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Dynamic assessment of economic and environmental performance index and generation, composition, environmental and human health risks of hospital solid waste in developing countries; A state of the art of review
No full textMany studies have been conducted on hospital solid waste management (HSWM) throughout the world, especially developing countries. This interdisciplinary study aims to summarize the available knowledge on the health and environmental risks of hospital solid waste (HSW) and also, develop a dynamic associational assessment among hospital solid waste generation rate (HSWGR), hospital solid waste composition (HSWC), gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and environmental performance index (EPI) in some developing countries for the first time. The results of this study showed that researchers from India, China, Pakistan, Brazil, and Iran had found more evidence about the health, economic, and environmental issues in HSW than the other developing countries. The literature showed that the highest and lowest reported HSWGR (in national average level) belonged to Ethiopia (6.03) and India (0.24) kg bed �1 day�1, respectively. It has also been shown that all studied countries except Serbia, have higher levels of hazardous waste in their HSWC, based on the WHO's standard. Furthermore, the quantity and quality of HSW in developing countries depend on the service provided by the hospital, type of hospital, HSWM system, and the level of regional economic and culture. The association analysis showed that the EPI and GDP per capita of developing countries were significantly (p-value <0.05) associated with HSWGR, non-hazardous HSW, and hazardous HSW by the Spearman coefficients equal to 0.389, 0.118, �0.118, and 0.122, 0.216, and �0.346, respectively. However, it can be concluded that GDP per capita and EPI have a weak correlation with hazardous HSW and non-hazardous HSW. Moreover, HSW has many hazardous health and environmental risks such as dioxin and furan, that must be controlled and managed through implementing programs and policies based on sustainable development. As a final point, we believed that the present study can be considered to be a guide for future studies on HSWM in developing countries. © 2019 The Author
Preparation and characterization of magnetic Fe3O4/CdWO4 and Fe3O4/CdWO4/PrVO4 nanoparticles and investigation of their photocatalytic and anticancer properties on PANC1 cells
Get PDFFe3O4/CdWO4 and Fe3O4/CdWO4/PrVO4 magnetic nanoparticles were prepared at different molar ratios of PrVO4 to previous layers (Fe3O4/CdWO4) via the co-precipitation method assisted by a sonochemical procedure, in order to investigate the photocatalytic performance of these systems and their cytotoxicity properties. The physico-chemical properties of these magnetic nanoparticles were determined via several experimental methods: X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy, using a vibrating sample magnetometer and a scanning electron microscope. The average sizes of these nanoparticles were found to be in the range of 60-100 nm. The photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared nanostructures was measured by methylene blue degradation under visible light (assisted by H2O2). The magnetic nanosystem with a 1:2:1 ratio of three oxide components showed the best performance by the degradation of ca. 70 after 120 min of exposure to visible light irradiation. Afterwards, this sample was used for the photodegradation of methyl orange, methyl violet, fenitrothion, and rhodamine-B pollutants. Finally, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction was examined by releasing �OH under UV light in a system including terephthalic acid, as well as O2-, OH, and hole scavengers. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of each synthesized sample was assessed using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay against the human cell line PANC1 (cancer), and its IC50 was approximately 125 mg/L. © 2019 by the authors
Electrochemical-based biosensors for microRNA detection: Nanotechnology comes into view
Get PDFNanotechnology plays an undeniable significant role in medical sciences, particularly in the field of biomedicine. Development of several diagnostic procedures in medicine has been possible through the beneficial application of nano-materials, among which electrochemical nano-biosensors can be mentioned. They can be employed to quantify various clinical biomarkers in detection, evaluation, and follow up stages of the illnesses. MicroRNAs, a group of regulatory short RNA fragments, added a new dimension to the management and diagnosis of several diseases. Mature miRNAs are single-stranded RNA molecules approximately 22 nucleotides in length, which regulate a vast range of biological functions from cellular proliferation and death to cancer development and progression. Recently, diagnostic value of miRNAs in various diseases has been demonstrated. There are many traditional methods for detection of miRNAs including northern blotting, quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), microarray technology, nanotechnology-based approaches, and molecular biology tools including miRNA biosensors. In comparison with other techniques, electrochemical nucleic acid biosensor methods exhibit many interesting features, and could play an important role in the future nucleic acid analysis. This review paper provides an overview of some different types of nanotechnology-based biosensors for detection of miRNAs. © 201
Circular RNAs in cancer: New insights into functions and implications in ovarian cancer
Get PDFCircular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which have a circular and closed loop structure. They are ubiquitous, stable, conserved and diverse RNA molecules with a range of activities such as translation and splicing regulation, which are able to interacting with RNA-binding proteins and specially miRNA sponge. The expression patterns of the circRNAs exhibited tissue specificity and also, step and stage specificity. Accumulating evidences approved the critical role of circular RNAs in many cancers such as ovarian cancer. Given that these molecules exert their effects through multiple cellular and molecular mechanisms (i.e., angiogenesis, apoptosis, growth, and metastasis) which are involved in cancer pathogenesis, circular RNAs, in particular, act by controlling cell proliferation in ovarian cancer, so that, it has been shown that the deregulation of these molecules is associated with initiation and progression of ovarian cancer. Therefore, they are attractive molecules which have introduced them as cancer biomarkers. Moreover, they could be used as new therapeutic candidates for developing novel treatment strategies. Here, for first time, we have provided a comprehensive review on the recent knowledge of circular RNAs and their pathological roles in the ovarian cancer. © 2019 The Author(s)
Comparative effects of quercetin and hydroalcoholic extract of Otostegia persica boiss with atorvastatin on atherosclerosis complication in male wistar rats
Get PDFThe use of herbal remedies is significantly considered in the atherosclerosis treatment, reduction of fatty elements, and prevention of activity of oxidative stress factors. The present study was conducted on 48 rats in 6 groups. The experimental and sham groups were fed with 2 cholesterol for 40 days; and experimental groups were separately treated by atorvastatin, quercetin, and hydroalcoholic extract for 4 weeks. After treatment procedure, some serum factors such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated. Serum levels of LDL, TC, MDA, and ROS were significantly lower in experimental groups than sham group (p '.01). There was a significant decrease in serum MDA levels of these two groups in comparison with the atorvastatin-treated group (p '.05). Blood pressure parameters were decreased in treated with quercetin and hydroalcoholic extract in comparison with the sham group (p '.05). Quercetin and hydroalcoholic extract similar to atorvastatin could decrease serum lipids except high-density lipoprotein (HDL), oxidative stress factors, aorta contraction, weight gain, and blood pressure. These reagents improved the vascular structure and prevented the plaque formation. © 2019 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Genomic instability and carcinogenesis of heavy charged particles radiation: Clinical and environmental implications
Get PDFOne of the uses of ionizing radiation is in cancer treatment. The use of heavy charged particles for treatment has been introduced in recent decades because of their priority for deposition of radiation energy in the tumor, via the Bragg peak phenomenon. In addition to medical implications, exposure to heavy charged particles is a crucial issue for environmental and space radiobiology. Ionizing radiation is one of the most powerful clastogenic and carcinogenic agents. Studies have shown that although both low and high linear energy transfer (LET) radiations are carcinogenic, their risks are different. Molecular studies have also shown that although heavy charged particles mainly induce DNA damage directly, they may be more potent inducer of endogenous generation of free radicals compared to the low LET gamma or X-rays. It seems that the severity of genotoxicity for non-irradiated bystander cells is potentiated as the quality of radiation increases. However, this is not true in all situations. Evidence suggests the involvement of some mechanisms such as upregulation of pro-oxidant enzymes and change in the methylation of DNA in the development of genomic instability and carcinogenesis. This review aimed to report important issues for genotoxicity of carcinogenic effects of heavy charged particles. Furthermore, we tried to explain some mechanisms that may be involved in cancer development following exposure to heavy charged particles. © 2019 by the authors
Prevalence of Integrons and Antibiotic Resistance Pattern in Acinetobacter baumannii Isolated from Clinical Samples of Iranian Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Get PDFBackground: Acinetobacter baumannii is an important opportunistic nosocomial pathogen. Class 1 integrons in A. baumannii plays a significant role in antibiotic resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of integrons and antibiotic resistance pattern in A. baumannii isolated from clinical samples of Iranian patients. Methods: The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and the keywords with the help of Boolean operators ("AND" or "OR") were used alone or in combination to conduct the search. The searching process was conducted in the Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases and, also Iranian databases. The search was restricted to relevant English and Persian cross-sectional publications reporting the prevalence of Int1 in A. baumannii isolated from clinical samples from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2018. The data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Regarding the heterogeneity of studies, the random effects model was used. Cochrane Q and I2 tests was used to evaluate statistical heterogeneity between the studies. Results: Fifteen studies were included in the analysis. The combined prevalence of class 1 integrons in A. baumannii was 55.2 (95 CI: 44.8-65.1). The pooled prevalence of MDR A. baumannii isolates was 68.1. The highest resistance belonged to Aztreonam, followed by Ciprofloxacin, and Ceftazidime with a resistance rate of 97.6, 92.8, and 91.6, respectively. Tobramycin was reported as an effective antibiotic. Conclusions: The present study reported an alarmingly high prevalence of class 1 Integrons, and MDR isolates of A. baumannii recovered from clinical samples that should be considered. © 2019 Mehran G., et al
Thyroid function following breast cancer chemotherapy: A systematic review
No full textBackground: Chemotherapy, as a systemic therapy, is one of the most effective modalities for cancer treatment. However, the use of chemotherapeutic drugs in patients with breast cancer can lead to thyroid dysfunction. This systematic review summarizes the available data on thyroid function following breast cancer chemotherapy. Methods: To illuminate the thyroid toxicities induced by different chemotherapy regimens in patients with breast cancer, a systematic search was done in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline in Scopus, Embase, PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases up to December 2018. On the basis of a set of prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight eligible articles providing data on thyroid function following chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer were included in the study. Results: According to the obtained results, it was found that for most cases, the levels of triiodothyronine (T3), free T3 (FT3), thyroxin (T4) and free T4 (FT4) hormones decrease following breast cancer chemotherapy regimens used in these eligible studies. However, alteration of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level after breast cancer chemotherapy was not clear. Conclusion: The findings showed that thyroid function and TSH hormone level can change in patients with breast cancer receiving different chemotherapy regimens. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Resveratrol is a promising agent for colorectal cancer prevention and treatment: Focus on molecular mechanisms
Get PDFColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and one of the main causes of cancer death entire the world. Environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors including red meat consumption, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake and family history are the most important risk factors of CRC. Multiple pathways including inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis are involved in its incidence and progression. Resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound, has different pharmacologic functions including anti-inflammation, cancer prevention, lipid-lowering effect, and hypoglycemic effect. Many studies have proved that resveratrol might also represent a chemo preventive effect on CRC. Thus, the aim of the current review is to depict the role of resveratrol in treatment of CRC in a molecular manner. © 2019 The Author(s)
Evaluating the demographic and clinical minimum data sets of Iranian National Electronic Health Record
Get PDFBackground: Designing a standard data set is necessary to overcome the dispersion of data among different health information systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the current demographic and clinical minimum data sets (MDSs) of Iranian National Electronic Health Record (known as SEPAS) and to identify most necessary data elements. Methods: Data were collected using a list of current demographic and clinical data of SEPAS and a self-administered questionnaire. All faculty members of six health related fields and the hospital authorities, and IT and HIM administrators of 6 hospitals in Kerman University of Medical Sciences were invited to participate in this study. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by six medical informatics and HIM experts and the reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha (α =0.95). SPSS v18 was used to generate descriptive statistics. Results: Survey results indicated that 15 data elements should become mandatory elements of MDS for communicating data to SEPAS. These elements include patient's name, surname, father's name, nationality, cell number, job, residential address, residence place, passport number (for non-Iranian patients), diagnosis date, death time, death place and the unit of the hospital where the patient died. Moreover, participants suggested 33 additional demographic and clinical data elements to be communicated mandatorily to SEPAS. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the minimum data sets of Iranian national electronic health record needs to be revised. Using the proposed MDSs by this study can improve the quality and efficiency of information and reduce redundancy by adding necessary data and preventing communication of unnecessary data. The method employed in this study can be used for investigating, refining and completing the MDSs of other health information systems. © 2019 The Author(s)