The influence of ethnicity on the characteristics of multiple sclerosis: A local population study between Persians and Arabs

Background

Based on previous studies, Iran is located in a low risk area in terms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The objective of this study was to determine and compare the incidence, prevalence and demographic characteristics of MS in two ethnic groups of Persian and Arab over the period spanning 2009 in the Khuzestan province, in the Southwest of Iran.

Methods

A cross-sectional case register study was conducted between January and August 2009. All cases in the region whom were referred to the MS society in the city of Ahwaz were participants in the study. The population data from the Iranian Bureau of Statistics were used to calculate the population at risk based on the 1996 and 2006 census data.

Results

A total of 696 patients were identified according to the McDonald criteria during the last 12 years of which 569 patients were Persian. In 2009 the total prevalence and incidence rates of MS were 16.28 and 2.20 per 100,000 individuals. Based on these values, the female to male ratios were 3.11. The Persians manifested more sensory signs and symptoms (40.2%) but motor deficits (19.1%) and cerebellar findings (18.2%) were seen as being more manifest in Arab individuals. The main difference was observed in the progressive types of MS in which 24.7% of the Arab patients showed progressive type symptoms as compared to 15.9% of the cases in the Persian population.

Conclusion

According to this study the authors conclude that the prevalence and incidence of MS were higher in Persians; however progressive forms of MS with motor and cerebellar signs are more frequent in the Arab ethnic group.     

Compound heterozygosity in the GALC gene in a late onset Iranian patient with spastic paraparesis,peripheral neuropathy and leukoencephalopathy

Neurological Sciences -     

Clinical presentation and natural history of infantile-onset ascending spastic paralysis from three families with an <Emphasis Type="Italic">ALS2</Emphasis> founder variant

Biallelic mutations of the alsin Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (ALS2) gene cause a group of overlapping autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorders including infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP), juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (JPLS), and juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS/ALS2), caused by retrograde degeneration of the upper motor neurons of the pyramidal tracts. Here, we describe 11 individuals with IAHSP, aged 2–48 years, with IAHSP from three unrelated consanguineous Iranian families carrying the homozygous c.1640+1G>A founder mutation in ALS2. Three affected siblings from one family exhibit generalized dystonia which has not been previously described in families with IAHSP and has only been reported in three unrelated consanguineous families with JALS/ALS2. We report the oldest individuals with IAHSP to date and provide evidence that these patients survive well into their late 40s with preserved cognition and normal eye movements. Our study delineates the phenotypic spectrum of IAHSP and ALS2-related disorders and provides valuable insights into the natural disease course.     

Estimation of anthropogenic mercury emission from various sources in Iran

This research has been done to estimate the mercury emission in Iran following to the UNEP procedures, which to identify and to quantify of mercury releases of anthropogenic sources in Iran. According to results, the rate of mercury emission in Iran in 2015 was 136.78 ton per year in which 31.5 ton has been emitted to the air, 9.8 ton to water, 10.1 ton to land, 18.5 ton to products, 5.5 ton to general wastes, and 61.3 ton to sector specific sector-specific treatment/disposal. The results also showed that total mercury emissions in Iran were about 1.58 ram per year. These high values compared with other countries attributed to lack of control technologies and use of non-environmental friendly technology in Chlor-alkali production. Chlor-alkali plant is responsible of 50% mercury emission in all environmental compartments in Iran.     

Influence of Pressing Schedule and Adhesive Content on the Rheological Behavior of Wood Fiber-Furnish Mats

In this study, for a better understanding of the hot-pressing process, the influence of adhesive content (AC) on various features of a typical pressing schedule for medium-density fiberboard (MDF) production, including fiber mat compressibility, heat transfer during hot-pressing, density profile and board properties, were evaluated. It was found that increasing the AC (urea formaldehyde) leads to faster heat transfer towards the mat’s central plane, mainly due to higher heat release from the adhesive polycondensation reaction. Moreover, the results indicate that the time needed to reach the critical mark of 100 °C in the central plane of the mat depends on the duration of the first densification level (FD). Importantly, the pressure peaks (p_max and p_2nd) needed for mat densification are significantly reduced when increasing the AC, which might be attributed to the slippery effect created by the adhesive on the fiber surfaces. The duration of the FD also showed obvious effects on the intermediate density maxima (ρ_inter) and the core layer density (ρ_core). In general, the physical and mechanical properties of MDF panels are significantly impacted by the pressing schedule and AC. All in all, the results of this study are valuable information for refining existing rheological models to improve their accuracy and their ability to simulate the vertical density profile during industrial production.