Head circumference standards for school children of Shiraz, Iran

The measurements of head circumference (HC) of 2228 healthy school children (1160 boys and 1068 girls) aged 6.5-11.5 years are presented for the first time. The data were sampled in a multistage scheme and collected through a large-scale cross-sectional growth study carried out in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province of Iran. The results indicated that the HC measurements centiles of the girls lied below that of the boys in all age groups. Comparison of our data of the children with their peers in Turkey, Ireland, Japan and USA showed that on average, girl, HC measurements in Shiraz are larger that of their Turkish counterparts up to the age of 10 years and lie on that later on, but smaller than that of their peers from other mentioned studies. However, boys' HC measurements of Shiraz are lower than that of their peers at all ages. The article, therefore, concludes that the standards for HC will differ from country to country and supports local standards in this regard.     

High carrier frequency of the GJB2 mutation (35delG) in the north of Iran

OBJECTIVE: Mutations in the GJB2 gene are a major cause of autosomal recessive and sporadic non-syndromic hearing loss in many populations. A single mutation of this gene (35delG) accounts for approximately 70% of mutations in Caucasians with a carrier frequency of 2-4% in Europe. This study aims to determine the rate of 35delG carrier frequency in Iran. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from a total of 550 unaffected unrelated subjects from 4 provinces of Iran following the standard phenol chloroform procedure. The one base pair deletion (35delG) was analysed using a nested PCR procedure; 35delG mutation carriers were subsequently confirmed by sequence analysis. Moreover, using the Binomial probability distribution, we compared the 35delG carrier frequency of Iranian population with the various Middle Eastern and overall European populations. RESULTS: Of the four populations studied, we found a high carrier frequency of 2.8% in Gilan province in the north of Iran. The overall 35delG carrier frequency was found to be 1.25% in the populations studied (our present and previous data) which is similar to the overall 35delG carrier frequency detected in Middle Eastern populations, but Significantly lower than that identified in European populations.     

Extracellular matrix dynamics in cell migration,invasion and tissue morphogenesis

This review describes how direct visualization of the dynamic interactions of cells with different extracellular matrix microenvironments can provide novel insights into complex biological processes. Recent studies have moved characterization of cell migration and invasion from classical 2D culture systems into 1D and 3D model systems, revealing multiple differences in mechanisms of cell adhesion, migration and signalling—even though cells in 3D can still display prominent focal adhesions. Myosin II restrains cell migration speed in 2D culture but is often essential for effective 3D migration. 3D cell migration modes can switch between lamellipodial, lobopodial and/or amoeboid depending on the local matrix environment. For example, “nuclear piston” migration can be switched off by local proteolysis, and proteolytic invadopodia can be induced by a high density of fibrillar matrix. Particularly, complex remodelling of both extracellular matrix and tissues occurs during morphogenesis. Extracellular matrix supports self‐assembly of embryonic tissues, but it must also be locally actively remodelled. For example, surprisingly focal remodelling of the basement membrane occurs during branching morphogenesis—numerous tiny perforations generated by proteolysis and actomyosin contractility produce a microscopically porous, flexible basement membrane meshwork for tissue expansion. Cells extend highly active blebs or protrusions towards the surrounding mesenchyme through these perforations. Concurrently, the entire basement membrane undergoes translocation in a direction opposite to bud expansion. Underlying this slowly moving 2D basement membrane translocation are highly dynamic individual cell movements. We conclude this review by describing a variety of exciting research opportunities for discovering novel insights into cell‐matrix interactions.     

Are the Predictors of Sexual Violence the Same as Those of Nonsexual Violence? A Gender Analysis

IntroductionViolence manifests itself in such multifarious ways as sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. What has hitherto eluded the medical community, however, is whether sexual and nonsexual abuse share the same predictors.AimDrawing upon a representative sample of married men and women in the Iranian capital, Tehran, we aimed to determine: (i) the overlap between sexual abuse and physical and psychological violence, and (ii) the predictors that sexual violence victimization share with physical and psychological violence victimization.Main Outcome MeasuresVictimization through any type of sexual coercion by the husband in the context of the current marital relationship, as determined via the conflict tactic scales-revised (CTS-2).MethodsIn a cross-sectional survey in Tehran in 2007, 460 married Iranian men and women were selected via a multicluster sampling method from four different randomized regions. Independent variables comprised sociodemographic characteristics, subscores of psychological, and personality characteristics known to be allied with intimate abuse (personal and relationship profile), and dichotomus data on victimization history through all types of violence by the spouse including psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion (CTS-2).ResultsIn both genders, the experience of physical or psychological violence increased the likelihood of sexual violence victimization. In both genders, higher conflict was a predictor of sexual and psychological violence victimization. In addition, the common predictors of sexual and physical violence victimization were low self-control and high violent socialization in the men and women, respectively.ConclusionsSexual violence victimization shares some factors with the victimization of nonsexual types of marital abuse, but this seems to be partially gender dependent. Mohammadkhani P, Forouzan AS, Khooshabi KS, Assari S, and Moghani Lankarani M. Are the predictors of sexual violence the same as those of nonsexual violence? A gender analysis. J Sex Med 2009;6:2215–2223.     

原发性高血压病患者血管紧张素转换酶的基因多态性分析

目的：采用三条引物法进行血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因分型,并与Rigat法进行比较,探讨ACE基因多态性与原发性高血压病(EH)之间的关系。方法：抽取外周血DNA,分别用三条引物法和Rigat法对128例EH患者进行ACE基因分型,并以150例正常人作对照组。结果：Rigat法对DD型的错判率为22．22％。正常血压人群ACE基因DD型、Ⅱ型、ID型分别有10、62、78例,占6．67％、41．33％、52％,Ⅰ和D的等位基因频率是67％、33％;原发性高血压病人群ACE基因DD型、Ⅱ型、ID型分别有14、47、67例,占10．94％、36．72％、52．34％,Ⅰ和D的等位基因频率是63％、37％。结论：ACE基因多态性与原发性高血压有一定关系。     

Do clinical and paraclinical findings have the power to predict critical conditions of injured patients after traumatic injury resuscitation?Using data mining artificial intelligence

Purpose The triage and initial care of injured patients and a subsequent right level of care is paramount for an overall outcome after traumatic injury.Early recognition of patients is an important case of such decision-making with risk of worse prognosis.This article is to answer if clinical and paraclinical signs can predict the critical conditions of injured patients after traumatic injury resuscitation.Methods The study included 1107 trauma patients,16 years and older.The patients were trauma victims of Levels I and II triage and admitted to the Rajaee(Emtiaz)Trauma Hospital,Shiraz,in 2014–2015.The cross-industry process for data mining methodology and modeling was used for assessing the best early clinical and paraclinical variables to predict the patients’prognosis.Five modeling methods including the support vector machine,K-nearest neighbor algorithms,Bagging and Adaboost,and the neural network were compared by some evaluation criteria.Results Learning algorithms can predict the deterioration of injured patients by monitoring the Bagging and SVM models with 99%accuracy.The most-fitted variables were Glasgow Coma Scale score,base deficit,and diastolic blood pressure especially after initial resuscitation in the algorithms for overall outcome predictions.Conclusion Data mining could help in triage,initial treatment,and further decision-making for outcome measures in trauma patients.Clinical and paraclinical variables after resuscitation could predict short-term outcomes much better than variables on arrival.With artificial intelligence modeling system,diastolic blood pressure after resuscitation has a greater association with predicting early mortality rather than systolic blood pressure after resuscitation.Artificial intelligence monitoring may have a role in trauma care and should be further investigated.