant difference was found between control and patient groups for the GSTO2 N142D genotype or allele frequency. GSTO1 and GSTO2 genotype interaction analysis showed that individuals with the GSTO1 AD or DD genotypes and the GSTO2 NN or DN genotypes had a 1.53-fold (P= 0.007) increase in PCOS risk over GSTO1 AA and GSTO2 DD individuals. Conclusions: The GSTO1 A140D polymorphism is a risk factor for PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]