Comparison of spermatic and peripheral blood gases and their correlation with spermogram pattern and varicocele grade in patients with a varicocele

The relationship between infertility and varicocele is still a controversial topic. This study aimed to find the association between the venous blood gas (VBG) pattern of the spermatic veins and peripheral veins with varicocele grade and spermogram variables in infertile patients. A total of 47 patients with a varicocele were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were drawn simultaneously from the spermatic vein and a peripheral vein. The pH, partial pressure of oxygen, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide, oxygen saturation, and bicarbonate values of these samples were analysed. The mean age of participants was 30.48 ± 6.08. The mean volume of semen was 3.92 ± 1.57 mL, and the mean semen pH was 7.88 ± 0.22. The pH was higher (p < 0.01) in the spermatic vein compared with the peripheral vein. However, level of other parameters including pO2 (p = 0.662), pCO2 (p < 0.001), HCO3 concentration of serum (p < 0.01), and base excess (p = 0.172) were lower in the spermatic vein in comparison with the peripheral vein. Correlations between VBGs determinants of the varicocele patients' spermatic vein and sperm morphology and motility were insignificant. In conclusion, although the clinical significance of VBGs is evident, there are limited studies that investigated the VBGs in varicocele patients. We should consider that the deviation in blood gases may be the missing piece in the puzzle to understand the pathophysiology of varicocele. By knowing the pathophysiology more precisely, we can better decide the ideal treatment option for the patients.

Other Novel PET Radiotracers for Breast Cancer

Many novel PET radiotracers have demonstrated potential use in breast cancer. Although not currently approved for clinical use in the breast cancer population, these innovative imaging agents may one day play a role in the diagnosis, staging, management, and even treatment of breast cancer.

Evaluation of image quality, organ doses, effective dose, and cancer risk from pediatric brain CT scans

PURPOSE

The present study was conducted to assess organ doses, effective dose, and image quality, and to estimate the risk of exposure-induced cancer death (REID) in pediatric brain computed tomography examinations.

METHODS

This investigation was performed on 179 pediatric patients (99 men and 80 women) under 12 years old who underwent non-contrast brain CT scans. Patients were classified into four age groups of ≤ 1, 2-5, 6-9, and 10-12 years old. Organ doses and effective doses were calculated using the ImpactDose program. Cancer risk models presented in the BEIR VII report were used to estimate REID values. Image quality assessment in this study was performed by measuring image quality parameters such as noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR).

RESULTS

The highest organ dose in all age groups belonged to the brain. The mean REID values were 12.34 per 100,000 males and 16.77 per 100,000 females. REID values decreased with the increasing age of patients in both genders and were higher for female children than male children. The mean SNR of gray matter, SNR of white matter, and CNR were 11.04, 10.5, and 2.31, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the results of this study, brain CT scans in children are associated with an increased potential risk of cancer. Therefore, minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure in pediatric patients and using alternative imaging modalities are of particular importance. Moreover, optimizing the radiation parameters while maintaining the diagnostic image quality in children should be considered.

Radio-pathomic approaches in pediatric neuro-oncology: Opportunities and challenges

With medical software platforms moving to cloud environments with scalable storage and computing, the translation of predictive artificial intelligence (AI) models to aid in clinical decision-making and facilitate personalized medicine for cancer patients is becoming a reality. Medical imaging, namely radiologic and histologic images, has immense analytical potential in neuro-oncology, and models utilizing integrated radiomic and pathomic data may yield a synergistic effect and provide a new modality for precision medicine. At the same time, the ability to harness multi-modal data is met with challenges in aggregating data across medical departments and institutions, as well as significant complexity in modeling the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity of pediatric brain tumors. In this paper, we review recent pathomic and integrated pathomic, radiomic, and genomic studies with clinical applications. We discuss current challenges limiting translational research on pediatric brain tumors and outline technical and analytical solutions. Overall, we propose that to empower the potential residing in radio-pathomics, systemic changes in cross-discipline data management and end-to-end software platforms to handle multi-modal data sets are needed, in addition to embracing modern AI-powered approaches. These changes can improve the performance of predictive models, and ultimately the ability to advance brain cancer treatments and patient outcomes through the development of such models.

CaZnO-based nanoghosts for the detection of ssDNA, pCRISPR and recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen and targeted delivery of doxorubicin

Overexpression of proteins/antigens and other gene-related sequences in the bodies could lead to significant mutations and refractory diseases. Detection and identification of assorted trace concentrations of such proteins/antigens and/or gene-related sequences remain challenging, affecting different pathogens and making viruses stronger. Correspondingly, coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) mutations/alterations and spread could lead to overexpression of ssDNA and the related antigens in the population and brisk activity in gene-editing technologies in the treatment/detection may lead to the presence of pCRISPR in the blood. Therefore, the detection and evaluation of their trace concentrations are of critical importance. CaZnO-based nanoghosts (NGs) were synthesized with the assistance of a high-gravity technique at a 1,800 MHz field, capitalizing on the use of Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract as the templating agent. A complete chemical, physical and biological investigation revealed that the synthesized NGs presented similar morphological features to the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), resulting in excellent biocompatibility, interaction with ssDNA- and/or pCRISPR-surface, through various chemical and physical mechanisms. This comprise the unprecedented synthesis of a fully inorganic nanostructure with behavior that is similar to MSCs. Furthermore, the endowed exceptional ability of inorganic NGs for detective sensing/folding of ssDNA and pCRISPR and recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen (RSCSA), along with in-situ hydrogen peroxide detection on the HEK-293 and HeLa cell lines, was discerned. On average, they displayed a high drug loading capacity of 55%, and the acceptable internalizations inside the HT-29 cell lines affirmed the anticipated MSCs-like behavior of these inorganic-NGs.

Electrospun Ag-decorated reduced GO-graft-chitosan composite nanofibers with visible light photocatalytic activity for antibacterial performance

The treatment of water contaminated by bacteria is becoming a necessity. The nanomaterials possessing both intrinsic antibacterial properties and photocatalytic activity are excellent candidates for water disinfection. The powdered form of nanomaterials can be aggregated while embedding the nanomaterials into the NFs can overcome the limitation and enhance the photocatalytic activity and transition from UV-light to visiblelight. Here, graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized, grafted to chitosan, and decorated with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to produce Ag-decorated reduced GO-graft-Chitosan (AGC) NPs. The blends of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and AGC NPs were prepared in various concentrations of 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, 5.0 wt%, and 10.0 wt% and used to fabricate the electrospun composite NFs. FTIR/ATR, UV-Vis, Raman, XRD, and SEM/EDAX analyses confirmed the successful preparation of the NPs and NFs. The cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of the composite NFs were received in the order of composite NFs 10.0 wt%˃ 5.0 wt%˃ 1.0 wt%˃ 0.5 wt% in both conditions with/without light irradiation. Their cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity were more under light irradiation compared to the dark. The composite NFs (5.0 wt%) were distinguished as the optimum NFs with cell viability of 80% within 24 h and 60% within 48 h on L929 cells and inhibition zone diameter (IZD) of 12 mm for E. coli and 13 mm for S. aureus after 24 h under the light irradiation. The optimum composite NFs showed thermal stability up to 180 °C and tensile strength of 1.11 MPa with 21.71% elongation at break.

Green porous benzamide-like nanomembranes for hazardous cations detection, separation, and concentration adjustment

Green biomaterials play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases as well as health-related problem-solving. Typically, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical strength are requirements centered on biomaterial engineering. However, in-hospital therapeutics require an elaborated synthesis of hybrid and complex nanomaterials capable of mimicking cellular behavior. Accumulation of hazardous cations like K⁺ in the inner and middle ear may permanently damage the ear system. We synthesized nanoplatforms based on Allium noeanum to take the first steps in developing biological porous nanomembranes for hazardous cation detection in biological media. The 1,1,1-tris[[(2'-benzyl-amino-formyl)phenoxy]methyl]ethane (A), 4-amino-benzo-hydrazide (B), and 4-(2-(4-(3-carboxy-propan-amido)benzoyl)hydrazineyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (B1) were synthesized to obtain green ligands based on 4-X-N-(…(Y(hydrazine-1-carbonyl)phenyl)benzamide, with X denoting fluoro (B2), methoxy (B3), nitro (B4), and phenyl-sulfonyl (B5) substitutes. The chemical structure of ligand-decorated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules (S-ATP) was characterized by FTIR, XRD, AFM, FESEM, and TEM techniques. The cytotoxicity of the porous membrane was patterned by applying different cell lines, including HEK-293, PC12, MCF-7, HeLa, HepG2, and HT-29, to disclose their biological behavior. The morphology of cultured cells was monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The sensitivity of S-ATP to different cations of Na⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Ba²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cd²⁺ was evaluated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) in terms of extraction efficiency (η). For pH of 5.5, the η of A-based S-ATP followed the order Na⁺ (63.3%) > Mg²⁺ (62.1%) > Ba²⁺ (7.6%) > Ca²⁺ (5.5%); while for pH of 7.4, Na⁺ (37.0%) > Ca²⁺ (33.1%) > K⁺ (25^.7%). The heat map of MTT and dose-dependent evaluations unveiled acceptable cell viability of more than 90%. The proposed green porous nanomembranes would pave the way to use multifunctional green porous nanomembranes in biological membranes.

Calcium-based nanomaterials and their interrelation with chitosan: optimization for pCRISPR delivery

There have been numerous advancements in the early diagnosis, detection, and treatment of genetic diseases. In this regard, CRISPR technology is promising to treat some types of genetic issues. In this study, the relationship between calcium (due to its considerable physicochemical properties) and chitosan (as a natural linear polysaccharide) was investigated and optimized for pCRISPR delivery. To achieve this, different forms of calcium, such as calcium nanoparticles (CaNPs), calcium phosphate (CaP), a binary blend of calcium and chitosan including CaNPs/Chitosan and CaP/Chitosan, as well as their tertiary blend including CaNPs-CaP/Chitosan, were prepared via both routine and green procedures using Salvia hispanica to reduce toxicity and increase nanoparticle stability (with a yield of 85%). Such materials were also applied to the human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cell line for pCRISPR delivery. The results were optimized using different characterization techniques demonstrating acceptable binding with DNA (for both CaNPs/Chitosan and CaNPs-CaP/Chitosan) significantly enhancing green fluorescent protein (EGFP) (about 25% for CaP/Chitosan and more than 14% for CaNPs-CaP/Chitosan).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40097-021-00446-1.

Assessing empathy in final-year medical students using the Persian version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy

BACKGROUND

A doctor-patient relationship built on the concept of empathy is so essential to attain the best clinical outcomes in medicine. Since empathy has a positive role in interpersonal relationships and medical outcomes, its assessment is highly crucial. The aim of this study was to assess the empathy in last-year medical students using the Persian version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) and correlate empathy scores with demographic features.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, last-year medical students at Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz, Iran, were recruited for this study. In this research, we used the Persian version of JSPE. The validity and reliability of the Persian version of this tool were confirmed in the previous research. For the analysis of data, we employed descriptive statistics and the independent sample t-test.

RESULTS

One hundred and eighty-five final-year medical students were included in this study. The maximum score of the questionnaire was 140, and the total mean score of empathy was 98.15 ± 13.29. The females' total mean score (102.05 ± 11.89) was higher than the males' score (93.57 ± 13.46). The difference between the mean score of gender and empathy was significant (P value <.001), but there was no significant difference between empathy and the two other demographic factors (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Although physicians would gain the essential characteristics of empathy during their career, attending professors and other responsible policymakers in medical education should focus more on the factors related to physicians' empathy to train better and more professional physicians.

Implementation and evaluation of extracurricular theme for undergraduate basic sciences medical courses at Shiraz Medical School

BACKGROUND

In recent years, to achieve the fundamental goal of educating meta-competent future medical doctors, varieties of educational methods have been proposed in all medical schools. In Shiraz Medical School, we implemented an extracurricular theme focusing mostly on medical education's psychosocial aspect. This study aims to discuss the implementation and evaluation of this extracurricular theme.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study is a descriptive-analytic one; we included all undergraduate medical students in basic sciences courses who started medical education in 2014 and 2015 in Shiraz Medical School. The evaluation tools were questionnaires designed in different formats and handed out to medical students before and after the workshops. Data were analyzed by paired sample t-test in SPSS Software Version 23.

RESULTS

Students' satisfaction was more than 60% in all items of all workshops, except in some items of studying and learning methods and research methods workshops, which were lower than 60%. Students' knowledge about all aspects of communication skills, stress management, critical thinking, studying and learning methods, and research methods workshops improved significantly after participation in these workshops.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical students can become meta-competent future medical doctors. They can reach all of the learning outcomes described in the three-circle model of learning. This goal cannot be achieved by implementing a medical curriculum which only contains medical literature. Some extracurricular issues based on students' and societies' requirements must be added to the main curriculum. The whole curriculum must be evaluated continuously, and required changes must be applied.

Novel Pt-Ag3PO4/CdS/Chitosan Nanocomposite with Enhanced Photocatalytic and Biological Activities

Decorating photocatalysts with noble metal nanoparticles (e.g., Pt) often increases the catalysts' photocatalytic activity and biomedical properties. Here, a simple and inexpensive method has been developed to prepare a Pt-Ag3PO4/CdS/chitosan composite, which was characterized and used for the visible light-induced photocatalytic and antibacterial studies. This synthesized composite showed superior photocatalytic activity for methylene blue degradation as a hazardous pollutant (the maximum dye degradation was observed in 90 min of treatment) and killing of Gram positive bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) as well as Gram negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) under visible light irradiation. The antibacterial activity of CdS, CdS/Ag3PO4, and Pt-Ag3PO4/CdS/chitosan against E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus showed the zone of inhibition (mm) under visible light and under dark conditions at a concentration of 20 µg mL-1. Furthermore, the cell viability of the CdS/chitosan, Ag3PO4, Ag3PO4/CdS/chitosan, and Pt-Ag3PO4/CdS/chitosan were investigated on the human embryonic kidney 293 cells (HEK-293), Henrietta Lacks (HeLa), human liver cancer cell line (HepG2), and pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell lines. In addition, the results indicated that the photodegradation rate for Pt-Ag3PO4/CdS/chitosan is 3.53 times higher than that of CdS and 1.73 times higher than that of the CdS/Ag3PO4 composite. Moreover, Pt-Ag3PO4/CdS/chitosan with an optimal amount of CdS killed large areas of different bacteria and different cells separately in a shorter time period under visible-light irradiation, which shows significantly higher efficiency than pure CdS and other CdS/Ag3PO4 composites. The superb performances of this composite are attributed to its privileged properties, such as retarded recombination of photoinduced electron/hole pairs and a large specific surface area, making Pt-Ag3PO4/CdS/chitosan a valuable composite that can be deployed for a range of important applications, such as visible light-induced photocatalysis and antibacterial activity.

Improved green biosynthesis of chitosan decorated Ag- and Co3O4-nanoparticles: A relationship between surface morphology, photocatalytic and biomedical applications

AgNPs@Chitosan and Co₃O₄-NPs@Chitosan were fabricated with Salvia hispanica. Results showed MZI values of 5 and 30 mm for Co₃O₄-NPs- and AgNPs@Chitosan against S. aureus, and 15 and 21 mm for Co₃O₄-NPs- and AgNPs@Chitosan against E. coli (24 h, 20 μg/mL), respectively. MTT assays showed up to 80% and 90%, 71% and 75%, and 91% and 94% mammalian cell viability for the green synthesized, chemically synthesized AgNPs and green synthesized AgNPs@Chitosan for HEK-293 and PC12 cells, respectively, and 70% and 71%, 59% and 62%, and 88% and 73% for the related Co₃O₄-NPs (24 h, 20 μg/mL). The photocatalytic activities showed dye degradation after 135 and 105 min for AgNPs@Chitosan and Co₃O₄-NPs@Chitosan, respectively. FESEM results showed differences in particle sizes (32 ± 3.0 nm for the AgNPs and 41 ± 3.0 nm for the Co₃O₄NPs) but AFM results showed lower roughness of the AgNPs@Chitosan (7.639 ± 0.85 nm) compared to Co₃O₄NPs@Chitosan (9.218 ± 0.93 nm), which resulted in potential biomedical applications.

Green synthesis of CuO- and Cu2O-NPs in assistance with high-gravity: The flowering of nanobiotechnology

This study, for the first time, reports the synthesis of CuO- and Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) using the Salvia hispanica extract by a high-gravity technique. The original green synthesis procedure led to the formation of nanoparticles with promising catalytic and biological properties. The synthesized nanoparticles were fully characterized and their catalytic activity was evaluated through a typical Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (AAC) reaction. The potential antibacterial activity against gram positive (S. aureus) and gram negative (E. coli) bacteria were investigated. It was shown that the antibacterial properties were independent of the NP morphology as well as of the texture of the synthesis media. As a result, the presently synthesized nanoparticles showed very good photocatalytic and catalytic activities in comparison with the literature. From a biological perspective, they showed lower cytotoxicity in comparison with the literature, and also showed higher antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Thus, these present green CuO and Cu2O nanoparticles deserve further attention to improve numerous medical applications.

Vitiligo and Rise in Blood Pressure - a Case-Control Study in a Referral Dermatology Clinic in Southern Iran

Purpose

Vitiligo is an acquired hypopigmentation condition in which well-defined macules can develop virtually everywhere on the patients’ skin. This analytic case–control study was conducted in Faghihi Hospital outpatient dermatology clinic, affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, southern Iran from June to September 2019. Furthermore, we studied the relationship of hypertension with activity, age of onset, duration, affected body surface area and type of vitiligo.

Patients and Methods

In the current case–control study, 166 individuals were enrolled in total (the case group was comprised of 83 vitiligo patients and 83 individuals actedas control group). The case group was made up of vitiligo patients (both segmental and non-segmental) between 20 and 50 years of age, no prior history of systemic disease and other hypopigmentation disorders, while individuals with any form of dermatologic findings were excluded from the control group. Individuals aged younger than 20 years old or older than 50, having a dermatologic disease other than vitiligo, being afflicted with the diseases which may lead to secondary hypertension, pregnancy, taking substances, and medication which can lead to hypertension were chosen as the exclusion criteria in this study.

Results

Data obtained from our study revealed that vitiligo patients had a higher prevalence of essential hypertension diagnosis than the control group (P=0.040). Also, no significant relationship was found between patients’ age at the first lesion appearance (P=0.856), duration of vitiligo involvement (P=0.497), and percentage of vitiligo involvement (P=0.681) with hypertension.

Conclusion

According to our results, vitiligo patients were more susceptible to hypertension while no association could be found between characteristics of the disease and rise in blood pressure.

Biosynthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles with Potential Biomedical Applications

Introduction

In recent years, the use of cost-effective, multifunctional, environmentally friendly and simple prepared nanomaterials/nanoparticles have been emerged considerably. In this manner, different synthesizing methods were reported and optimized, but there is still lack of a comprehensive method with multifunctional properties.

Materials and Methods

In this study, we aim to synthesis the copper oxide nanoparticles using Achillea millefolium leaf extracts for the first time. Catalytic activity was investigated by in situ azide alkyne cycloaddition click and also A³ coupling reaction, and optimized in terms of temperature, solvent, and time of the reaction. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanoparticles was screened in terms of degradation methylene blue dye. Biological activity of the synthesized nanoparticles was evaluated in terms of antibacterial and anti-fungal assessments against Staphylococcus aureus, M. tuberculosis, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabili, C. diphtheriae and S. pyogenes bacteria's and G. albicans, A. flavus, M. canis and G. glabrata fungus. In the next step, the biosynthesized CuO-NPs were screened by MTT and NTU assays.

Results

Based on our knowledge, this is a comprehensive study on the catalytic and biological activity of copper oxide nanoparticles synthesizing from Achillea millefolium, which presents great and significant results (in both catalytic and biological activities) based on a simple and green procedure.

Conclusion

Comprehensive biomedical and catalytic investigation of the biosynthesized CuO-NPs showed the mentioned method leads to synthesis of more eco-friendly nanoparticles. The in vitro studies showed promising and considerable results, and due to the great stability of these nanoparticles in a green media, effective biological activity considered as an advantageous.

Green Synthesis of ZnO NPs via Salvia hispanica: Evaluation of Potential Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Mammalian Cell Viability, H1N1 Influenza Virus Inhibition and Photocatalytic Activities

Among different forms of metallic nanoparticles (NPs), zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs with a very special bandgap of 3.37 eV and considerable binding energy of excitation (60 meV at room temperature), have been classified as high-tech nanoparticles. This study aimed to synthesize ZnO NPs using the extract from Salvia hispanica leaves. The synthesized nanoparticles were fully characterized and the photocatalytic activity was evaluated through the degradation of methylene blue. Additionally, the potential in vitro biological activities of such ZnO NPs in terms of their antibacterial activity were determined, as well as their antioxidant (30 minutes), antiviral (48 hours) and mammalian cell viability properties (48 and 72 hours). This study is the first investigation into the synthesis of such green ZnO NPs mediated by this plant extract, in which both photocatalytic and biomedical properties were found to be promising. The IC50 values for the antibacterial activities were found to be around 17.4 μg mL–1 and 28.5 μg mL–1 for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively, and the antioxidant activity was comparable with the standard BHT. However, the H1N1 inhibition rate using the present green ZnO NPs was lower than oseltamivir (up to about 40% for ZnO NPs and above 90% for oseltamivir) which was expected since it is a drug, but was higher than many synthetic nanoparticles reported in the literature. In addition, the mammalian cell viability assay showed a higher than 80% cellular viability in the presence of 5, 10 and 20 μg mL–1 nanoparticles, and showed a higher than 50% cellular viability in the presence of 50 and 75 μg mL–1 nanoparticles. In this manner, this study showed that these green ZnO NPs should be studied for a wide range of medical applications.

High-Gravity-Assisted Green Synthesis of NiO-NPs Anchored on the Surface of Biodegradable Nanobeads with Potential Biomedical Applications

Here, an unprecedented synthesis method for nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO-NPs) was facilitated using Salvia hispanica leaf extracts with the assistance of a high gravity rotating packed bed (RPB) system that enabled fast mass transfer and molecular mixing. The synthesized nanoparticles were anchored on the surface of biodegradable chitosan nanobeads and their photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue. Additionally, the potential biological activities of NiO-NPs in terms of antibacterial (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli for 24 hours), cytotoxicity (using the PC12 cell line for 24 and 72 hours), and antioxidant activities (based on the discoloration of the methanolic solution of DPPH) were assessed. This novel approach for NiO-NPs@Chitosan synthesis as mediated by a renewable plant extract and facilitated by a high-gravity method, led to the greener synthesis of nanoparticles with significant antibacterial and photocatalytic properties.

Development of a novel carboxamide-based off–on switch fluorescence sensor: Hg2+, Zn2+ and Cd2+

Here, the carboxamide ligand N-(thiazole-2-yl) picolinamide (L) was synthesized in an ionic liquid tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as the benign reaction medium.

The Effect of Remote Ischemic Preconditioning on the Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) protects other organs from subsequent lethal ischemic injury, but uncertainty remains. We investigated if RIPC could prevent acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

METHODS

This parallel-group, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was done on adults undergoing elective or urgent on-pump CABG surgery from 2013 to 2017 in Shiraz, Iran. Patients were allocated to RIPC or control groups through permuted blocking. The patients in the RIPC group received three cycles of 5 min ischemia and 5 min reperfusion in the upper arm after induction of anesthesia. We placed an uninflated cuff on the arm for 30 min in the control group. The study primary endpoint was an incidence of AKI. Secondary endpoints included short-term clinical outcomes. We compared categorical and continuous variables using Pearson χ2 and unpaired t tests, respectively. P<0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

of the 180 patients randomized to RIPC (n=90) and control (n=90) groups, 87 patients in the RIPC and 90 patients in the control group were included in the analysis. There was no significant difference in the incidence of AKI between the groups (38 patients [43.7%] in the RIPC group and 41 patients [45.6%] in the control group; relative risk, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.69 to 1.33; P=0.80). No significant differences were seen regarding secondary endpoints such as postoperative liver function, atrial fibrillation, and inpatient mortality.

CONCLUSION

RIPC did not reduce the incidence of AKI, neither did it improve short-term clinical outcomes in patients undergoing on-pump CABG surgery. Trial Registration Number: IRCT2017110537254N1.

Analytical method for analysis of electromagnetic scattering from inhomogeneous spherical structures using duality principles

In this article, an analytical approach is presented for the analysis of electromagnetic (EM) scattering from radially inhomogeneous spherical structures (RISSs) based on the duality principle. According to the spherical symmetry, similar angular dependencies in all the regions are considered using spherical harmonics. To extract the radial dependency, the system of differential equations of wave propagation toward the inhomogeneity direction is equated with the dual planar ones. A general duality between electromagnetic fields and parameters and scattering parameters of the two structures is introduced. The validity of the proposed approach is verified through a comprehensive example. The presented approach substitutes a complicated problem in spherical coordinate to an easy, well posed, and previously solved problem in planar geometry. This approach is valid for all continuously varying inhomogeneity profiles. One of the major advantages of the proposed method is the capability of studying two general and applicable types of RISSs. As an interesting application, a class of lens antenna based on the physical concept of the gradient refractive index material is introduced. The approach is used to analyze the EM scattering from the structure and validate strong performance of the lens.

The frequency of gonorrheal and chlamydial infections in Zanjanian women in 2013-2014

BACKGROUND

Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted diseases in women.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of gonorrheal and chlamydial infections and determination of related risk factors in married women with vaginal discharge attending gynecological outpatient department (OPD) in Zanjan in 2013-2014.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross sectional study, 100 married women aged 18-49 years with vaginal discharge were evaluated for signs and symptoms of gonococcal and chlamydial infections. Then cervical discharge samples and blood samples were collected from each subject for the detection of Nisseria gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis by bacterial culture and serological tests, respectively.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Nisseriagonorrhoeae were 16% and 4%, respectively. There was no significant relationship between the contraception methods, previous history of vaginal infections, previous history of urinary tract infections, number of coitus per week and self-reported symptoms (itching, burning, abdominal pain) with prevalence of Nisseriagonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis.

CONCLUSION

According to our results, the prevalence of gonococci infection in Zanjan was remarkable and relatively was higher than other parts of Iran, therefore it is necessary to put emphasis on education and further preventive and therapeutic programs.

Comparison between Clinically Used Irregular Fields Shielded by Cerrobend and Standard Lead Blocks

INTRODUCTION

In radiation therapy centers across Iran, protection of normal tissues is usually accomplished by either Cerrobend or lead block shielding. In this study, the influence of these two shielding methods on central axis dose distribution of photon beam a Cobalt unit was investigated in clinical conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All measurements were performed for 60Co γ-ray beams and the Cerrobend blocks were fabricated by commercial Cerrobend materials. Standard lead block shields belonged to Cobalt unit. Data was collected through a calibrated ionization chamber, relative dosimetry systems and a TLD dosimetery.

RESULTS

Results of the percent depth dose (PDD) measurements at depths of 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 cm for 23 different field sizes of patients with head and neck cancer showed no significant differences between lead and Cerrobend shielding methods. Measurement results of absolute dosimetry in depths of 1.5, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12 cm also showed no significant differences between these two shielding methods. The same results were obtained by TLD dosimetry on patient skin.

CONCLUSION

Use of melt shielding methods is a very easy and fast shield-making technique with no differences in PDD, absolute and skin dose between lead and Cerrobend block shielding methods.

Oral delivery of nanoparticles containing anticancer SN38 and hSET1 antisense for dual therapy of colon cancer

An oral delivery system intended for treatment of colon cancer in HT29 cancerous cells was investigated by encapsulating hSET1 antisense and SN38 anticancer in nanoparticles based on cysteine trimethyl chitosan (cysTMC) and carboxymethyl dextran (CMD). Studies have shown hSET1 as the main type of histone methyltransferase (HMT) complex, is significantly overexpressed in malignant cells. In this study, hSET1 antisense was employed to inhibit gene expression. Additionally, SN38 was incorporated into nanoparticles to enhance the efficiency of the system by inhibition of topoisomerase 1. CysTMC was synthetized and characterized by (1)H NMR and FTIR. Nanoparticles were prepared through complexation of CMD and cysTMC. Particle size and surface charge was 100-150 nm and 17-21 mV respectively with drug content of around 2.6%. Gel electrophoresis assay proved the stability of antisense in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. Nanoparticles showed high mucoadhesion and glutathione responsive release. Cellular uptake was observed by confocal microscopy and quantified by flow cytometry. Cytotoxicity of NPs was assessed using MTT assay. Results showed hSET1/SN38 nanoparticles had significantly higher cytotoxicity against HT29 cells compared with nanoparticles containing SN38, free SN38 or naked hSET1. Therefore, present system could be considered an effective combination therapy of highly hydrophobic SN38 and hSET1.

Specific activation requirements of zona-free sheep oocytes before and after somatic cell nuclear transfer

In this study, the effect of the steps involved in zona-free somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) on oocyte transcripts was investigated in sheep. To establish the reliable combined electrical-chemical activation for zona-free oocytes, oocytes were first exposed to an electrical pulse and then treated with 18 chemical activation regimens designed through modifying duration and concentration of ionomycin and 6-dimethyl aminopurine (6-DMAP), which is routinely used for SCNT. Electrofusion-mediated nuclear transfer significantly reduced transcript abundances of CCNB1, POU5F1, NPM2, GMMN, and CX43 compared to intact oocytes. Maximum parthenogenetic blastocyst development was obtained when oocytes were submitted to electric pulse and then to (1) 5 μM ionomycin for 5 or 2.5 min, both followed by 2 h of incubation with 6-DMAP (41.7±1.1, and 42.4±1.4%, respectively), (2) 5 μM ionomycin for 1 min+6-DMAP for 4 h (43.1±1.4%), and (3) 2.5 μM ionomycin for 1 min+6-DMAP for 2 h (42.4±1.4%), with significant differences compared to all the other groups. Statistical assessment of interactions between duration and concentration of ionomycin and duration of 6-DMAP exposure revealed that (1) concentration of ionomycin may be a more important factor than its duration, (2) both a long exposure period and a low concentration of ionomycin had marked decreasing effects on parthenogenetic development of zona-free oocytes, and (3) high duration of exposure to 6-DMAP can reduce parthenogenetic development. Despite an activation preference of parthenogenetic oocytes, a significantly higher rate of cloned blastocyst development was observed when reconstructed oocytes were activated with 5 μM ionomycin for 5 min rather than 2.5 μM ionomycin for 1 min (8.8±2.5 vs. 1.25±2.2%). These results suggested that SCNT steps have determining effects on oocyte transcripts and activation preferences of the reconstituted oocytes compared to intact counterparts. In this sense, reconstituted oocytes may need a higher concentration of ionomycin for a longer period than intact oocytes.

Cryosurvival of in vitro produced embryos as affected by health status effect of oocyte donor cow

In vitro embryo production and embryo vitrification of genetically superior cows that culled inevitably due to health problems can accelerate genetic progress. This study was carried out to investigate whether maternal age and health status effects of high genetic merit cows affect cryosurvival and developmental competence of IVP embryos. In this sense, the effects of ageing and four common culling causes of dairy cows [repeat breeding (RPB), udder problems (UPM), chronic endometritis (CRE), and lameness (LAM)] on in vitro embryo development, and in vivo developmental competence after embryo vitrification were evaluated. The mean number of oocytes obtained per cow did not vary significantly between donors indifferent groups. Cleavage rates in RPB (86.0+/-4.2%), SEN (81.3+/-2.5%) and CRE (77.6+/-6.3%) cows which were comparable to control (95.9+/-1.5%) but were significantly higher than the related rate of UPM donors (50.6+/-2.6%). Importantly, there was no significant difference between the blastocyst rates of different groups. Mean overall survival rate was not different between the groups and was not affected by the blastocyst production rate. There was no significant difference between pregnancy rates of different groups. The results of the present study indicated that in cattle, neither ageing, nor these four diseases affect ovarian potential in terms of the yield and quality of in vitro embryo development.