Molecular clock methods allow biologists to estimate divergence times, which in turn play an important role in comparative studies of many evolutionary processes. It is well known that molecular age estimates can be biased by heterogeneity in rates of molecular evolution, but less attention has been paid to the issue of potentially erroneous fossil calibrations. In this study we estimate the ti...

BACKGROUND The optimization of gait performance is an important goal in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy (CP) who present a prognosis associated with locomotion. Gait analysis using videos captured by digital cameras requires validation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the validity of a method that involves the analysis of videos captured using a digital camera for quantifying the tem...

Measured from high–resolution spectra, we present Ca II K line chromospheric fluxes in 35 G dwarf stars of 5 open clusters to determine the age–activity–rotation relationship from the young Hyades and Praesepe (0.6 Gyr) to the old M 67 (∼ 4.5 Gyr) through the two intermediate age clusters IC 4651 and NGC 3680 (∼ 1.7 Gyr). The full amplitude of the activity index within a cluster is slightly abo...

OBJECTIVE We sought to develop a simple point score that would accurately capture the risk of hospital death for patients with acute lung injury (ALI). DESIGN This is a secondary analysis of data from two randomized trials. Baseline clinical variables collected within 24 hours of enrollment were modeled as predictors of hospital mortality using logistic regression and bootstrap resampling to ...

OBJECTIVE Using a specific cutoff of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) to screen gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can reduce the use of oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). Since the prevalence of GDM increases with age, this screening method may not be appropriate in healthcare systems where women become pregnant at older ages. Therefore, we aimed to develop a screening algorithm for GDM that ta...

a mathematical model was developed to predict the effects of wind speed, light, ph, temperature, dissolved carbon dioxide and chemical oxygen demand (cod) on dissolved oxygen (do) in fish ponds. the effects of organic feeds, aeration and fish activity were added to the model developed by kayombo et al. for waste stabilization ponds (ecological modeling 127(2000): 21-31) to reflect the situat...

mathematical models have the potential to provide a cost-effective, objective, and flexible approach to assessing management decisions, particularly when these decisions are strategic alternatives. in some instances, mathematical model is the only means available for evaluating and testing alternatives.  however, in order for this potential to be realized, models must be valid for the applicati...

conclusions we concluded that the fcchl scales are valid and reliable, and can be used to measure health literacy among iranian diabetic patients. however, further research is needed to establish stronger psychometric properties for the use of this questionnaire in iran. results exploratory factor analysis (efa) identified three main factors with 27.07%, 22.46%, and 16.23% of extracted variance...

objectives we aimed to translate the bapt into farsi, assess its content validity, and examine its reliability and validity to identify exclusive breastfeeding discontinuation in iran. materials and methods the bapt was translated into farsi and the content validity of the farsi version of the bapt was assessed. it was administered to 356 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy, who ...

background good knowledge, attitude and practice (kap) of the physicians allow them to handle their patients in such a way that they prevent themselves from contracting, and their patients from spreading, the infection. however, the iranian standardized kap questionnaire of physicians about viral hepatitis is not available. so, we developed a standard questionnaire. objectives the purpose of th...