Performance evaluation of Anaerobic-Aerobic Hybrid Baffled Reactor Coupled with an Anaerobic Filter treating Landfill Leachate.

The Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) is an effective solution for landfill leachate treatment using an anaerobic fermentation process, which helps to reduce operating costs and sludge volume. To better understand the biological, chemical, and physical processes involved, especially when combining the ABR with an aerobic component, the study aimed to investigate the performance of an Anaerobic-Aerobic Hybrid Baffled Reactor (AABR) that includes an Anaerobic Filter (AF) for treating landfill leachate. This research utilized two glass reactors. The first reactor, designated as AABR-AF, consisted of six independent rectangular glass chambers arranged side by side. The third and sixth chamber designed for aerobic treatment and AF, respectively. The second reactor was used as a control reactor and did not include any aerobic chamber. The highest Removal Efficiencies (REs) for turbidity, COD, BOD, TP, TKN, nitrate, TOC, and TSS in the AABR-AF and ABR-AF were found to be (65.4% and 56.3%), (98.3% and 94.1%), (98.1% and 93.2%), (86.4% and 65%), (89.2% and 76.7%), (81.2% and 64.4%), (88.2% and 79.4%), and (72.4% and 68.5%), respectively. These optimal REs were achieved at an HRT of 48 h and an OLR of 10 kg/m3.d. Also, the highest and the lowest REs in Heavy Metals (HMs) were 89.57% for manganese in AABR-AF and 6.59% for nickel in ABR-AF, in an OLR of 10 kg/m3.d, respectively. The effective removal of Organic Matters (OMs) from landfill leachate using the AABR-AF and ABR-AF was found to be strongly influenced by HRT and OLR. The AABR-AF configuration, featuring a single aerobic chamber in the reactor, exhibited a higher efficiency in removing OMs compared to the ABR-AF configuration.

C-Reactive Protein and D-dimer as Prognostic Markers for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: To investigate the use of prognostic markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer for clinical outcomes in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with mild head trauma who were admitted to the Emergency Department of Imam Khomeini Hospital (Sari, Iran). Data were collected from 2018 to 2019. Age, sex, the time of injury hospitalization, length of hospitalization, length of unconsciousness, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and concomitant symptoms were all recorded using a pre-designed checklist. The patient's Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), CRP, and D-dimer were also measured. Moreover, all patients underwent CT scan. Results: This study included 74 patients with TBI. The mean age of the participants was 36.92±3.54. The mean CRP and D-dimer values were 5.69±0.77 and 0.58±0.11 in these patients, respectively. At the cut-off point of 11.50 for CRP, the sensitivity and specificity to detect the pathological lesions in CT scan were 75% and 95.50%, respectively (p<0.001). Additionally, with a D-dimer cut-off point of 0.90, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing pathological lesions in CT scan were 100% and 98.50%, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: In general, the CRP and D-dimer levels of patients with mild TBI (GCS≥13) can be assessed to protect against CT-induced radiation exposure and subsequent disorders; if they do not exhibit clinical signs to increase the risk of adverse brain damage, such as reduced level of consciousness, drowsiness, and prolonged periods of unconsciousness.

Evaluation of the Salivary Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in Women With Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome and Gingival Inflammation: A Case-Control Study.

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disease of women of reproductive age that impacts their oral and systemic well-being. This study aimed to compare the gingival inflammation indices and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) of non-obese women with PCOS. Materials and methods This is a case-control study in which 78 women were referred to the Babol Clinic Hospital in Northern Iran between 2018 and 2019. They were divided into three groups: 26 women with PCOS and gingivitis, 26 women with PCOS with no gingivitis, and 26 women with no PCOS and no gingivitis as a control group. After recording the anthropometric and demographic variables, fasting saliva samples were taken from all participants before any periodontal intervention. These samples were transferred to Babol Molecular Cell Research Center under highly guaranteed cold-chain conditions to measure the serum levels of MMP-9. Periodontal status was evaluated for Gingival Index (GI), Plaque Index (PI), and Bleeding on Probing (BOP). Analysis of variance was used to compare the mean results for these indices. The significance level was considered when p ≤ 0.05. Results All the gingival indices were significantly higher for women with PCOS with gingivitis compared to the results for women from the other two groups. Similarly, women with PCOS showed high salivary MMP-9 levels but were within the normal reference ranges. Conclusion The gingival indices (GI, PI, and BOP) and salivary MMP-9 are higher in women with PCOS, regardless of the gingival status.

Evaluation of Clinical, Laboratory, and Radiologic Findings of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Involvement in Sarcoidosis.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease with unknown etiology that is characterized by the presence of granuloma in various organs with diverse pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations. Regarding differences in the presentation of sarcoidosis in different geographical areas, the present study aimed to determine clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings of patients with sarcoidosis in the north of Iran. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, patients with sarcoidosis were enrolled, and demographic data in addition to disease manifestations including clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings were recorded. Results: A total of 58 patients with sarcoidosis were enrolled in the study. The mean age and disease duration were 51.10±10.2 and 3.07±2.7 years, respectively. 62.1% of patients were female. Clinical manifestations were: cough and dyspnea (55.2%), fever and weight loss (11%), arthritis (15.5%), dermatologic presentation (15.5%), and ophthalmic involvement (17.2 %). Abnormalities in liver, renal, and calcium levels are found in approximately 1-8% of cases. The ACE level was increased in 56.9 % of patients, especially in those who presented in summer and autumn. Chest CT abnormalities were found in 94.8 % of patients, more predominantly hilar and paratracheal lymphadenopathy in 84.5% and 74.1%, respectively. Conclusion: Although sarcoidosis presents with varying clinical, radiological, and laboratory features, knowledge of its epidemiology and the incidence of these features in different populations can aid in its diagnosis in a particular geographic area.

Contraceptive Prevalence and Consulting Service in Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), often affects women of childbearing age. Family planning consultation is a major aspect of medical care in these patients because of the risk of disease activation and poor pregnancy and fetal outcomes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate contraceptive prevalence and consulting service in women with SLE. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, a total of 144 female patients with SLE, ages 15-50, who were presented to rheumatology clinics in Sari, north of Iran, were evaluated. The study was conducted between March 2019 and May 2020. Patients' clinico-demographic profile and fertility information were obtained. Disease activity and damage were assessed by the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity (SLEDAI) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index (SDI). RESULTS: One hundred and forty-four SLE patients of childbearing age participated in this study. From 102 patients with the possibility of pregnancy, 36(35.2%) received contraceptive consultations in last year. Withdrawal was the most prevalent contraceptive method (41.7%), followed by permanent (11.8%), and barrier methods (9%). There were no significant differences in age, disease duration, marriage duration, SDI or SLEDAI scores between the women who received or not received contraceptive counseling (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Many SLE patients did not receive adequate information about contraception, and it may be associated with many adverse effects on disease activity and pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, contraceptive consultation as an important aspect of patient's management is strongly suggested.

Is gastric mapping needed in the endoscopy of dyspeptic patients?

AIM: Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in dyspeptic patients who underwent upper GI endoscopy. BACKGROUND: Intestinal metaplasia, which is defined as the replacement of normal gastric mucosa by metaplastic intestinal epithelium, has been described as a premalignant gastric lesion. METHODS: Six hundred two consecutive patients with dyspeptic symptoms who had undergone upper GI endoscopy were included in the study. For all patients, gastric mapping was performed to determine the presence of intestinal metaplasia. All histologic samples were reported according to the updated Sydney classification. RESULTS: Total of 61.3% of the patients were female. The mean age of the patients was 46±15 years. The overall prevalence of intestinal metaplasia was 22%. The distribution of intestinal metaplasia in the stomach was 15.1% in the antrum, 4.3% in the body, and 2.6% in the antrum and body together. Also, the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in the age group of under 40 years was 9.5% and in patients over 40 years it was 29.5%.. CONCLUSION: The results of this study have shown that more than one-fifth of the patients with dyspepsia have intestinal metaplasia. This indicates that gastric mapping in patients with dyspepsia may lead to the detection of precancerous lesions especially after the age of 40.

Investigation of the Social Determinants of Sexual Satisfaction in Iranian Women.

INTRODUCTION: A person's sexual satisfaction reflects their judgment and analysis of their own sexual behavior. Factors that affect sexual satisfaction vary in different societies and cultures. AIM: This study investigated the determinants of sexual satisfaction in women referred to health centers in Sari, north of Iran, in 2016. METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigated 490 women who had been referred to health centers in 2016 and who were qualified for the study; the population was selected using convenient sampling method. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome of this study was sexual satisfaction that assessed by the Larson's sexual satisfaction questionnaire. Other Data were 2 questionnaires: the general health questionnaire-28 and a researcher-made questionnaire developed on factors related to sexual satisfaction. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS software using the one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient, and t-test. To determine the predictors of sexual satisfaction, all the significant independent variables were incorporated into a linear regression model. RESULTS: The average age of the women in this study was 33.6 years, and average sexual satisfaction score was 99.26. The results of the linear regression model showed that the spouse's job as a laborer (P = .003), a low income (P < .002), insufficient income of the spouse (P < .001), and dissatisfaction with being a woman (P < .001) were the main social determinants of sexual satisfaction (r2 = 0.54). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded from the findings of this study that several factors influence women's sexual satisfaction. The main social determinants of women's sexual satisfaction were dissatisfaction with their gender, the spouse's job as a laborer, low income, and insufficient income. Sexual healthcare providers can play a prominent role in increasing women's sexual satisfaction, thereby, improving the quality of their sexual life by identifying and discussing ways to control them. Afzali M, Khani S, Hamzehgardeshi Z, et al. Investigation of the Social Determinants of Sexual Satisfaction in Iranian Women. Sex Med 2020;8:290-296.

Radiation dose-response (a Bayesian model) in the radiotherapy of the localized prostatic adenocarcinoma: the reliability of PSA slope changes as a response surrogate endpoint.

PURPOSE: One of the characteristics of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is PSA slope. It is the rate of diminishing PSA marker over time after radiotherapy (RT) in prostate cancer (PC) patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between increasing RT doses and PSA slope as a potential surrogate for PC recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on PC patients who were treated by radiotherapy in the Cancer Institute of Iran during 2007-2012. By reviewing the records of these patients, the baseline PSA measurement before treatment (iPSA), Gleason score (GS), clinical T stage (T. stage), and periodic PSA measurements after RT and the total radiation dose received were extracted for each patient separately. We used a Bayesian dose-response model, analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, Kaplan-Meier product-limit method for analysis. Probability values less 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Based on the D'Amico risk assessment system, 13.34% of patients were classified as "Low Risk", 51.79% were "Intermediate Risk", and 34.87% were "High Risk". In terms of radiation doses, 12.31% of the patients received fewer than 50 Gy, 15.38% received 50 to 69 Gy, 61.03% received 70 Gy, and 11.28% received more than 70 Gy. The PSA values decreased after RT for all dose levels. The slope of PSA changes was negative for 176 of 195 patients. By increasing the dosage of radiation, the PSA decreased but these changes were not statistically significant (p = 0.701) and PSA slope as a surrogate end point cannot met the Prentice's criteria for PC recurrence. CONCLUSION: Significant changes in the dose-response relationship were not observed when the PSA slope was considered as the response criterion. Therefore, although the absolute value of the PSA decreased with increasing doses of RT, the relationship between PSA slope changes and increasing doses was not clear and cannot be used as a reliable response surrogate endpoint.

Relation between Periodontitis and Prediabetic Condition.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Prediabetic condition, which is characterized by impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting blood glucose, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) higher than normal might be associated with periodontitis. Early diagnosis of this condition might decrease consequent tissue damage caused by periodontitis. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to evaluate the association between prediabetes and periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 108 prediabetic patients screened by primary fasting blood sugar (FBS) test (100-125 mg/dL). Three subsequent blood tests including FBS, HbA1C, and oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) were performed for ultimate diagnosis of these patients. The periodontal health was evaluated by employing bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and plaque index (PI), Lِe-Silness gingival index (GI), and pocket depth (PD). Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16, using t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square tests. RESULTS: The sample included 20 (19%) male and 88 (81%) female individuals with mean age of 49 years and mean BMI of 27.5. The mean FBS, GTT, and HbA1C were 107 MG/DL, 137MG/DL, and 5.9%, respectively. Clinical evaluation showed 33% of patients involved with periodontitis. The mean CAL, BOP, PI, PD, GI was 3.7, 0.62, 1.9, 2.1, 1.5, respectively (p< 0.05). A significant difference in periodontal index was found among patients with prediabetes. Moreover, in the patients with periodontitis, a statistically significant relationship between FBS and BMI, BOP and GTT, and finally between CAL and HbA1C was detected. CONCLUSION: Periodontitis is associated with prediabetic condition. While diabetes is an important risk factor for periodontitis, the risk of periodontitis would be greater if glycemic control is poor. Glycemic control in prediabetic patients can reduce the severity of periodontal disease. Early diagnosis and prevention is crucial to avoid the largely irreversible tissue damage that occurs in periodontitis.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Sari Northern Iran; a population based study.

AIM: In this study prevalence rate of Helicobacter pylori and its associated factors have been investigated in urban and rural areas of Sari. BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori has an important role in gastrointestinal diseases including peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. It is the most common infection in human population worldwide. Hence, the epidemiology of this infection in all parts of the world is of utmost importance. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 497 individuals ranging 15-65 years of age in Sari city and its surrounding rural residents. The sampling method was a cluster random sampling multi staged in stratified population by urban and rural areas. Questionnaires for personal and socio-economic data were filled. Blood samples were drawn and kept for analysis (IgG antibody ELISA for Helicobacter pylori). The data was analyzed by SPSS statistical software and Chi-square test and logistic regression were used. RESULTS: The prevalence of helicobacter infection was 44.5% in the studied population. This prevalence was 41.3% and 47.8% in urban and rural areas, respectively. Just a significant association between the infection and the age of subjects was observed in multiple regression analysis (p=0.001). However, in univariate analysis the level of education was also significantly associated with Helicobacter pylori infection (p=0.015). No other variable was associated with the infection. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of helicobacter infection has dropped significantly in the region in comparison with the previous studies during the last 15 years.

The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Health-Related Quality-of-Life Questionnaire: Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The health related quality-of-life (HRQoL) among females with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is reduced due to emotional, psychosocial, infertility, marital, and hirsutism problems. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed at analyzing exploratory and confirmatory factor structures of HRQoL questionnaire for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOSQ-50) in females with PCOS in order to verify the validity of the developed instrument. METHODS: The current cross validation study was conducted on females with PCOS using the PCOSQ-50. The PCOSQ-50 was developed based on a qualitative study. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to examine the factor structure of PCOSQ-50. After the CFA, the reliability of the new instrument was also evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. RESULTS: Totally, 350 females with PCOS were entered into the study. The mean age of the subjects was 26.9 ± 5.1 years. Based on the results of CFA, data were fit to the 43-item model: the comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.91; the normal fit index (NFI) = 0.90; the goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.60; incremental fit index (IFI) = 0.91; the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.09; standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.09 and the relative chi-square (x2/df) = 2.20, P < 0.05. The intraclass correlation coefficient ranged 0.91 to 0.94 indicating a satisfactory finding. CONCLUSION: The 43-item PCOSQ showed appropriate validity and reliability and its psychometric quality was superior to that of the original version. However, further longitudinal studies should be conducted to evaluate its predictive efficacy.

Metabolic syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: Association with disease activity, disease damage and age.

AIM: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular involvement. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) includes a group of classic cardiovascular risk factors with probably proinflammatory conditions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of MetS in SLE patients. METHODS: Demographic, clinical and laboratory features of 73 SLE patients were compared with 73 age-sex matched controls using SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), Systemic Lupus Damage Index (SDI) and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). MetS was diagnosed according to the definitions of the 2005 National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP/ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The frequency of MetS was compared in SLE patients and controls, and then patients were investigated for MetS and major organ involvement. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS version 19, and results were considered significant at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of SLE patients was 40.97 ± 12.2 years, and 95.8% were female. MetS according to NCEP/ATP III and IDF criteria was present in 33 (45.2%) and 34 (46.6%) SLE patients versus 27 (37%) and 29 (39.7%) controls (P > 0.05). Lupus patients were more likely to have hypertension (P = 0.038). SLE patients with MetS had higher HAQ scores (P = 0.029). In patients with major organ involvement, age and disease duration were significantly higher in the MetS subgroup (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The frequency of MetS was not significantly different from that of the control group, but almost half of the patients were found with this syndrome. This calls for further follow up and appropriate treatment of patients with MetS.

Pyrethroid resistance in Iranian field populations of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus.

Resistance to acaricides in ticks is becoming increasingly widespread throughout the world; therefore, tick control requires resistance monitoring for each tick species. The aims of this study were to monitor the susceptibility status of the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (Acari: Ixodidae), against pyrethroid acaricides from Mazandaran Province, northern Iran, and where resistance was evident, and establish the possible underlying mechanisms. Fully engorged adult R. (B.) annulatus females collected on cattle from Mazandaran Province. Twenty-nine tick populations produced 10-18days old larvae and bioassayed with cypermethrin and λ-cyhalothrin by larval packet test and the levels of detoxification enzymes were measured. Population AM-29 had a maximum resistance ratio (RR99) of 20.21 to cypermethrin and 53.57% of the tick populations were resistant at LC99 level. With λ-cyhalothrin, 17.86% of the tick populations were resistant and AM-29 was the most resistant population with RR99=4.54. AM-29 also showed significant elevation of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) (2.76- and 2.39-fold, respectively) (P<0.001). Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus showed resistance to pyrethroid insecticides with elevated levels of P450, GST and para-nitrophenyl acetate (p-NPA) in resistant populations. Operational failure was noted in controlling R. (B.) annulatus by pyrethroid insecticides, therefore alternative pest management measures should be adopted in Iran. For the first time, a new estimate of insecticide resistance based on effective dose recommended by the pesticide manufacturer termed Operational Dose Ratio (ODR) is defined and discussed.

Comparison of Conventional and Hypofractionated Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients in Terms of 5-Year Survival, Locoregional Recurrence, Late Skin Complications and Cosmetic Results

Bckground: Adjuvant radiation therapy is commonly administered following breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer patients. Hypofractionated radiotherapy can significantly reduce the waiting time for radiotherapy, working load on machines, patient visits to radiotherapy departments and medical costs. Material/Methods: Fifty-two patients with operable breast cancer (pT1-3pN0M0) who underwent breast conservation surgery in Tehran Cancer Institute during January 2011 to January 2012, were randomly assigned to undergo radiotherapy in two arms (hypofractionated radiotherapy arm with 30 patients, dose 42.5 Gy in 16 fractions; and conventional radiotherapy arm with 22 patients, dose 50 Gy in 25 fractions). W compared these two groups in terms of overall survival, locoregional control, late skin complications and cosmetic results. Results: At a median follow-up of 52.4 months (range: 0­64 months), the follow-up rate was 82.6%. Overall, after 60 months, there was no detectable significant differences between groups regarding cosmetic results (p = 0.857), locoregional control or survival. Conclusions: The results confirm that hypofractionated radiotherapy with a subsequent boost is as effective as conventional radiotherapy, is well-tolerated and can be used as an alternative treatment method following breast conservation surgery.

A Review of Marital Intimacy-Enhancing Interventions among Married Individuals.

BACKGROUND: Lack of intimacy is currently the main concern rather than main concern of the experts in psychology and counseling. It is considered as one of the most important causes for divorce and as such to improve marital intimacy a great number of interventions have been proposed in the literature. Intimacy training and counseling make the couples take effective and successful steps to increase marital intimacy. No study has reviewed the interventions promoting marital intimacy after marriage. Thus, this review study aimed to classify the articles investigating the impact of interventional programs on marital intimacy after marriage. SEARCH METHODS: In April 2015, we performed a general search in Google Scholar search engines, and then we did an advanced search the databases of Science Direct, ProQuest, SID, Magiran, Irandoc, Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Psych info; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Also, lists of the references of the relevant articles were reviewed for additional citations. Using Medical Subject Headings (MESH) keywords: Intervention (Clinical Trials, Non-Randomized Controlled Trials, Randomized Controlled Trials, Education), intimacy, marital (Marriage) and selected related articles to the study objective were from 1995 to April 2015. Clinical trials that evaluated one or more behavioral interventions to improve marital intimacy were reviewed in the study. MAIN RESULTS: 39 trials met the inclusion criteria. Eleven interventions had follow-up, and 28 interventions lacked follow-up. The quality evidence for 22 interventions was low, for 15 interventions moderate, and for one intervention was considered high. Findings from studies were categorized in 11 categories as the intimacy promoting interventions in dimensions of emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, temporal, communicational, social and recreational, aesthetic, spiritual, intellectual intimacy, and total intimacy. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Improving and promoting communication, problem solving, self-disclosure and empathic response skills and sexual education and counseling in the form of cognitive-behavioral techniques and based on religious and cultural context of each society, an effective step can be taken to enhance marital intimacy and strengthen family bonds and stability. Health care providers should consider which interventions are appropriate to the couple characteristics and their relationships.

Health-related quality of life questionnaire for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOSQ-50): development and psychometric properties.

PURPOSE: The determinants of the health-related quality of life of women with polycystic ovary syndrome are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive instrument to assess the health-related quality of life of Iranian women with PCOS and to assess its psychometric properties. METHODS: We used a mixed-method, sequential, exploratory design including both qualitative [in-depth interview to define the components of health-related quality of life questionnaire (PCOSQ)] and quantitative approaches (to assess the psychometric properties of PCOSQ). RESULTS: A preliminary questionnaire was developed including 147 items which emerged from the qualitative phase of the study. Considering the optimum cutoff points for content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), and impact score, items of the preliminary questionnaire were reduced from 147 to 88 items. Finally, by excluding highly correlated items using the exploratory factor analysis, a 50-item questionnaire was obtained. The Kaiser criteria (eigenvalues >1) and Scree plot tests demonstrated that six factors were optimum with an estimated 47.3 % of variance. Assessment of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire demonstrated a mean CVI = 0.92, CVR = 0.91, Cronbach's alpha for whole questionnaire = 0.88 (0.61-0.88 for subscales), Spearman's correlation coefficients of test-retest = 0.75, and the intra-class correlation coefficient for the PCOS questionnaire subscales ranging from 0.57 to 0.88. Eventually the final questionnaire included 50 items in six domains, 'psychosocial and emotional,' 'fertility,' 'sexual function,' 'obesity and menstrual disorders,' 'hirsutism,' and 'coping' and rated on a 5-point Likert scale. CONCLUSION: The PCOSQ-50 is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of quality of life of women with PCOS, capable of assessing some obscure aspects overlooked by previous HRQL questionnaires.

First report of pyrethroid resistance in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus larvae (Say, 1821) from Iran.

Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus is one of the most important hard ticks parasitizing cattle in northern Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate pyrethroid resistance levels of this species from Nur County, northern Iran. The hard ticks were collected through a multistage cluster randomized sampling method from the study area and fully engorged female R. (B.) annulatus were reared in a controlled insectary until they produced larvae for bioassay. Seventeen populations of the hard ticks were bioassayed with cypermethrin and 12 populations with lambda-cyhalothrin using a modified larval packet test (LPT). Biochemical assays to measure the contents/activity of different enzyme groups including mixed function oxidases (MFOs), glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and general esterases were performed. Population 75 showed a resistance ratio of 4.05 with cypermethrin when compared with the most susceptible field population 66 at the LC50 level. With lambda-cyhalothrin the resistance ratio based on LC50 was 3.67 when compared with the susceptible population. The results of biochemical assays demonstrated significantly elevated levels of GSTs and esterases in populations tested compared with the heterozygous susceptible filed population and a correlation coefficient of these enzymes was found in association to lambda-cyhalothrin resistance. Based on the results, pyrethroid acaricides may operationally fail to control R. (B.) annulatus in North of Iran. This study is the first document of pyrethroid resistance in R. (B.) annulatus populations from Iran.

Fuzzy Rule-Based Classification System for Assessing Coronary Artery Disease.

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of fuzzy rule-based classification that could noninvasively predict CAD based on myocardial perfusion scan test and clinical-epidemiological variables. This was a cross-sectional study in which the characteristics, the results of myocardial perfusion scan (MPS), and coronary artery angiography of 115 patients, 62 (53.9%) males, in Mazandaran Heart Center in the north of Iran have been collected. We used membership functions for medical variables by reviewing the related literature. To improve the classification performance, we used Ishibuchi et al. and Nozaki et al. methods by adjusting the grade of certainty CF j of each rule. This system includes 144 rules and the antecedent part of all rules has more than one part. The coronary artery disease data used in this paper contained 115 samples. The data was classified into four classes, namely, classes 1 (normal), 2 (stenosis in one single vessel), 3 (stenosis in two vessels), and 4 (stenosis in three vessels) which had 39, 35, 17, and 24 subjects, respectively. The accuracy in the fuzzy classification based on if-then rule was 92.8 percent if classification result was considered based on rule selection by expert, while it was 91.9 when classification result was obtained according to the equation. To increase the classification rate, we deleted the extra rules to reduce the fuzzy rules after introducing the membership functions.

Prevalence and severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder and their relationships with dermatological diseases.

Most obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients meet psychiatrists 5 to 10 years after onset of OCD .Its relatively high prevalence ratio and the delay in seeking help suggest that patients with OCD may seek help at non-psychiatric clinics. The present study was undertaken to provide some epidemiological data on the prevalence and severity of OCD in dermatological patients. The participants included 265 consecutive patients with primary dermatologic chief complaint. They were visited by a dermatologist and diagnosis of dermatological lesion was done according to ICD-10. All patients were visited by a psychiatry resident and were screened for OCD using the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID-I). If the diagnosis of OCD has been made, the Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale(Y-BOCS) was used to evaluate the severity of OCD. To analyze the data student t-test for quantitative variables and X2 tests for categorical variables. From the total of 265 patients, 24 (9.1%) met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for OCD and 9 (37.5%) with OCD had previously been diagnosed with OCD, however, only three were treated pharmacologically. The most symptoms were pathological doubt (29.1%), fear of contamination (29.1%) and washing (54.16%).  Severity of OCD according to Y-BOCS was evaluated among patients with OCD. Six (25%) were found with subclinical OCD, 11(45.8%) had mild OCD, six (25%) had moderate OCD, and one (4.2%) was detected with severe OCD. prevalence of OCD in dermatology clinic was higher compared with general population.

Association between quality of life and religious coping in older people.

AIM: To examine the association between quality of life (QoL) and religious coping in older people living in their own homes. METHOD: A descriptive analytical study was undertaken in Iran with 200 older people aged over 60 living in their own homes who were selected for inclusion by systematic random sampling. Data were collected by use of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) QoL questionnaire and a religious coping questionnaire developed previously by the authors. RESULTS: There was no significant association between QoL and religious coping. However, mental health (r=0.20, P=0.003) and social function (r=0.20, P=0.004) had a significant association with the total score for religious coping. An association between a high level of religious coping and QoL was significant only for the mental health domain of the SF-36 (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: In light of these results, it can be suggested that older people's mental health and social function may be improved by strengthening their religious beliefs. Mental health and social function are associated with other QoL domains and so their promotion may also improve overall QoL.