Arch Iran Med
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Ordinary linear regression (OLR) is one of the most common statistical techniques used in determining the association between the outcome variable and its related factors. This method determines the association that is assumed to be true for the whole study area - a global association. In the field of public health and social sciences, this assumption is not always true, especially when it is known that the relationship between variables varies across the study area. ⋯ From OLR, we found that the percentage of female with higher education had the largest significant association with ARI (P = 0.027). On the other hand, result from the GWR returned coefficients varying from -0.15 to -0.01 (P < 0.001) over the study area in contrast to the global coefficient from OLR model. We advocate that identifying significant spatially-varying association will help policymaker to recognize the local areas of interest and design targeted interventions.
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Observational Study
Elevated Lactate and Total Protein Levels in Stereotactic Brain Biopsy Specimen; Potential Biomarkers of Malignancy and Poor Prognosis.
Cancer cells bear various metabolic alterations in order to survive and progress. Neoplastic cells rewire their metabolic pathways for fermentation of glucose and production of more lactate. Microenvironment acidification is a common feature of many neoplastic lesions. In other words, most cancer cells produce energy ineffectively, by aerobic glycolysis, considered as "Warburg effect". Mounting on previous evidence, hypoxia also induces tumor stemness, diminished apoptosis, and more invasive behavior as well as angiogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether more lactate concentration in stereotactic puncture specimen of various brain lesions can be an alarming sign of malignancy and higher grades. The current study aims at providing a rapid prognostic biomarker of higher grades for cystic brain lesions approached stereotactically before the complete pathologic grading report is prepared. ⋯ Higher total protein and lactate concentrations in the stereotactic biopsy specimens are alarming signs of poor outcome and higher grades in astrocytomas.
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Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method that improves learning and memory. In this study, the effect of tDCS on streptozotocin (STZ) induced amnesia in the presence or absence of SCH23390 (D1 dopamine receptor antagonist) and sulpiride (dopamine D2 receptor antagonist) has been investigated in male Wistar rats. ⋯ The study showed that D1 and D2 dopamine receptors are involved in the restoration effect of left frontal anodal- but not cathodal-tDCS in STZ-induced amnesia.