Gender differences among homeless people in Tehran,Iran

Aim

Gender differences among homeless people may affect the frequency of their risky behaviours. This study was conducted to evaluate the behaviour patterns of homeless men and women in Tehran and compare the probable differences.

Subject and methods

In this study, 593 homeless people were recruited from five centres that house homeless people in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to study behavioural patterns.

Results

In this study, homeless people (513 males and 80 females, all Iranian nationals) were enrolled in the study from June to August 2012. Mean age and mean duration of homelessness among women (35.46 and 12.68 months) were lower than those among men (42.74 and 56.85 months) (p?=?0.001). Although lifetime history of incarceration in men was higher than in women (p?=?0.002), mean duration of imprisonment in the last 10 years in men (21.25 months) and women (17.76 months) was not statistically different (p?=?0.07). Accommodation locality in the past 6 months varied between men and women. Women were current drug users more often than men were (61.53 % versus 45.26 %) (p?=?0.02). The type of drug consumption in women (methamphetamine) differed from that of men (opium and heroin). More men had a history of injecting drugs than did women (30.02 % versus 12.30 %) (p?=?0.003). Condom use at the last sexual encounter was reported to be higher in women compared to men (74.60 % versus 26.62 %) (p?=?0.001).

Conclusion

This study showed notable differences in behaviour patterns between homeless men and women and also indicated that homeless people in Tehran exhibit many risky behaviours.     

Can Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 2 be considered as a new target for immunotherapy against hepatitis B infection?

The current literature describes pivotal mechanisms in which hepatitis B virus (HBV) induces liver diseases including inflammation, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It appears that differences in genetic and immunological parameters between patients and controls may be responsible for inducing the prolonged forms of the infection. Previous studies demonstrated that Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) play key roles in viral recognition and inducing appropriate immune responses. Therefore, TLRs can be considered as key sensors for HBV recognition and subsequent induction of immune responses against this virus. It has also been shown that the TLR2 detects several microbial PAMPs either in its homodimer form or in a heterodimer with TLR1 or TLR6 and subsequently activates NF-κB in a MYD88 dependent manner. Therefore, defective TLR2 expression may result in impaired immune responses against HBV which is reported in long-term forms of hepatitis B. This review presents the recent data regarding the status and important roles played by TLR2 in HBV recognition and induction or suppression of immune responses against HBV as well as its roles in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis and HCC in prolonged hepatitis B forms.     

Comparison of wound healing and patient comfort in partial‐thickness burn wounds treated with SUPRATHEL and epictehydro wound dressings

Among the available dressings for partial‐thickness burn wound treatment, SUPRATHEL has shown good usability and effectiveness for wound healing and patient comfort and has been used in many burn centres in the last decade. Recently, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) has become popular for the treatment of wounds, and many studies have demonstrated its efficacy. epicite^hydro, consisting of BNC and 95% water, is a promising product and has recently been introduced in numerous burn centres. To date, no studies including direct comparisons to existing products like SUPRATHEL have been conducted. Therefore, we aimed to compare epicite^hydro to SUPRATHEL in the treatment of partial‐thickness burns. Twenty patients with partial‐thickness burns affecting more than 0.5% of their total body surface area (TBSA) were enrolled in this prospective, unicentric, open, comparative, intra‐individual clinical study. After debridement, the wounds were divided into two areas: one was treated with SUPRATHEL and the other with epicite^hydro. Wound healing, infection, bleeding, exudation, dressing changes, and pain were documented. The quality of the scar tissue was assessed subjectively using the Patient and Observer Scar Scale. Wound healing in patients with a mean TBSA of 9.2% took 15 to 16 days for both treatments without dressing changes. All wounds showed minimal exudation, and patients reported decreased pain with the only significant difference between the two dressings on day 1. No infection or bleeding occurred in any of the wounds. Regarding scar evaluation, SUPRATHEL and epicite^hydro did not differ significantly. Both wound dressings were easy to use, were highly flexible, created a safe healing environment, had similar effects on pain reduction, and showed good cosmetic and functional results without necessary dressing changes. Therefore, epicite^hydro can be used as an alternative to SUPRATHEL for the treatment of partial‐thickness burn wounds.     

COVID‐19 lockdown consequences on body mass index and perceived fragility related to physical activity: A worldwide cohort study

BackgroundThis paper is a follow‐up study continuing the COVISTRESS network previous research regarding health‐related determinants.ObjectiveThe aim was to identify the main consequences of COVID‐19 lockdown on Body Mass Index and Perceived Fragility, related to Physical Activity (PA), for different categories of populations, worldwide.DesignThe study design included an online survey, during the first wave of COVID‐19 lockdown, across different world regions.Setting and participantsThe research was carried out on 10 121 participants from 67 countries. The recruitment of participants was achieved using snowball sampling techniques via social networks, with no exclusion criteria other than social media access.Main outcome measures Body Mass Index, Physical Activity, Perceived Fragility and risk of getting infected items were analysed. SPSS software, v20, was used. Significance was set at P < .05.Results Body Mass Index significantly increased during lockdown. For youth and young adults (18‐35 years), PA decreased by 31.25%, for adults (36‐65 years) by 26.05% and for the elderly (over 65 years) by 30.27%. There was a high level of Perceived Fragility and risk of getting infected for female participants and the elderly. Correlations between BMI, Perceived Fragility and PA were identified.Discussion and ConclusionsThe research results extend and confirm evidence that the elderly are more likely to be at risk, by experiencing weight gain, physical inactivity and enhanced Perceived Fragility. As a consequence, populations need to counteract the constraints imposed by the lockdown by being physically active.     

Spezifische physiologische und unspezifische psychische Effekte bei der Akupunkturtherapie des Reizdarmsyndroms: Ergebnisse einer randomisierten kontrollierten Studie

Background and aims

The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture (AC) in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We investigated psychological and neuroendocrinological parameters to meet the demands of the psychosomatic paradigm. In addition, we wanted to examine the impact of perception of bodily sensations on treatment response.

Methods

43 patients with IBS were randomly assigned to receive either AC (n = 22) or sham acupuncture (SAC) (n = 21) using the ”Streitberger needle„. Primary outcome measure was quality of life (QoL) measured with the functional digestive diseases quality of life questionnaire (FDDQL) and a general quality of life questionnaire (SF-36). QoL was measured before AC treatment (t1), after ten treatment sessions (t2) and three months after treatment (t3). Secondary outcome measures were parameters of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which were evaluated with tilt-table manoeuvres at t1 and t2. Additionally, salivary cortisol was measured at t1 ant t2. Perception of bodily sensation was measured at t1 with the ”Perception of Bodily Sensation„ (PBS) questionnaire.

Results

QoL improved in both groups (p = 0,022). However, there were no group differences in QoL improvements between AC and SAC. Salivary cortisol decreased in both groups (F = 10,55; p = 0,006). However, the decrease was more pronounced in the AC group (F = 4,07; p = 0,033). Heart rate response decreased during orthostatic stress in the AC group while it increased in the SAC group (group difference: F = 9,23; p = 0,005), indicating an increased parasympathetic tone in the AC group. Improvement of pain was positively associated with increased parasympathetic tone in the AC group (r² =0,40; F = 10,1; p = 0,006), but not in the SAC group. High PBS was associated with lower QoL before and after treatment (p = 0,033).

Conclusions

The psychosomatic study design made it possible to detect differentiated acupuncture effects. QoL improvement seems to be due to unspecific effects and physiological changes are likely to be induced specifically by AC. Thus, different mechanisms may be involved in sham and real-AC mediated improvements. Patients with high PBS show a more unfavourable course of treatment independently of the kind of acupuncture treatment.     

The enhancement effect of beta-boswellic acid on hippocampal neurites outgrowth and branching (an in vitro study)

Increasing evidences implicate impairment of axonal integrity in mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders. Beta-boswellic acid (BBA) is the major component of Boswellia serrata gum. This resin has long been used in Ayurveda (India’s traditional medicine) to prevent amnesia. In this study, the effect of BBA was examined on neurites outgrowth and branching as well as on polymerization dynamics of tubulin. The morphometric parameters (axonal length and neuritis branching) were examined microscopically after treating the hippocampal cells with BBA. Also the assembly process of tubulin was assessed using UV/V is spectrophotometer through following of absorbance at 350 nm. The results revealed that BBA could significantly enhance neurite outgrowth, branching, and tubulin polymerization dynamics. The obtained results suggest that enhancing effect of BBA on microtubule polymerization kinetics might be the origin of increasing axonal outgrowth and branching.     

Perception of the risk of adverse drug reactions: differences between health professionals and non health professionals

AIMS: To investigate how risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of several drug classes is perceived by health vs non health professionals. METHODS: Four hundred health professionals (i.e. 278 general practitioners, 76 pharmacists and 46 pharmacovigilance professionals) and 153 non health professionals were interviewed. Visual analogue scales were used to define a score of perceived risk of ADRs associated with each drug class (ranking from 0 to 10). RESULTS: Anticoagulants were ranked as the most dangerous drugs by general practitioners [median score (25th-75th centiles): 7.9 (6.7-9.0)], pharmacists [8.7 (7.8-9.7)] and pharmacovigilance professionals [8.1 (7.2-9.0)]. For non health professionals, the class ranked first was sleeping pills [8.7 (7.2-9.4)] followed by tranquillisers [8.2 (6.4-9.2)] and antidepressants [8.0 (5.9-9.1)]. Aspirin was listed in the last position by non health professionals [3.4 (1.5-5.4)]. CONCLUSIONS: There are major differences in the perception of risk of ADRs between health professionals and non health professionals.