OBJECTIVE To determine the concurrent validity of the Balance Outcome Measure for Elder Rehabilitation (BOOMER) with both the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and gait speed. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Two geriatric rehabilitation units. PARTICIPANTS Elderly adults (N=134) admitted to inpatient rehabilitation. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The BOOMER consis...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the mechanical joint score (MJS) in terms of its reliability between observers and over time, its ease of use and its relationship with conventional measures of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity, severity and functional outcome. METHODS The MJS was evaluated in 103 patients with reference to the following joints: total proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, tot...

Fatigue is one of the most distressing side effects of cancer for patients, yet clinicians often do not focus on it during busy clinic appointments. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new instrument designed to quickly identify patients experiencing difficulties with fatigue. The evaluation was conducted with a mixed group of 220 patients receiving chem...

BACKGROUND Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a serious problem among the nursing staff. Mental workload is the major cause of MSDs among nursing staff. The aim of this study was to investigate the mental workload dimensions and their association with MSDs among nurses of Alzahra Hospital, affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. MATERIALS AND METHODS This descriptive cross-sec...

OBJECTIVE Inflammation is associated with both chronic kidney dysfunction and type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin, a novel circulating anti-inflammatory protein made by adipocytes, has been reported to be lower in diabetic than nondiabetic subjects. In contrast, serum levels of adiponectin are elevated in end-stage renal disease. We sought to investigate the relation between adiponectin and mild to mo...

OBJECTIVES To study the correlation between Sunnybrook and House-Brackmann facial grading systems at different time points during the course of peripheral facial palsy. STUDY DESIGN Prospective multicenter trial. SETTING Seventeen otorhinolaryngological centers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Data are part of the Scandinavian Bell's palsy study. The facial function of 1920 patients with peripheral ...

Nuclear receptors are necessary for uterine invasion of the trophoblast and therefore important for maintaining a viable pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and frequency of LXR, PPARγ and RXRα under physiological circumstances and in spontaneous abortions in endometrial glands and decidual tissue cells. A total of 28 (14 physiologic pregnancies/14 spontan...

OBJECTIVES To assess the effects on dry eye symptoms and tear dynamics of switching from a prostaglandin with a preservative to a preservative-free prostaglandin. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fourteen patients (N=28 eyes) with open-angle glaucoma and dry eye symptons, treated with preserved latanoprost, travoprost or bimatoprost were included in this uncontrolled prospective study. Ocular symptoms we...

Method of Moments (MOM) combining with the Kirchhoff Approximation(KA) for analysis of the problem of optical wave scattering by a stack of two one-dimensional Gaussian rough interfaces is solved. The scattered field from the upper interface is solved by MOM and the transmitted field from the lower one is expressed from the Kirchhoff approximation where the multiple scattering phenomenon is neg...

In the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), maintenance inflammation and loss tolerance is essential. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) a regulatory cytokine with pleiotropic function. TGF-β inhibits differentiation T helper (Th1, Th2) cells promotes development peripheral Tregs. The aim our study was to explore plasma levels perform its correlativ...