Background: The global prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is expected to increase and the disease is projected to be the third leading cause of death by the year 2020. The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence and determine the risk factors for COPD in Canada. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that uses data from a nationally generalizable survey, the Canadian Community Health Survey, 2014. There were 46,924 respondents aged 35 years or older. Uni- and multi-variate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the risk factors associated with COPD. Results: The overall prevalence of COPD in the surveyed population was 5.69%. Results from multivariate logistic regression showed that COPD was significantly higher among individuals who were 65 years or older (odds ratio [OR] =4.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.69–5.33), current smokers (OR = 5.13; 95% CI: 4.43–5.95), underweight or obese by body mass index ([OR = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.38–2.38] and [OR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.41–1.77], respectively), with a total personal income of <$20,000 (OR = 3.67; 95% CI: 2.95–4.57,), and some postsecondary education (OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.14–1.76). Immigrants were less likely to have COPD compared to Canadian-born respondents (OR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.57–0.79). Conclusions: COPD is a growing and serious public health issue in Canada. The risk factors identified in this study provide useful targets to health promotion and education initiatives, health-care providers, and public health organizations to decrease the prevalence of COPD.

Background: Chronic insulin resistance (IR) is a basic part of the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus. Nutrition significantly impacts IR and weight loss reduces insulin levels, whereas weight gain increases the concentrations. Therefore, we surveyed the effect of nutrition intervention on IR in pregnant women and whether this effect is irrespective of weight gaining in accordance with Institute of Medicine limits. Methods: This prospective, randomized clinical trial was carried out among 150 primiparous pregnant mothers in fifteen health centers, five hospitals, and 15 private obstetrical offices in Isfahan. The nutrition intervention included education of healthy diet with emphasize on 50%–55% of total energy intake from carbohydrate (especially complex carbohydrates), 25%–30% from fat (to increase mono unsaturated fatty acids and decrease saturated and trans-fatty acids), and 15%–20% from protein during pregnancy for experimental group. The controls received the usual prenatal care by their health-care providers. Results: This trial decreased pregnancy-induced insulin increases (P = 0.01) and IR marginally (P = 0.05). ANCOVA demonstrated that control of gestational weight gaining was more effective to decrease IR (P = 0.02) while insulin values decreased by nutrition intervention and irrespective of weight control (P = 0.06). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentrations did not decrease by intervention (P = 0.56) or weight management (P = 0.15). Conclusions: The current intervention was effective to decrease pregnancy-induced insulin increases and IR. Considering study results on FPG levels and incidence of GDM, we suggest repeat of study design in a larger sample.

Background: Early childhood is the most important step throughout the lifespan and it is a critical period continuing to the end of 8-year-old. Mothers' knowledge is one of the important aspects of child development. The goals of this study were to determine the situation of knowledge in Iranian parents about the concept and the importance of early childhood development (ECD) and determining the sources of parental knowledge about ECD from the perspective of parents and grandparents. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted based on the directional content analysis in 2016. The purposive sampling method is utilized to select 24 participants among parents and grandparents in Tehran. The inclusion criteria consisted of speaking in Persian and having a child or grandchild <3-year-old. Data were collected through four focus group discussions and four individual interviews. Results: Iranian parental knowledge about integrative ECD is not enough, their knowledge about motor development and speech and language are relatively better, about cognitive development is little and socialemotional is very little. They said parents and other caregivers influence the process of children's development. Parents' knowledge resources about ECD included human resources, physical resources, virtual space, and the media. According to the majority of participants, “pediatricians are the most reliable source of parents' knowledge about ECD” even though the main focus of pediatricians is on treating diseases, physical health, and growth of children. Conclusions: According to the results, the knowledge of Iranian parent is not enough about ECD; therefore, actions must be taken to increase their knowledge in these domains. Parents look for reliable and valid sources to enhance their knowledge and they rely the most on pediatricians in this regard. Therefore, more studies on assessing parents' knowledge in community and the practical methods for knowledge promotion in this field is recommended.

Background: Drugs targeting Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) have been used broadly in cancer chemotherapy. The recent past coupled with our results demonstrates the effective use of ACE inhibitors (ACEi) as anticancer agents, and they are potentially relevant in deriving new inhibitors. Methods: Bacterial strains were isolated from cow milk collected in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India and plated on nutrient agar medium. The identity of the strain was ascertained by 16s rRNA gene sequencing method and was submitted to the NCBI GenBank nucleotide database. Various substrates were screened for ACEi production by the fermentation with the isolated strain. ACEi was purified by sequential steps of ethanol precipitation, ion exchange column chromatography and gel filtration column chromatography. The apparent molecular mass was determined by SDS-PAGE. The anticancer property was analyzed by studying the cytotoxicity effects of ACEi using Breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines Results: The isolate coded as BUCTL09 was selected and identified as Micrococcus luteus. Among the seven substrates, only beef extract fermented broth showed an inhibition of 79% and was reported as the best substrate. The peptide was purified and molecular mass was determined. The IC50 value of peptide was found to be 59.5 μg/ ml. The purified peptide has demonstrated to induce apoptosis of cancer cell.Conclusions: The results of this study revealed that Peptide has been determined as an active compound that inhibited the activity of ACE. These properties indicate the possibilities of the use of purified protein as a potent anticancer agent.

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women in reproductive age that is associated with insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic abnormalities which are also a part of metabolic syndrome (Met S). This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) women diagnosed with PCOS based on the Rotterdam criteria from January 2013 to June 2014. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 75 women with PCOS and 75 healthy controls were enrolled. Anthropometric parameters, biochemical and hormonal investigation, were measured in all women. IR was calculated by homeostasis model assessment. Abdominal ultrasonography and biochemical tests were used to determine the NAFLD. Results: The level of triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, aspartate aminotransferase, alkalin phosphatase, fasting insulin, and homeostatic model assessment index in women with PCOS were significantly higher than women without PCOS. High-density lipoprotein and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in women with PCOS were significantly lower. The frequency of IR women with or without PCOS was 53.3% and 29.3%, respectively (P = 0.003). The frequency of Met S in women with PCOS was 33.3% and in other was 10.7% (P = 0.001). The prevalence of fatty liver in women with or without PCOS was 38.7% and 18.7%, respectively (0.008). In women with PCOS, body mass index (BMI) (odds ratio [OR] = 4.25; P = 0.046), ALT (OR = 1.62; P = 0.005), fasting insulin (OR = 1.32; P = 0.032), and IR (OR = 58.17; P = 0.025) were associated with a higher fatty liver. Conclusions: NAFLD is frequent in patients with PCOS with combination with other metabolic derangements. BMI, ALT, fasting insulin, and IR are the risk factors for high prevalence of NAFLD in women with PCOS.

Background: Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is a semisynthetic derivative of artemisinin and has antiproliferative effect. However, such effects of DHA have not yet been revealed for bladder cancer cells. Methods: We used as bladder cancer cell lines to examine the effect of DHA on the cell viability, cell apoptosis, and monitoring of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) changes. Furthermore, the effect of DHA on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cytochrome c release were also detected. We employed MTT assay to investigate the cell proliferation effect of DHA on the EJ-138 and HTB-9 human bladder cancer cells. Annexin/PI staining, caspase-3 activity assay, Bcl-2/Bax protein expression, mitochondrial membrane potential assay, cytochrome c release, and ROS analysis were used for apoptosis detection. Results: DHA significantly reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Cytotoxicity of DHA was suppressed by N-acetylcysteine. The growth inhibition effect of DHA was related to the induction of cell apoptosis, which were manifested by annexin V-FITC staining, activation of caspase-3. DHA also increased ROS generation, cytochrome c release, and loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) in cells. In addition, the downregulation of regulatory protein Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax protein by DHA were also observed. Conclusions: These findings demonstrated that DHA induces apoptosis through mitochondrial signaling pathway. These suggest that DHA may be a potential agent for induction of apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells.