4265 research outputs found
Sort by
The effects of telephone-based telenursing on perceived stressors among older adults receiving hemodialysis
Get PDFBackground: Older adults who receive hemodialysis face different physiological and psychosocial stressors. Management of physiological and psychosocial stressors is among their basic needs for a desirable life.Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of telephone-based telenursing on perceived stressors among older adults receiving hemodialysis. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2018 on sixty older adults who were receiving hemodialysis. Participants were conveniently recruited from the hemodialysis centers of Shahid Beheshti and Imam Khomeini hospitals, Babol and Behshahr, Iran, and were randomly allocated to a control and an intervention group. A 3-month telephone-based telenursing program was implemented for participants in the intervention group. Physiological and psychosocial stressors were assessed before and after the study intervention. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square, paired-samples t, and independent-samples t-tests. Results: The mean score of physiological stressors in the intervention group statistically significantly reduced from 17.33 ± 1.74 at pretest to 11.96 ± 3.16 at posttest (P 0.05), there were significant between-group differences respecting the posttest mean scores and the pretest-posttest mean differences of both physiological and psychosocial stressors (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Telenursing is effective in significantly reducing perceived stressors among older adults receiving hemodialysis. Nurses can use telenursing to reduce stressors among this patient population
How does coronary artery bypass graft surgery affect body image?
Get PDFBackground: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is commonly used to treat coronary artery disease. However, it is associated with significant physical and psychological problems. Objectives: This study was conducted to examine how body image changes after CABG surgery. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 140 patients consecutively recruited from Shahid Beheshti Medical Center, Kashan, Iran. The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire was used to assess the body image (BI) before, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the surgery (T1-T3). The independent-samples t- test and one-way and the repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted for data analysis. Results: Participants' possessed 60.69 ± 5.74, 67.67 ± 4.48, and 69.67 ± 3.37 percent of the BI scores at T1 to T3, respectively. The variations of BI scores were statistically significant across the measurement time points (P = 0.01). Male participants' BI was significantly better than females only at T2 (P < 0.01). BI had significant relationships with age, marital status, and educational status at T1, and employment status at T1 and T2 (P < 0.05). Similarly, single patients had better BI than their married counterparts (P = 0.02). Conclusions: CABG surgery improves BI. Considering the effects of BI on the patients' self-care behaviors, nurses should assess the cardiac patients BI, especially before surgery and employ programs for improving the patients BI
Biosensors for detection of Tau protein as an Alzheimer's disease marker
No full textKnown as a main neural MAP (microtubule associated protein), tau protein contributes to stabilizing microtubules involved in cellular transmission. Tau dysfunction is mainly associated with neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD). In these patients, all the six tau isoforms, which are in hyperphosphorylated form, are first aggregated and then polymerized into neurofibrillary tangles inside the brain. Tau protein detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is significantly correlated with AD and is well recognized as a hallmark of the disease. Served for detection of analytes of interest, biosensor device comprises a physical transducer and a keen biological recognition component. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations may be performed through analyzation of the data, which is gathered by measurable signals converted from biological reaction. Antibodies, receptors, microorganisms, nucleic acids, enzymes, cells and tissues, as well as some biomimetic structures, normally constitute the biosensor biological recognition part. Production of nanobiosensor, which was made possible through several accomplishments in nano- and fabrication technology, opens up new biotechnological horizons in diagnosis of multiple diseases. In recent years, many researches have been focused on developing novel and effective tau protein biosensors for rapid and accurate detection of AD. In this review, tau protein function and correlation with AD as well as the eminent research on developing nanobiosensor based on optical, electrochemical and piezoelectric approaches will be highlighted. © 202
The interactions and communications in tumor resistance to radiotherapy: Therapy perspectives
No full textTumor microenvironment (TME) includes a wide range of cell types including cancer cells, cells which are involved in stromal structure and immune cells (tumor suppressor and tumor promoting cells). These cells have several interactions with each other that are mainly regulated via the release of intercellular mediators. Radiotherapy can modulate these interactions via shifting secretions into inflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses. Radiotherapy also can trigger resistance of cancer (stem) cells via activation of stromal cells. The main mechanisms of tumor resistance to radiotherapy is the exhaustion of anti-tumor immunity via suppression of CD4+ T cells and apoptosis of cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTLs). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), mesenchymal-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the main suppressor of anti-tumor immunity via the release of several chemokines, cytokines and immune suppressors. In this review, we explain the main cellular and molecular interactions and secretions in TME following radiotherapy. Furthermore, the main signaling pathways and intercellular connections that can be targeted to improve therapeutic efficiency of radiotherapy will be discussed. © 2020 Elsevier B.V
Chest CT findings of COVID-19-infected patients, are there differences between pediatric and adult patients? A systematic review
Get PDFBackground: Purpose of this study was to deliver a report of chest CT findings of COVID-19-infected pediatric and adult patients and to make an age-based comparison. A systematic search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant studies in the electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Web of Sciences from January 1, 2020 to March 27, 2020 using search terms in the titles and abstracts. Based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 762 articles were screened. Finally, 15 eligible articles which had adequate data on chest CT findings of COVID-19-infected patients were enrolled in this systematic review. Results: In pediatric patients (15 years old or younger), peripheral distribution was found in 100 of cases, ground glass opacities (GGO) in 55.2, bilateral involvement in 50, halo sign in 50, unilateral involvement in 30, consolidation in 22.2, crazy paving pattern in 20, nodular opacities in 15, pleural effusion in 4.2, lymphadenopathy in none, and normal imaging in 20.8 of cases. On the other hand, in adult patients, bilateral involvement was reported in 76.8, GGO in 68.4, peripheral distribution in 62.2, mixed GGO and consolidation in 48.7, consolidation in 33.7, crazy paving pattern in 27.7, mixed central and peripheral distribution in 25.0, unilateral involvement in 15.2, nodular opacities in 9.2, pleural effusion in 5.5, central distribution of lesions in 5.4, lymphadenopathy in 2.4, and normal imaging in 9.8 of cases. Conclusion: According to the findings of this systematic review, children infected with COVID-19 can present with normal or atypical findings (nodular opacities/unilateral involvement) in chest imaging more frequently than adult patients. Therefore, more caution should be taken to avoid misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis in infected children. Besides, clinical and laboratory findings need to be considered more decision-making for pediatric patients with normal or atypical chest CT scan but high suspicion of COVID-19. © 2020, The Author(s)
The effects of hydro-ethanolic extract of Capparis spinosa (C. spinosa) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and cognitive impairment: Evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies
Get PDFEthnopharmacological relevance: Capparis spinose (C. spinosa) belonging to Capparaeae, originates from dry areas in the west or central Asia and Mediterranean basin. For thousands of years, C. spinosa has been reported to be used as a therapeutic traditional medicine to relieve various ailments including rheumatism, pain and inflammatory diseases. Aim of the study: There are several studies mentioning that systemic inflammation results in learning and memory impairments through the activation of microglia. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of C. spinosa on both in vivo and in vitro models of neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Materials and methods: In vivo: 40 male rats were used in the present study. Cognitive impairment was induced using LPS (1 mg/kg/d; i.p.) for 4 weeks. Treatment with C. spinosa (100 and 300 mg/kg/d; p.o.) was performed 1 h before LPS administration. At the end of the experiment, rats were undergone for behavioral and biochemical analysis. In vitro: Primary microglia isolated from mouse was used in the present study. The cells were pretreated with C. spinosa extract (10�300 μg/ml) and then stimulated with LPS (1 μg/ml). The expression levels of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were elucidated using Real-Time PCR and ELISA methods. Results: The escape latency in the Morris water maze test in the LPS group was significantly greater than the control group (p < 0.001), while, in extract-treated groups, it was less than the LPS group (p < 0.001). Additionally, we found that the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS/Arg-1 ratio was also significantly lower in extract-treated groups than the LPS group (p < 0.001). The results revealed that C. spinosa extract significantly reduced the levels of TNF-α, iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, NO and PGE2, and the ratios of iNOS/Arg-1 and NO/urea, following the LPS-induced inflammation in microglia (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our finding provides evidence that C. spinosa has a neuroprotective effect, and might be considered as an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases that are accompanied by microglial activation, such as AD. © 202
Psychometric properties of the Persian version of co-rumination questionnaire
Get PDFBackground: Although growing studies support features of co-rumination as a vulnerability factor in internalizing symptoms and positive factor in friendship, little attention has been paid to the psychometric properties of the Co-Rumination Questionnaire (CRQ). Objectives: This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of this questionnaire. Methods: This research is a descriptive-exploratory study and 550 high school students who were selected by random cluster sampling from schools in Tehran. They completed CRQ, Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II), and ruminative response scale (RRS) from winter 2014 to summer 2015. Construct validity, internal consistency reliability, and factor structure were investigated. Results: The factor analysis identified two interpretable factors with the eigenvalue higher than 2. The results from concurrent validity measurement in the current study showed that co-rumination has a positive correlation with depression signs (P < 0.01) and rumination response style (P < 0.01). The CRQ validity was determined using the half-split method employing Spearman-Brown (0.82) and Guttman correlation test (0.81) and internal consistency (0.90). According to these values, this questionnaire has acceptable internal consistency reliability. Conclusions: The Persian version of CRQ has reliability and validity for assessing co-rumination among adolescent participants. This study provides primary evidence on the applicability of the Persian version of the CRQ in the Iranian population. Copyright © 2020, Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits copy and redistribute the material just in noncommercial usages, provided the original work is properly cited
Targeting of oncogenic signaling pathways by berberine for treatment of colorectal cancer
Get PDFStudies indicate that inhibiting a single signaling pathway or one single product of a gene is insufficient for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This is due to the fact that dysregulation must occur in more than 500 genes in order to produce a cancerous phenotype. Despite this evidence, available drugs used for cancer treatment focus on a single target. Meanwhile, berberine as a nutraceutical is capable of targeting various processes involved in tumor development including proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In comparison with synthetic agents, berberine is cheaper, safer, and more available. Berberine has shown anti-inflammatory properties which make it an ideal option in order to prevent inflammation-associated cancers. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers all over the world and its incidence is increasing each day. Therefore, further investigations about berberine could be helpful in the discovery of novel agents for preventing and/or treating colorectal cancer. This review emphasizes the studies investigating the roles of berberine in colorectal cancer such as controlling cell signaling pathways, inducing apoptosis, regulating microRNAs, attenuating oxidative stress, and affecting inflammation. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
Preparation and in-vitro evaluation of pH-responsive cationic cyclodextrin coated magnetic nanoparticles for delivery of methotrexate to the Saos-2 bone cancer cells
No full textOsteosarcoma, as a common malignant neoplasm in children and adolescents, still remains a challenge for conventional therapeutic regimens. In the meantime advent of innovative and revolutionary techniques such as drug delivery systems and smart nano-biomaterials seems promising in tackling these complications. In this study, we designed a smart nano-system consisting of a magnetic inner core and polymeric outer shell with cationic moieties for targeted delivery and enhanced uptake of methotrexate anticancer agent for Saos-2 cell line. The designed nano-formulation was characterized and its drug loading capacity and drug release profile were studied as well that about 60 of methotrexate was released in the first 12 h. The efficacy of the nano-formulation in killing cancer cells was assessed using MTT, cellular uptake, and uptake flow-cytometry. Our in-vitro results confirmed the prepared nano-system has a potential for delivery of anticancer drugs against the Saos-2 cell line and suggests more investigations such as in-vivo tests to be implemented. © 2020 Elsevier B.V
The data set development for the National Spinal Cord Injury Registry of Iran (NSCIR-IR): progress toward improving the quality of care
Get PDFSTUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this manuscript is to describe the development process of the data set for the National Spinal Cord Injury Registry of Iran (NSCIR-IR). SETTING: SCI community in Iran. METHODS: The NSCIR-IR data set was developed in 8 months, from March 2015 to October 2015. An expert panel of 14 members was formed. After a review of data sets of similar registries in developed countries, the selection and modification of the basic framework were performed over 16 meetings, based on the objectives and feasibility of the registry. RESULTS: The final version of the data set was composed of 376 data elements including sociodemographic, hospital admission, injury incidence, prehospital procedures, emergency department visit, medical history, vertebral injury, spinal cord injury details, interventions, complications, and discharge data. It also includes 163 components of the International Standards for the Neurologic Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) and 65 data elements related to quality of life, pressure ulcers, pain, and spasticity. CONCLUSION: The NSCIR-IR data set was developed in order to meet the quality improvement objectives of the registry. The process was centered around choosing the data elements assessing care provided to individuals in the acute and chronic phases of SCI in hospital settings. The International Spinal Cord Injury Data Set was selected as a basic framework, helped by comparison with data from other countries. Expert panel modifications facilitated the implementation of the registry process with the current clinical workflow in hospitals