Serum Zinc and Copper Concentrations and Dyslipidemia as Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults: Data Mining Techniques.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between serum cholesterol levels and the ratio of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) in the blood serum and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In Phase I of the study, 9704 individuals between the age of 35 and 65 years were recruited. Phase II of the cohort study comprised 7561 participants who completed the 10-year follow-up. The variables which were measured at the baseline of the study included gender, age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP); biochemical parameters including serum Cu, Zn, copper-zinc ratio (Cu/Zn), zinc-copper ratio (Zn/Cu); fasted lipid profile consisting of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) as well as fasting serum glucose, and triglycerides-glucose (TyG) index. Decision tree (DT) and logical regression (LR) models were applied to examine the relationship between the aforementioned factors and CVD. CVD was diagnosed in 837 individuals (378 males and 459 females) out of 7561 participants. According to the LR models, SBP, TC, HDL, age, Zn/Cu, and TyG index for males and SBP, age, TyG index, HDL, TC, Cu/Zn, and Cu for females had the highest correlation with CVD (p-value ≤ 0.033). Based on the DT algorithm, 88% of males with SPB < 129.66 mmHg, younger age (age < 53 years), TyG index < 9.53, 173 ≤ TC < 187 mg/dL, and HDL ≥ 32 mg/dL had the lowest risk of CVD. Also, 98% of females with SBP < 128 mmHg, TyG index < 9.68, age < 44, TC < 222 mg/dL, and HDL ≥ 63.7 mg/dL had the lowest risk of CVD. It can be concluded that the Zn/Cu for men and Cu/Zn for women, along with dyslipidemia and SBP, could significantly predict the risk of CVD in this cohort from northeastern Iran.

Association of Anti-Müllerian Hormone on Oocyte Maturation, Fertilization, and Pregnancy Rates in Patients under Assisted Reproductive Technology Cycles: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian reserve is one of the most important factors that influences the success of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Recently, the role of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) in ART has been investigated as a marker for the prediction of ovarian response. We aim to examine this relationship within a large Iranian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we obtained data from 1000 infertile couples who referred to the Research and Clinical Centre of Yazd Infertility Clinic for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Serum AMH levels, oocyte count, numbers of fertilised oocytes, endometrial thickness, and percentage of mature oocytes were measured. The relationship between AMH serum levels and the number and quality of oocytes and embryos in ART cycles was analysed. RESULTS: In the linear regression model, the log of the variables total dose of gonadotropin, two pronuclei (2PN), log oestradiol, total embryos, duration of stimulation, number of embryos transferred, protocol, and cause of infertility were significant predictors of log AMH. CONCLUSION: There appears to be a relationship between serum AMH levels in the early follicular phase and ovarian reserve. Higher serum AMH levels were also associated with shorter ART cycles.

Prediction of the 10-year incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus based on advanced anthropometric indices using machine learning methods in the Iranian population.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing chronic disease that can lead to disability and early death. This study aimed to establish a predictive model for the 10-year incidence of T2DM based on novel anthropometric indices. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study comparing people with (n = 1256) and without (n = 5193) diabetes mellitus in phase II of the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorder (MASHAD) study. The association of several anthropometric indices in phase I, including Body Mass Index (BMI), Body Adiposity Index (BAI), Abdominal Volume Index (AVI), Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), Weight-Adjusted-Waist Index (WWI), Body Roundness Index (BRI), Body Surface Area (BSA), Conicity Index (C-Index) and Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP) with T2DM incidence (in phase II) were examined; using Logistic Regression (LR) and Decision Tree (DT) analysis. RESULTS: BMI followed by VAI and LAP were the best predictors of T2DM incidence. Participants with BMI < 21.25 kg/m2 and VAI ≤ 5.9 had a lower chance of diabetes than those with higher BMI and VAI levels (0.033 vs. 0.967 incident rate). For BMI > 25 kg/m2, the chance of diabetes rapidly increased (OR = 2.27). CONCLUSIONS: BMI, VAI, and LAP were the best predictors of T2DM incidence.

The Effect of Brain Anodal and Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Psychological Refractory Period at Different Stimulus-Onset Asynchrony in Non-Fatigue and Mental Fatigue Conditions.

The psychological refractory period (PRP) effect occurs when two stimuli that require separate responses are presented sequentially, particularly with a short and variable time interval between them. Fatigue is a suboptimal psycho-physiological state that leads to changes in strategies. In recent years, numerous studies have investigated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor control. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of two tDCS methods, anodal and cathodal, on PRP in ten different conditions of stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOAs) under non-fatigue and mental fatigue conditions. The participants involved 39 male university students aged 19 to 25 years. In the pre-test, they were assessed using the PRP measurement tool under both non-fatigue and mental fatigue conditions. The mental fatigue was induced by a 30-min Stroop task. The test consisted of two stimuli with different SOAs (50, 75, 100, 150, 300, 400, 600, 900, 1200, and 1500 ms). The first was a visual stimulus with three choices (letters A, B, and C). After a random SOA, the second stimulus, a visual stimulus with three choices (colors red, yellow, and blue), was presented. Subsequently, participants were randomly assigned to the anodal, cathodal, and sham stimulation groups and underwent four consecutive sessions of tDCS stimulation. In the anodal and cathodal stimulation groups, 20 min of tDCS stimulation were applied to the PLPFC area in each session, while in the sham group, the stimulation was artificially applied. All participants were assessed using the same measurement tools as in the pre-test phase, in a post-test phase one day after the last stimulation session, and in a follow-up phase four days after that. Inferential statistics include mixed ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, independent, and dependent t-tests. The findings indicated that the response time to the second stimulus was longer at lower SOAs. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in this regard. Additionally, there was no significant difference in response time to the second stimulus between the fatigue and non-fatigue conditions, or between the groups. Therefore, tDCS had no significant effect. There was a significant difference between mental fatigue and non-fatigue conditions in the psychological refractory period. Moreover, at lower SOAs, the PRP was longer than at higher SOAs. In conditions of fatigue, the active stimulation groups (anodal and cathodal) performed better than the sham stimulation group at higher SOAs. Considering the difference in response to both stimuli at different SOAs, some central aspects of the response can be simultaneously parallel. Fatigue also affects parallel processing. This study supports the response integration phenomenon in PRP, which predicts that there will be an increase in response time to the first stimulus as the interval between the presentation of the two stimuli increases. This finding contradicts the bottleneck model. In this study, the effectiveness of cathodal and anodal tDCS on response time to the second stimulus and PRP was found to be very small.

Dietary mineral intakes predict Coronavirus-disease 2019 (COVID-19) incidence and hospitalization in older adults.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the association between dietary mineral intake and Coronavirus-disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and its associated hospitalization. METHODS: This cohort study utilized the MASHAD study population, which comprised individuals aged 35-65. Upon recruitment in 2007, dietary intake was documented using a validated 65-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Data on COVID-19 PCR test results was collected from all relevant medical centers in Mashhad between February 2020 and June 2022. The regression model included dietary minerals and employed the backward variable selection method, along with advanced data analysis techniques. RESULTS: The final analysis involved 1957 participants, including 193 COVID-19-positive patients. The mean age was 49.71 and 50.28 years in the COVID-19-positive and negative groups, respectively (p = 0.12). Dietary intakes of magnesium, iron, and potassium were notably lower in COVID-19-positive patients (P < 0.05). Following adjustments for age and sex, dietary iron remained significantly associated with COVID-19 incidence (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90-0.98). Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was observed between dietary zinc and hospitalization due to COVID-19 (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.51-0.93). In dynamical system models, intakes of calcium, zinc, and iron below the cut-offs of 1138, 9.7, and 8.17 mg/day, respectively, were linked to an increased risk of COVID-19 incidence. CONCLUSION: Higher dietary iron and zinc intake are associated with decreased risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization, respectively.

Predicting the 10-year incidence of dyslipidemia based on novel anthropometric indices, using data mining.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to establish a 10-year dyslipidemia incidence model, investigating novel anthropometric indices using exploratory regression and data mining. METHODS: This data mining study was conducted on people who were diagnosed with dyslipidemia in phase 2 (n = 1097) of the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorder (MASHAD) study, who were compared with healthy people in this phase (n = 679). The association of dyslipidemia with several novel anthropometric indices including Conicity Index (C-Index), Body Roundness Index (BRI), Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP), Abdominal Volume Index (AVI), Weight-Adjusted-Waist Index (WWI), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), Body Mass Index (BMI), Body Adiposity Index (BAI) and Body Surface Area (BSA) was evaluated. Logistic Regression (LR) and Decision Tree (DT) analysis were utilized to evaluate the association. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of DT were assessed through the performance of a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve using R software. RESULTS: A total of 1776 subjects without dyslipidemia during phase 1 were followed up in phase 2 and enrolled into the current study. The AUC of models A and B were 0.69 and 0.63 among subjects with dyslipidemia, respectively. VAI has been identified as a significant predictor of dyslipidemias (OR: 2.81, (95% CI: 2.07, 3.81)) in all models. Moreover, the DT showed that VAI followed by BMI and LAP were the most critical variables in predicting dyslipidemia incidence. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, model A had an acceptable performance for predicting 10 years of dyslipidemia incidence. Furthermore, the VAI, BMI, and LAP were the principal anthropometric factors for predicting dyslipidemia incidence by LR and DT models.

The association between macronutrient intakes and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in an Iranian population: applying a dynamical system model.

AIMS: The possible role of lifestyle including diet on immunity led us to investigate the association between dietary macronutrient intake and COVID-19 in an Iranian population. METHODS: Dietary intakes were recorded in the first phase of the MASHAD cohort study (started in 2007), using a 24-h dietary recall. To determine the COVID-19 incidence, data from all PCR-positive patients in Mashhad were recorded between February 2020 and June 2022. Dietary macronutrients were included in the regression model, adjusting for age and sex. System dynamical models were also applied. RESULTS: The analysis included 1957 participants, including 193 COVID-19-positive patients. Dietary intakes of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and fiber were significantly lower in COVID-19 patients (P < 0.05). After adjusting for age and sex, starch and total sugar were significantly associated with COVID-19 infection ((OR = 1.0008, P = 0.001) and (OR = 1.0006, P = 0.026), respectively). There was also a significant association between dietary fiber intake and hospitalization (OR = 0.99, P = 0.018). In the dynamical system models, dietary intakes of cholesterol, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and total sugar above 180.2 mg, 13.11 g, and 79.53 mg, respectively, were associated with an increased susceptibility to COVID-19 infection, while dietary fiber had a protective role. CONCLUSION: Dietary intake of starch and total sugars was associated with increased odds of COVID-19, while fiber intake decreased the odds of hospitalization due to COVID-19. The dynamical system models showed that dietary intake of cholesterol, PUFAs, and total sugar was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19, while fiber had a protective role.

Evaluation of rs1748195 ANGPTL3 gene polymorphism in patients with angiographic coronary artery disease compared to healthy individuals.

SUBJECT: The Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) gene has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular risk. This study is designed to compare the genetic variant (rs1748195) of the ANGPTL3 gene and the presence of a coronary artery occlusion of >50% in Iranian nation. METHOD: In this study, 184 patients underwent angiography and 317 healthy individuals were evaluated for polymorphism of rs1748195 the ANGPTL3 gene using Tetra-ARMs PCR. Coronary patients who experience angiography were categorized into two groups: 54 patients who had an angiography indication for the first time and coronary occlusion was <50% (Angio-) and 134 patients who formerly underwent coronary stent implanting at least 1 month before with coronary occlusion of ≥50% that again have an angiography indication (Angio+). In addition, individuals with angio+ are categorized in two groups: (1) non-in-stent restenosis (NISR); patient with a patent stent (N = 92). (2) in-stent restenosis (ISR); in-stent stenosis >50% (N = 42). RESULT: The fundamental of characteristics of our study design population was categorized based on undergoing angiography or not. In the present study, we investigated that the CC genotype, and also the A allele corresponding to rs1748195 at the ANGPTL3 gene loci, was associated with negative angiogram and directly related to the risk of coronary occlusion >50%. In contrast, this result was not significant in genotypes of ANGPTL3 between non-ISR and ISR groups. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of this study showed that rs1748195 polymorphism at the ANGPTL3 gene loci is associated with an elevated risk for the existence of a coronary occlusion of >50%.

Dynamic model with factors of polycystic ovarian syndrome in infertile women.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies present various methods for prediction disease based on statistics or neural networks.These models use statistics and results from past procedures to provide prediction through probability analysis. OBJECTIVE: In this article, the authors present a dynamic model aiming at predicting the treatment result of infertile women with the factor of polycystic ovary syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this purpose, the authors have divided the study population into five groups: women prone to infertility, PCOS women, infertile women undergoing the treatment with Clomiphene Citrate and Gonadotropin, infertile women under IVF treatment, and improved infertile women. Therefore, the authors modeled the disease in infertile women mathematically and indicated that the free equilibrium point was asymptotically stable. Also the possibility of other equilibrium point of the system has been studied. RESULTS: The authors showed that this equilibrium point was marginally stable. Using Stoke's Theorem, the authors proved that the recurrence of the disease cycle with the factor of polycystic ovary syndrome was not intermittent in infertile women. They solved this model numerically using Rung-Kutta method and sketched the figures of the resulted solutions. CONCLUSION: It shows that with increasing age, the ovarian reserve is decreased and the treatment Clomiphene Citrate and Gonadotropin are not responsive, so IVF treatment is recommended in this group of patients considering the graphs of the model.