Extraction frequent patterns in trauma dataset based on automatic generation of minimum support and feature weighting.

PURPOSE: Data mining has been used to help discover Frequent patterns in health data. it is widely used to diagnose and prevent various diseases and to obtain the causes and factors affecting diseases. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to discover frequent patterns in the data of the Kashan Trauma Registry based on a new method. METHODS: We utilized real data from the Kashan Trauma Registry. After pre-processing, frequent patterns and rules were extracted based on the classical Apriori algorithm and the new method. The new method based on the weight of variables and the harmonic mean was presented for the automatic calculation of minimum support with the Python. RESULTS: The results showed that the minimum support generation based on the weighting features is done dynamically and level by level, while in the classic Apriori algorithm considering that only one value is considered for the minimum support manually by the user. Also, the performance of the new method was better compared to the classical Apriori method based on the amount of memory consumption, execution time, the number of frequent patterns found and the generated rules. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that manually determining the minimal support increases execution time and memory usage, which is not cost-effective, especially when the user does not know the dataset's content. In trauma registries and massive healthcare datasets, its ability to uncover common item groups and association rules provides valuable insights. Also, based on the patterns produced in the trauma data, the care of the elderly by their families, education to the general public about encountering patients who have an accident and how to transport them to the hospital, education to motorcyclists to observe safety points in Recommended when using a motorcycle.

Investigating the factors influencing students' academic enthusiasm for a shift of paradigm among education managers shaping academic pedagogy.

BACKGROUND: Education managers are among the most important determinants of a university's academic pedagogy and plans to improve the quality of education. To improve the quality of education and academic enthusiasm of students in a medical university, it might be necessary to improve the university's pedagogy paradigm through people who shape this pedagogy. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the academic enthusiasm of students in a medical university with the purpose of improving the university's pedagogy paradigm. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study was conducted on the students of Alborz University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2021-2022 (3180 students). The sample size was calculated to be 343 using Cochran's formula. The participants were recruited by stratified random sampling with respect to the proportion of students in different faculties, disciplines, and education levels. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed by one-sample t-test and confirmatory factor analysis using SMART-PLS and SPSS26. RESULTS: The developed model consisted of 3 dimensions (academic, individual and social), 10 components (teaching-learning environment, culture, extracurricular activities, facilities and equipment, attitude, knowledge, skill, classmate, family, relatives and friends) and 64 indicators. CONCLUSION: The developed model can help medical universities take a step towards improving the academic productivity and performance of their students and gain a competitive advantage in this respect.

Assessment of atherosclerosis in multiple myeloma and smoldering myeloma patients using 18F- sodium fluoride PET/CT.

BACKGROUND: To compare the NaF uptake in the thoracic aorta and whole heart, as an early indicator of atherosclerosis, in multiple myeloma (MM) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) patients with a healthy control (HC) group. METHODS: Forty-four untreated myeloma patients (35 MM and nine SMM) and twenty-six age and gender-matched HC subjects were collected. Each individual's NaF uptake in three parts of the aorta (AA: ascending aorta, AR: aortic arch, DA: descending aorta) and the whole heart was segmented. Average global standardized uptake value means were derived by sum of the product of each slice area divided by the sum of those slice areas. Results were reported as target to background ratio (TBR). RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the NaF uptake in the thoracic aorta of myeloma and HC groups [AA (myeloma = 1.82 ± 0.21, HC = 1.24 ± 0.02), AR (myeloma = 1.71 ± 0.19, HC = 1.28 ± 0.03) and DA (myeloma = 1.96 ± 0.28, HC = 1.38 ± 0.03); P-values < 0.001]. The difference in the whole heart NaF uptake between two groups was also significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a higher uptake of NaF in the thoracic aorta and whole heart of myeloma patients in comparison to the matched control group.

Association between age, uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and of 18F-sodium fluoride, as cardiovascular risk factors in the abdominal aorta.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the feasibility of quantifying fluorine-18-fluorodexoglucose (18F-FDG) and 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) uptake in abdominal aorta and examine their association with age and cardiovascular risk factors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Our study comprised 123 subjects (48±14 years of age, 62 men) including 78 healthy volunteers and 45 patients with chest pain syndrome, who originally enrolled in the CAMONA study in Odense, Denmark (NCT01724749). All subjects underwent 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and 18F-NaF PET/CT on separate days, 180min and 90min after administration of tracers, respectively. The global tracer uptake value (GTUV) in the abdominal aorta was determined as sum of the product of each slice area and its corresponding average standardized uptake value (SUV mean), divided by the sum of those slice areas. In addition, for each subject, the 10 years Framingham risk score (FRS) was calculated. The correlations between 18F-NaF and 18F-FDG GTUV with age and 10 years FRS were assessed in all, healthy and patient subjects. RESULTS: There was a significant, positive correlation between subjects' age and 18F-NaF GTUV (r=0.35, P<0.001), but not 18F-FDG GTUV (r=0.06, P=0.53). Also, there was a significant, positive correlation between 10 years FRS and 18F-NaF GTUV (r=0.30, P<0.001), but not 18F-FDG GTUV (r=0.01, P=0.95). Individual differences in 18F-FDG and 118F-NaF uptake were large in both healthy subjects and patients. CONCLUSION: In this study, the global uptake of 18F-NaF in abdominal aorta was positively associated with age and 10 years FRS in all subjects, healthy and patient groups, whereas the global uptake of 18F-FDG was not.

Is the Acute and Short-Term Effect of Whole-Body Vibration the Same on the H-Reflex Recruitment Curve and Agility?

CONTEXT: Despite the widespread use of whole-body vibration (WBV), especially in recent years, its neurophysiological mechanism is still unclear and it is yet to be determined whether acute and short-term WBV exposure produce neurogenic enhancement for agility. OBJECTIVE: To compare the acute and short-term effects of WBV on the H-reflex-recruitment curve and agility. DESIGN: Cross-over study. SETTING: Clinical electrophysiology laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: 20 nonathlete male volunteers (mean age 24.85 ± 3.03 y). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups, H-reflex and agility. In the sham protocol, subjects stood on the turned-off vibration plate while maintaining the semisquat position, and then, after a 2-wk washout, vibration-training sessions were performed in the same position with a frequency of 30 Hz and an amplitude of 3 mm. H-reflex-recruitment curve was recorded and the agility test of a shuttle run was performed before and after the first session and also 48 h after the 11th session in both sham and vibration-training protocols. RESULTS: Acute effects of WBV training caused a significant decrease of threshold amplitude and H-max/M-max (P = .01 and P = .04, respectively). Short-term WBV training significantly decreased the threshold intensity of the soleus H-reflex-recruitment curve (P = .01) and caused a decrease and increase respectively, in the threshold intensity and the area under the recruitment curve. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest an inhibitory effect of acute WBV training on the H-reflex response.

Fragmentation mechanisms of cytosine, adenine and guanine ionized bases.

The different fragmentation channels of cytosine, adenine and guanine have been studied through DFT calculations. The electronic structure of bases, their cations, and the fragments obtained by breaking bonds provides a good understanding of the fragmentation process that can complete the experimental approach. The calculations allow assigning various fragments to the given peaks. The comparison between the energy required for the formation of fragments and the peak intensity in the mass spectrum is used. For cytosine and guanine the elimination of the HNCO molecule is a major route of dissociation, while for adenine multiple loss of HCN or HNC can be followed up to small fragments. For cytosine, this corresponds to the initial bond cleavage of N3-C4/N1-C2, which represents the main dissociation route. For guanine the release of HNCO is obtained through the N1-C2/C5-C6 bond cleavage (reverse order also possible) leading to the largest peak of the spectrum. The corresponding energies of 3.5 and 3.9 eV are typically in the range available in the experiments. The loss of NH3 or HCN is also possible but requires more energy. For adenine, fragmentation consists of multiple loss of the HCN molecule and the main route corresponding to HC8N9 loss is followed by the release of HC2N1.

Rituximab-induced psoriasis in a patient with pemphigus vulgaris: A case report and literature review.

Key Clinical Message: Rituximab which is established as a main treatment for pemphigus vulgaris can be a potential causative factor for development of psoriasis in some patients. It is preferred to avoid using rituximab in patients who had a history of psoriasis. Acquainting medical doctors about rituximab-related cutaneous complications will help them in detection and management. Abstract: Rituximab is a human/murine monoclonal antibody targeting the CD20 antigen on B-lymphocytes surface. Although it is used as promising treatment for pemphigus, nowadays it is also a new therapy for other autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and others like non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Although there is increasing evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of rituximab in these diseases, many cutaneous adverse effects have been reported. Here, we describe a 48-years-old patient affected with pemphigus vulgaris who developed psoriatic lesions on her on scalp, trunk, and extremities, 4 months after the second course of rituximab.

Mild cognitive impairment in pemphigus.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus is a group of autoimmune blistering disorders that have been associated with dementia in previous studies. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be the first stage of progression into dementia. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of MCI in pemphigus patients compared to a control group. METHODS: This case-control study included 80 patients with pemphigus referred to the dermatology clinics of Shohadaye Tajrish and Loghman Hakim hospitals, Tehran, Iran, in 2021. A group of 80 individuals without pemphigus who visited the same clinics for cosmetic consultation or interventions were regarded as controls. Age, sex, marital status, and education were recorded for all participants. Disease duration, medications, and severity were noted for pemphigus patients. The Persian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was used to assess cognitive function. RESULTS: MCI was significantly more frequent in pemphigus patients than in controls (55% vs. 37.5%, P = 0.026). Furthermore, the total MoCA score was significantly lower in pemphigus patients compared to controls (23.98 ± 3.77 vs. 25.21 ± 3.45, P = 0.032); however, among MoCA's different domains, only the executive functions score was significantly lower in pemphigus patients (P = 0.010). After adjustment, multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that every 1-year higher education in patients decreased the odds of MCI by 52% (adjusted odds ratio = 0.483, 95% confidence interval 0.326; 0.715, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of MCI was found to be significantly higher, and overall scores of the MoCA test, as well as its executive function domain, were significantly lower among pemphigus patients in this study compared to the control group. Additionally, a higher level of education was associated with decreased odds of MCI in pemphigus patients. Identifying pemphigus patients with MCI through the use of the MoCA test can facilitate early intervention, enabling them to seek help and support.

Health-promoting lifestyle and its determining factors among students of public and private universities in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Health-promoting lifestyle is one of the fundamental health-related components. The aim of this study was to determine the status of the health-promoting lifestyle and its determining factors among students of public and private medical universities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 2018, 1000 students from different public and private universities of medical sciences were selected by a multi-stage, stratified random sampling procedure and were studied using health-promoting lifestyle, self-efficacy, and well-being questionnaires. Data were analyzed using t-test, Chi-square, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and backward regression model. RESULTS: The health-promoting lifestyle was relatively acceptable in 775 people (77.5%); 649 (64.9%) had low self-efficacy, and 560 students (56%) had abnormal health conditions. The mean scores of health-promoting lifestyle, self-efficacy, and well-being in all students were 130.74 ± 22.14, 51.19 ± 12.66, and 15.22 ± 5.43, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of most aspects of health-promoting lifestyle, self-efficacy, and well-being in public and private universities. There was a statistically significant relationship between well-being (r = 0.08, P = 0.02) and self-efficacy (r = -0.19, P < 0.001) with health-promoting lifestyle. CONCLUSION: Students' well-being, self-efficacy, and physical activities of students were not at an acceptable level. Moreover, the health-promoting lifestyle of students was moderate. Implementing of health-related educational, developmental, and psycho-social programs for promotion and encouraging students to promote healthy behaviors is necessary.

DFT study of the fragmentation mechanism of uracil RNA base.

The fragmentation process of the uracil RNA base has been investigated via DFT calculations in order to assign fragments to the ionisation mass spectrum obtained after dissociation induced by collision experiments. The analysis of the electronic distribution and geometry parameters of the cation allows selection of several bonds that may be cleaved and lead to the formation of various fragments. Differences are observed in the electronic behaviour of the bond breaking as well as the energy required for the cleavage. It is reported that N(3)-C(4) and N(1)-C(2) bonds are more easily cleaved than the C(5)-C(6) bond, since the corresponding energy barriers amount to ΔG = +1.627, +1.710, +5.459 eV, respectively, which makes the C(5)-C(6) bond cleavage almost prohibited. Among all possible formed fragments, the formation of the OCN(+) fragment for the peak at m/z = 42 Da is excluded because of an intermediate that was not observed experimentally and too a large free energy barrier. Based on the required free energy, it is observed that two fragment derivatives: C(2)H(4)N(+) and C(2)H(2)O˙(+) may be formed, with a small preference for C(2)H(4)N(+). This latter product is not formed through a retro Diels Alder reaction in contrast to C(2)H(2)O˙(+). The following sequence is proposed for the peak at 42 Da: C(2)H(4)N(+) (from N(1)-C(2), C(4)-C(5) cleavages) > C(2)H(2)O˙(+) (from N(3)-C(4), N(1)-C(2) and C(5)-C(6) cleavages) > C(2)H(4)N(+) (from N(1)-C(2), N(3)-C(4) and C(4)-C(5)) > C(2)H(2)O˙(+) (from C(5)-C(6), N(1)-C(2) and N(3)-C(4) cleavages) > NCO(+) (from N(1)-C(2), C(4)-C(5) and N(3)-C(4) cleavages). Finally the peak at 28 Da is assigned to CNH(2)(+) derivatives that can be formed through two different paths, the easiest one requiring 5.4 eV.

Implementation of FDG-PET/CT imaging methodology for quantification of inflammatory response in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: results from the ACRIN 6668/RTOG 0235 trial.

We measured changes in 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images in the lung parenchyma to quantify the degree of lung inflammation in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received radiotherapy (RT). The goal of this study was to demonstrate successful implementation of this imaging methodology on NSCLC patients and to report quantitative statistics between pre-RT and post-RT. Seventy-one patients with NSCLC underwent FDG-PET/CT imaging before and after RT in a prospective study (ACRIN 6668/RTOG 0235). Comparisons between pre-RT and post-RT PET/CT were conducted for partial volume corrected (PVC)-mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), PVC-global lung parenchymal glycolysis (GLPG), and lung volume for both ipsilateral and contralateral lungs using the nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Regression modeling was conducted to associate clinical characteristics with post-RT PET/CT parameters. There was a significant increase in average SUVmean and GLPG of the ipsilateral lung (relative change 40% and 20%) between pre-RT and post-RT PET/CT scans (P<0.0001 and P=0.004). Absolute increases in PVC-SUVmean and PVC-GLPG were more pronounced (ΔPVC-SUVmean 0.32 versus ΔSUVmean 0.28; ΔPVC-GLPG 463.34 cc versus ΔGLPG 352.90 cc) and highly significant (P<0.0001). In contrast, the contralateral lung demonstrated no significant difference between pre-RT to post-RT in either GLPG (P=0.12) or SUVmean (P=0.18). The only clinical feature significantly associated with post-RT PET/CT parameters was clinical staging. Our study demonstrated inflammatory response in the ipsilateral lung of NSCLC patients treated with photon RT, suggesting that PET/CT parameters may serve as biomarkers for radiation pneumonitis (RP).

Development of a Knowledge-based Clinical Decision Support System for Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis.

The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is difficult considering its complexity, variety in signs and symptoms, and its similarity to the signs and symptoms of other neurological diseases. The purpose of this study is to design and develop a clinical decision support system (CDSS) to help physicians diagnose MS with a relapsing-remitting phenotype. The CDSS software was developed in four stages: requirement analysis, system design, system development, and system evaluation. The Rational Rose and SQL Server were used to design the object-oriented conceptual model and develop the database. The C sharp programming language and the Visual Studio programming environment were used to develop the software. To evaluate the efficiency and applicability of the software, the data of 130 medical records of patients aged 20 to 40 between 2017 and 2019 were used along with the Nilsson standard questionnaire. SPSS Statistics was also used to analyze the data. For MS diagnosis, CDSS had a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 1, 0.97 and 0.99, respectively, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.98. The agreement rate of kappa coefficient (κ) between software diagnosis and physician's diagnosis was 0.98. The average score of software users was 98.33%, 96.65%, and 96.9% regarding the ease of learning, memorability, and satisfaction, respectively. Therefore, the applicability of the CDSS for MS diagnosis was confirmed by the neurologists. The evaluation findings show that CDSS can help physicians in the accurate and timely diagnosis of MS by using the rule-based method.

Investigation E-health literacy and correlates factors among Alborz medical sciences students: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy is one of the goals of public health and the key challenge of health education in the 21st century. This study aimed to determine E-health literacy and correlates among medical sciences students in Karaj, Iran 2017. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on a thousand students of Alborz University of Medical Sciences. A multi-sectional questionnaire was used to collect data. The first section included age, major, marital status; educational grade, mother and father education, socioeconomic status, health status, membrane in social network and the second compromised a validated Persian version of the E-health literacy. We used t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the mean of variables and for categorical variables x2 was used with SPSS version 19. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 25.5 ± 5.6 years, of which 65.3% were male. The medical students constituted the most number of participants (28.6%). Mean eHEALS score was 26.11 ± 6.6 years. There was a significant difference between female and male regarding E-health literacy (P = 0.04). Internet was the most commonly used sources for health information (67%), the majority of the students were members of one of the social networks (77.7%) that telegram and Instagram were among the most popular networks. CONCLUSION: Improving search skills and assessing of health resources in students, especially in medical and Para-medical sciences, is recommended. Social networks can be used as channels for the transmission of the health messages due to high usage among students.

Primary Synovial Sarcoma Presenting as a Huge Mass: A Report of a Rare Case and Review of Literature.

Primary synovial sarcoma of mediastinum is very rare among soft tissue sarcomas. Only a few cases have been reported in the literatures. The best treatment is still unclear, but, surgical resection is the main therapy. In this article we report a case of a 20*20 cm (2000gr) primary giant mediastinal synovial sarcoma in a 42 year-old man. We performed radical excision of the tumor and the metastasis.

Prevalence of Asthma Symptoms in 13-14-Year-Old Adolescents in Karaj.

Asthma is the most common chronic inflammatory respiratory disorder in children. This study was designed to assess the prevalence of asthma in 13-14-year-old adolescents in Karaj, Alborz province in Iran, using the international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Totally 950 adolescents attending 40 schools located in 4 regions of Karaj city were enrolled in the survey. The Persian version of the ISAAC questionnaire was filled by 13-14-year-old students. Multi-stage clustered random sampling was used to divide the city of Karaj into four educational districts. Ever wheezing was reported in 22% of the individuals; 10.52% claimed to have wheeze in the last 12 months and 22.73% had during or after exercise. The experience of wheezing in the last 12 months was more prevalent among males (11.73% vs. 9.38%; p<0.05). However, having a history of asthma was higher among males (7.55% vs. 3.47%; p<0.05). History of hospitalization (60.8%), family history of asthma (49.4%), and history of food allergy (42.3%) were found to be the most frequent characteristics significantly associated with" ever wheezing" (p<0.05). The prevalence of wheezing in the last 12 months, as a major index of current asthma, was 10% which was close to the national average. However, nocturnal cough and exercise-induced wheezing were higher in Karaj compared to other cities of Iran; which could be related to the high level of air pollution in this industrial area.

Prognostic significance of 18F-sodium fluoride in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.

Focal bone lesions and fractures due to weakened bone are associated with higher morbidity and mortality of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) is a sensitive PET radiotracer for detection of abnormal bone metabolism and, therefore, is particularly suited to assess the degree of bone involvement in MM patients. We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of metabolic active volume (MAV) of 18F-NaF-avid lesions in MM patients. In addition to MAV, conventional methods of PET quantification, namely SUVmean and SUVmax, were measured in each patient for the purpose of comparison. Thirty-seven newly diagnosed MM patients were included. PET imaging was performed after intravenous administration of 200 MBq NaF. Active bone lesions and fractures on whole-body 18F-NaF-PET/CT scans were identified. An adaptive thresholding algorithm automatically calculated the total MAV, SUVmean and SUVmax for each patient (ROVER, ABX, Radeberg, Germany). The patients were followed for a median of 39.8 months after treatment (range: 17.8-55.4). The overall survival (OS) of patients with 18F-NaF-MAV value > 38.65 (36.36% [N of Events/Total N: 4/11]) was significantly shorter than that of patients with 18F-NaF-MAV value < 38.65 (3.85% [1/26]; P = 0.002). In multivariate forward stepwise (conditional LR) Cox regression analysis of prognostic factors of OS (including 18F-NaF-MAV (> 38.65 or < 38.65), age, gender, beta-2 microglobulin, and revised international staging system), 18F-NaF-MAV remained the only significant factor (HR: 14.39, P = 0.02). The results for PFS were not significant. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analyses of conventional methods of PET quantification did not reveal any statistically significant log-rank p-values. MM patients with high 18F-NaF-MAV had shorter overall survival, compared to those with low 18F-NaF-MAV levels (NCT02187731).

Assessing the feasibility of NaF-PET/CT versus FDG-PET/CT to detect abdominal aortic calcification or inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether NaF-PET/CT or FDG-PET/CT can detect abdominal aortic molecular calcification and inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: In this study, 18 RA patients (4 women, 14 men; mean age 56.0 ± 11.7) and 18 healthy controls (4 women, 14 men; mean age 55.8 ± 11.9) were included. The controls were matched to patients by sex and age (± 4 years). All subjects of this study underwent NaF-PET/CT scanning 90 min following the administration of NaF. FDG-PET/CT imaging was performed 180 min following intravenous FDG injection. Using OsiriX software, the global mean standardized uptake value (global SUVmean) in abdominal aorta was calculated for both FDG and NaF. The NaF SUVmean and FDG SUVmean were divided by the blood pool activity providing target-to-background ratios (TBR) namely, NaF-TBRmean and FDG-TBRmean. The CT calcium volume score was obtained using a growing region algorithm based on Hounsfield units. RESULTS: The average NaF-TBRmean score among RA patients was significantly greater than that of healthy controls (median 1.61; IQR 1.49-1.88 and median 1.40; IQR 1.23-1.52, P = 0.002). The average CT calcium volume score among RA patients was also significantly greater than that of healthy controls (median 1.96 cm3; IQR 0.57-5.48 and median 0.004 cm3; IQR 0.04-0.05, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the average FDG-TBRmean scores in the RA patients when compared to healthy controls (median 1.29; IQR 1.13-1.52 and median 1.29; IQR 1.13-1.52, respectively, P = 0.98). CONCLUSION: Quantitative assessment with NaF-PET/CT identifies increased molecular calcification in the wall of the abdominal aorta among patients with RA as compared with healthy controls, while quantitative assessment with FDG-PET/CT did not identify a difference in aortic vessel wall FDG uptake between the RA and healthy control groups.

An Expert System to Diagnose Pneumonia Using Fuzzy Logic.

INTRODUCTION: Pneumonia is the most common and widespread killing disease of respiratory system which is difficult to diagnose due to identical clinical signs of respiratory system. AIM: In this research, to diagnose this, a structure of a fuzzy expert system has been offered. This is done in order to help general physicians and the patients make decision and also differentiate among chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis, asthma, embolism, lung cancer. METHODS: This system has been created using fuzzy expert system and it has been created in 4 stages: definition of knowledge system, design of knowledge system, implementation of system, system testing using prototype life cycle methodology. RESULTS: The system has 97 percent sensitivity, 85 percent specificity, 93 percent accuracy to diagnose the disease. CONCLUSION: Framework of the knowledge of specialist physicians using fuzzy model and its rules can help diagnose the disease correctly.

Cultural adaptation and psychometric adequacy of the Persian version of the physical activity scale for the elderly (P-PASE).

OBJECTIVE: This cross sectional study was conducted to investigate cultural adaption and validation of the Persian version of the PASE among the elderly community dwellers in Iran. Out of 278 elderly people, 65% of them were female. After translation and cultural adaption, the PASE was evaluated with respect to the validity and reliability. Regarding the construct validity, the concurrent validity was assessed between the PASE and ADL, IADL, self-rated health, and TUG test. RESULTS: The mean score of P-PASE was equal to 153.73 ± 48.47. P-PASE scores were significantly and negatively correlated with TUG (r = - 0.691, P < 0.001) and age (r = - 791, P > 0.001), and were also significantly correlated with ADL (r = 0.775, P < 0.001), and IADL (r = 0.161, P < 0.001). The ICC was obtained as 0.92 (95% CI 0.90-0.94), 0.86 (95% CI 0.82-0.87), and 0.91 (95% CI 0.90-0.94) for the leisure time activity, household activity, and work-related activity scores, respectively. The Cronbachs̓ alpha coefficient was equal to 0.74, 0.74, and 0.79, respectively for leisure time activity, household activity, and work-related activity domains.

Intelligent Computer Systems for Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis: a Systematic Review of Reasoning Techniques and Methods.

OBJECTIVE: Intelligent computer systems are used in diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis and help physicians in the accurate and timely diagnosis of the disease. This study focuses on a review of different reasoning techniques and methods used in intelligent systems to diagnose MS and analyze the application and efficiency of different reasoning methods in order to find the most efficient and applicable methods and techniques for MS diagnosis. METHODS: A complete research was carried out on articles in various electronic databases based on Mesh vocabulary. 85 articles out of 614 articles published in English between 2000 to 2018 were analyzed, 30 of which have been selected based on inclusion criteria such as system scope and domain, full description of reasoning method and system evaluation. RESULTS: Results indicate that different reasoning methods are used unintelligent systems of MS diagnosis. In 27% of the studies, the rule-based method was used, in 20% the fuzzy logic method, in 18%the artificial neural network method, and in 35% other reasoning methods were used. The average sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of reasoning methods were0.91, 0.77, and 0.86, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Rule-based, fuzzy-logic and artificial neural network methods have had more applications in intelligent systems for the diagnosis of MS, respectively. The highest rate of sensitivity and accuracy indexes is associated to the neural network reasoning method at 0.97 and 0.99, respectively .In the fuzzy logic method, the Kappa rate has been reported as one, which shows full conformity between software diagnosis and the physician's decision .In some articles, in order to remove the limitations of the methods and enhance their efficiency, combinations of different methods are used.