Spatial modeling of mortality from acute lower respiratory infections in children under 5 years of age in 2000–2017: a global study

Almasi Ali,Reshadat Sohyla,Zangeneh Alireza,Khezeli Mehdi,Teimouri Raziyeh,Rahimi Naderi Samira,Saeidi Shahram 대한소아청소년과학회 2021 Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics (CEP) Vol.64 No.12

Background: Over the past few decades, various goals have been defined to reduce the mortality of children caused by acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) worldwide. However, few spatial studies to date have reported on ALRI deaths.Purpose: We aimed to assess the spatial modeling of mortality from ALRI in children under 5 years of age during 2000–2017 using a global data.Methods: The data on the mortality of children under 5 years old caused by ALRI were initially obtained from the official website of the World Health Organization. The income status of their home countries was also gathered from the Country Income Groups (World Bank Classification) website and divided into 5 categories. After that, in the ArcGIS 10.6 environment, a database was created and the statistical tests and related maps were extracted. The Global Moran’s I statistic, Getis-Ord Gi statistic, and geographically weighted regression were used for the analyses. In this study, higher z scores indicated the hot spots, while lower z scores indicated the cold spots.Results: In 2000–2017, child mortality showed a downward trend from 17.6 per 100,000 children to 8.1 and had a clustered pattern. Hot spots were concentrated in Asia in 2000 but shifted toward African countries by 2017. A cold spot that formed in Europe in 2007 showed an ascending trend by 2017. Based on the results of geographically weighted regression test, the regions identified as the hot spots of mortality from ALRI in children under 5 years old were among the middle-income countries (R²=0.01, adjusted R²=8.77).Conclusion: While the total number of child deaths in 2000– 2017 has decreased, the number of hot spots has increased among countries. This study also concluded that, during the study period, Central and Western Africa countries became the main new hot spots of deaths from ALRI.

The prospect of using sub-lethal imidacloprid or pirimicarb and a parasitoid wasp, Lysiphlebus fabarum, simultaneously, to control Aphis gossypii on cucumber plants

Ali Almasi,Arash Rasekh,Mehdi Esfandiari,Majeed Askari Seyahooei,Masumeh Ziaee 한국응용곤충학회 2018 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.21 No.1

The broad-spectrum insecticides greatly influence the control of cotton aphids; however, due to frequent chemicalcontrol, Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae) has developed resistance against several classes of syntheticinsecticides. In this study, we explored the sub-lethal effects of imidacloprid and pirimicarb, two commonly usedinsecticides for aphid control, on a parasitoid wasp, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) (Braconidae: Aphidiinae),when simultaneously used to control melon aphid on cucumber plants, as part of a comprehensive study forintegrated pest management. Bioassays of imidacloprid and pirimicarb were performed to calculate LC50 withthird instars of A. gossypii. The LC50 of these insecticides (110.55 and 250.89 μg/lit, respectively) were used toexpose the wasp larvae, pupae, and adult parasitoids on a cucumber leaf. The percent mortality, percent adultemergence, and sex ratio were calculated during each exposure test. Moreover, the body size, egg load, andmature egg size of wasps surviving the insecticide treatments, as well as the sex ratio of the second generationwas evaluated. Regardless of the host aphid mortality, none of the insecticides caused mortality of larval stage ofthe parasitoid. The insecticide application on pupal stage revealed that the percentage of mortality, sex ratio,body size, and egg load of surviving wasps, as well as the sex ratio of their offspring was adversely affected byimidacloprid, but not by pirimicarb. The present study suggests pirimicarb as a preferred insecticide, with lessharmful effects on the fitness components of L. fabarum, for integrated pest management of cotton aphids.

Functional Analyses of PtROS1-RNAi in Poplars and Evaluation of Its Effect on DNA Methylation

Ali Movahedi; Ming Sang,Qiang Zhuge,Jiaxin Zhang; Kourosh Mohammadi; Weibo Sun; Amir Almasi Zadeh Yaghu,Saeid Kadkhodaei 한국식물학회 2018 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.61 No.4

DNA methylation occurs mostly at the C5 positionof dinucleotide symmetric CpG sites in genomic DNA. Abalance is maintained in the plant genome between DNAmethylation mediated by RNA-directed DNA methylation(RdDM) and DNA demethylation mediated by the DEMETER(DME) protein family and REPRESSOR OF SILENCING(ROS1). We used double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) silencingto suppress ROS1 protein expression in ‘Nanlin895’ (Populusdeltoides × Populus euramericana ‘Nanlin895’). Leaves ofWT and transformant poplars revealed more symmetricmethylation on CpG sites than roots and stems. In addition,leaves of transformant poplars revealed more methylatedCpG sites in both 5.8S rDNA and histone H3 compared toWT types via 0, 50 and 100 mM NaCl treatments. In asymmetricmethylation sites, transformant poplars exhibited moremethylated CpHpG and CpHpH contexts than WT poplars. On the other hand, hypermethylation induced by PtROS1-RNAi construct resulted in pleiotropic phenotypic changes intransgenic poplars. The percentage of wavy leaves was increasedmaximum by ~45% in transgenic poplars. Also, the numberof leaves was increased by ~200 number in transformants. Furthermore, shooting (%) and rooting (%) was decreased intransgenic poplars versus WT.

Associations between diabetes self-management and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes

Fatemeh Mehravar,Mohammad Ali Mansournia,Kourosh Holakouie-Naieni,Ensie Nasli-Esfahani,Nasrin Mansournia,Amir Almasi-Hashiani 한국역학회 2016 Epidemiology and Health Vol.38 No.-

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes is a major public health problem that is approaching epidemic proportions globally. Diabetes self-management can reduce complications and mortality in type 2 diabetic patients. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between diabetes self-management and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 562 Iranian patients older than 30 years of age with type 2 diabetes who received treatment at the Diabetes Research Center of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences were identified. The participants were enrolled and completed questionnaires between January and April 2014. Patients’ diabetes self-management was assessed as an independent variable by using the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire translated into Persian. The outcomes were the microvascular complications of diabetes (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy), identified from the clinical records of each patient. A multiple logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between diabetes self-management and the microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, a significant association was found between the diabetes self-management sum scale and neuropathy (adjusted OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.92, p=0.01). Additionally, weak evidence was found of an association between the sum scale score of diabetes self-management and nephropathy (adjusted OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.47 to 1.05, p=0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes, a lower diabetes self-management score was associated with higher rates of nephropathy and neuropathy.

The role of risk perception, risk communication, and demographic factors in COVID-19 preventive behaviors: an online survey in Iran

Mansour Rezaei,Nader Rajabi Gilan,Ali Almasi,Mehdi Khezeli,Fatemeh Jamshidi Nazar,Zahra Jorjoran Shushtari,Yahya Salimi,Farid Najafi,Neda Sarabi,Shahram Saeidi,Saeid Saeidi 질병관리본부 2022 Osong Public Health and Research Persptectives Vol.13 No.4

Objectives: This study investigated preventive behaviors toward coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and related factors in a Kurdish Iranian sample.Methods: This online survey was conducted among the population aged 18 and above in Kermanshah Province, in western Iran, in April 2020. Samples were invited and recruited through social media. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 4 sections (questions on demographic variables, risk perception, risk communication, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors) and analyzed using Stata ver. 8.Results: The Pearson correlation test showed that risk communication was significantly correlated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors (r=0.320, p<0.01). In the final model, where the explanatory power increased with the entry of the risk communication variable, the variables explained a total of 14% of variance in COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Sex (β=−0.482), risk perception (β=0.047), and risk communication (β=0.662) were significant determinants.Conclusion: Risk communication and risk perception related to COVID-19, as well as being a woman, were determinants of COVID-19 preventive behaviors.

Social determinants of adherence to COVID-19 preventive guidelines: a comprehensive review

Zahra Jorjoran Shushtari,Yahya Salimi,Sina Ahmadi,Nader Rajabi-Gilan,Marzieh Shirazikhah,Akbar Biglarian,Ali Almasi,Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Gharehghani 질병관리본부 2021 Osong Public Health and Research Persptectives Vol.12 No.6

Adherence to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) preventive guidelines (ACPG) is an important strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. The present study aimed to identify and summarize the social determinants of ACPG among the general population. A comprehensive review was performed from December 2019 to February 2021 through searching electronic databases. Two independent reviewers assessed and selected relevant studies. Next, the characteristics and main findings of the included studies were summarized. Finally, the World Health Organization’s conceptual framework of social determinants of health was used to synthesize the identified social determinants of ACPG. Forty-one of 453 retrieved articles met the inclusion criteria. The study results showed different patterns of ACPG among various communities. Furthermore, 84 social determinants were identified and categorized into structural and intermediary determinants. ACPG is a set of complex behaviors associated with different individual sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics; living and working conditions; COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and risk perceptions; exposure to sources and information level; leisure activities; social support; trust; social norms; psychosocial well-being; socio-economic position; and the socio-economic and political context. Interventions to promote ACPG among the general population should consider the identified social determinants of ACPG.