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National Spinal Cord Injury Registry of Iran (NSCIR-IR) � a critical appraisal of its strengths and weaknesses
Get PDFThe National Spinal Cord Injury Registry of Iran (NSCIR-IR) is a not-for-profit, hospital-based, and prospective observational registry that appraises the quality of care, long-term outcomes and the personal and psychological burden of traumatic spinal cord injury in Iran. Benchmarking validity in every registry includes rigorous attention to data quality. Data quality assurance is essential for any registry to make sure that correct patients are being enrolled and that the data being collected are valid. We reviewed strengths and weaknesses of the NSCIR-IR while considering the methodological guidelines and recommendations for efficient and rational governance of patient registries. In summary, the steering committee, funded and maintained by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, the international collaborations, continued staff training, suitable data quality, and the ethical approval are considered to be the strengths of the registry, while limited human and financial resources, poor interoperability with other health systems, and time-consuming processes are among its main weaknesses. © 2019 Chinese Medical Associatio
Curcumin inhibits NF-kB and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in cervical cancer cells
Get PDFCurcumin is a natural non-toxic phenol which is isolated from Curcumin longa L. Mounting evidence has revealed the anticancer properties of curcumin in various tumors, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of this suppression in cervical cancer is still remained unclear. Here we assessed the antitumor effects of curcumin compared with 5-Fluorouracil in Hella cells in spheroids models and monolayer cell cultures. The anti-proliferative effects of curcumin and 5-Fluorouracil were as examined in spheroid and monolayer models. The expression levels of Wnt/β-catenin and NF-kB pathways as well as the influence of the cell cycle were evaluated. Curcumin inhibited cell growth in Hella cells through the regulation of NF-kB and Wnt pathways. Also, cells developed a G2/M cell cycle arrest followed by sub-G1 apoptosis with 5-Fluorouracil and curcumin. It was also shown that curcumin either considerably affects the Wnt/β-catenin and NF-kB pathways. We showed that curcumin inhibits invasion and proliferation of cervical cancer cells via impairment of NF-kB and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, proposing further studies on the potential impacts of this compound on cancer therapy. © 2019 Elsevier Gmb
A survey of perceptions, attitudes and practices regarding the antibiotic prescription among Iranian physicians
No full textBackground: Over-prescription and overuse of antibiotics are a major cause of concern in terms of healthcare and economic implications, as well as the emergence of microbial resistance worldwide. So far, efforts have been administered by many countries to regulate the consumption of antibiotics and overcome the rapid emergence of resistant bacteria. Assessment of the perspectives and behavior of physicians can play a major role in achieving this objective. Objectives: The objective of the present study was to assess the perspectives on the antibiotic prescription practice of physicians and evaluate their tendency to receive feedback on their performance in outpatient settings. Materials and methods: Attitudes and practices of 330 physicians on antibiotics prescription were evaluated using a validated questionnaire in 2014 in Mashhad, Iran. Results: 94 of physicians asserted that the prescription rate of antibiotics in Iran is higher than the global average. Physicians noted that �patients� tendency to prescribe antibiotics� is the primary reason of excessive prescription of antibiotics. Approximately, 84 of physicians were keen on receiving performance feedback. More than 71 of participants specified Short Message Service (SMS) notification as their preferred medium for receiving feedback. Conclusions: The dominant viewpoint of physicians was that the rate of antibiotics prescription in Iran is larger than the global average, which can lead to adverse economic and bacterial resistance consequences. Interventions such as �performance feedback� have the potential to reduce antibiotics over-prescription. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Alerting prevalence of MBLs producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates
No full textMBL (Metallo-β-lactamases) producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates are the most common opportunistic organisms with multidrug resistance (MDR) in hospital infections. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of MBL producing isolates, antibiotic resistance pattern, and detection of the related genes using PCR technique. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 150 clinical samples were collected from different wards (Internal, Surgical, and ICU) of Baqiyatallah Hospital during 2017, and isolates were identified by biochemical, and microbiology tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. To detect β-lactamases, Double Disc Synergy Test (DDST) and Metallo-β-lactamase detection test were used. And genes associated with β-lactamases and Metallo-β-lactamases were detected by PCR technique. Data were analyzed by SPSS software through Chi-square statistical test. Of 150 clinical specimens 75 P. aeruginosa isolates recovered, and 68.6 of those were MBLs producers. The highest resistance belonged to Ciprofloxacin (94.66), followed by Amikacin (93.44), and no resistance was observed to Polymyxin B. The highest prevalence of genes in P. aeruginosa isolates was reported for vim (100) and aac6 (95.71). Results of this study showed that the prevalence of MBLs in patients hospitalized in Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran (Iran) was high, which causes resistance to a wide range of antibiotics. Also, due to the lack of resistance to Polymyxin B, this antibiotic is a suitable drug choice for treatment of life threating infections produced by P. aeruginosa in the studied wards, although the toxic effect of it should be considered. © 2019 Elsevier Inc
Melatonin is an appropriate candidate for breast cancer treatment: Based on known molecular mechanisms
No full textBreast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and one of the most important causes of death in women throughout the world. Breast cancer risk factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, personal and family history, hypertension, and hormone therapy, long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and tobacco usage. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and neoadjuvant therapy are the current means for breast cancer treatment. Despite hormonal agents and chemotherapy, which have beneficial effects on lowering breast cancer death rate, the reaction of different people to these treatments is still a challenging point. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine) is a methoxy indole compound that is mainly secreted by the pineal gland at night; it is as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and oncostatic agent. On the basis of recent studies, melatonin has antitumor properties on different cancer types and it may suppress cancer development in vitro and as well as in animal models. It is suggested that melatonin inhibits the development of breast cancer by various mechanisms. This paper summarizes the roles of melatonin in breast cancer treatment from the aspect of its molecular actions. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
A comparison between the effects of flaxseed oil and fish oil supplementation on cardiovascular health in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
No full textThis study compared the effects of flaxseed and fish oil supplementation on cardiovascular risk parameters in diabetic patients with coronary heart disease. Participants were randomly allocated into three intervention groups to receive either 1,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil or 1,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil or placebo (n = 30 each group) twice a day for 12 weeks. A significant reduction in insulin levels (.04) was observed following flaxseed oil and fish oil supplementation compared with the placebo. In addition, a significant reduction in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (.02) was seen after flaxseed oil supplementation compared with the placebo and a significant increase in total nitrite (.001) was seen after flaxseed oil and fish oil intake compared with placebo. Additionally, a significant increase in total antioxidant capacity (p <.001) after consuming flaxseed oil and fish oil compared with placebo and glutathione levels (.001) after consuming fish oil compared with flaxseed oil and placebo was observed. Overall, our study revealed the beneficial effects of flaxseed oil and fish oil supplementation on few metabolic profiles. This study suggests that the effect of flaxseed oil in reducing insulin and increasing total nitrite and total antioxidant capacity is similar to fish oil. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Predictive value of transcutaneous bilirubinometry on third day of birth in diagnosis of hyperbilirubinemia in term and near-term neonates
No full textIntroduction: Severe hyperbilirubinemia may cause side effects such as hearing impairment or bilirubin encephalopathy. In this way, transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TCB) is a non-invasive screening method, which is performed using BiliCheck and does not require frequent blood sampling, time and cost. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of TCB on third day of birth in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia diagnosis in term and near-term neonates. Materials and Methods: A test assessment method was chosen with continuous sampling in 388 neonates 35 weeks and more at AkabarAbadi hospital in Tehran in 2011. On the third day of birth, cutaneous bilirubin levels (TCB) in the forehead by using BiliCheck and serum bilirubin (TSB) was measured from the heel capillary sample and consequently were compared with each other. Results: In neonatal hyperbilirubinemia diagnosis on the third day of birth, cutaneous bilirubin measurement had the sensitivity of 82 with the confidence interval (78.2, 85.7), specificity of 99.3 with the confidence interval (98.7, 99.9), positive predictive value of 92.9 with the confidence interval (88.0, 96.2) and negative predictive value of 94.8 with the confidence interval (92.8, 96.8). Generally, the third day measurement of cutaneous bilirubin had a predictive value of 94.5 in detecting high-risk neonates for hyperbilirubinemia. Conclusion: Third day TCB, in addition to being non-invasive and convenient use, has a high predictive value to detecting the risk of hyperbilirubinemia in neonate and it is recommended to use hyperbilirubinemia screening. © 2019, Semnan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved
Experimental design, modeling and mechanism of cationic dyes biosorption on to magnetic chitosan-lutaraldehyde composite
Get PDFMagnetic separation of toxic dyes has become a potential and effective method in wastewater treatments. In present research, a facile in situ one step co-precipitation synthetic approach is used to develop water-dispersible Fe 3 O 4 /Chitosan/Glutaraldehyde nanocomposites (MCS-GA) as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of Crystal Violet (CV) from aqueous solution. The physicochemical properties of the MCS-GA were investigated using FTIR, SEM, TEM, XRD, BET, and VSM techniques. 5-level and 3-factors central composite design (CCD) combined with the response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to investigate the statistical relationships between independent variables i.e. initial pH, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration and adsorption process as response. The optimal values of the parameters for the best efficiency (99.99) were as follows: pH of 11, the initial dye concentration of 60 mg L �1 and MCS-GA dosage of 0.817 g L �1 , respectively. The adsorption equilibrium and kinetic data were fitted with the Langmuir monolayer isotherm model (q max : 105.467 mg g �1 , R 2 : 0.996) and pseudo-second order kinetics (R 2 : 0.960). Thermodynamic parameters (R 2 > 0.941, �H°: 690.609�896.006 kJ mol �1 , �G°: �1.6849 to �13.4872 kJ mol �1 , �S°: 0.168�0.232 kJ mol �1 K �1 ) also indicated CV adsorption is feasible, spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Overall, taking into account the excellent efficiency, good regeneration and acceptable performance in real terms, MCS-GA can be introduced as a promising absorbent for dyes removal from the textile wastewater. © 2019 Elsevier B.V
Does soy protein supplementation affect body composition in healthy exerciser adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials
Get PDFBackground objectives: The effects of soy protein supplementation on anthropometric parameters and body composition indices of healthy adults is equivocal. The aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to assess the effects of soy protein supplementation on weight and body composition of healthy adults in clinical trial studies. Methods: A systematic search of literature was carried out on clinical trial studies in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane's library and ISI Web of Science Direct up until November 2017. From 492 studies initially retrieved, only 8 articles with 6, 5 and 4 arms included in the meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein supplementation on body weight, Fat free mass and Fat mass, respectively, with 120 participants in the intervention group and 119 participants in the control group. Results: Results of the fixed effect model meta-analysis showed that soy protein supplementation had no significant effects on body weight (0.94 kg, 95 CI: �2.41, 4.30 kg; P = 0.58), fat-free mass (0.6 kg, 95 CI: �0.21, 1.41; P = 0.14) or fat mass (0.43 kg, 95 CI: �2.18, 3.03; P = 0.74) in healthy exercising adults. Conclusions: Results of this meta-analysis study does not confirm any significant beneficial effects of soy protein supplementation on weight and body composition in healthy adults. © 201
Induction of protective immune response to intranasal administration of influenza virus-like particles in a mouse model
No full textHuman influenza A viruses (IAVs) cause global pandemics and epidemics, which remains a nonignorable serious concern for public health worldwide. To combat the surge of viral outbreaks, new treatments are urgently needed. Here, we design a new vaccine based on virus-like particles (VLPs) and show how intranasal administration of this vaccine triggers protective immunity, which can be exploited for the development of new therapies. H1N1 VLPs were produced in baculovirus vectors and were injected into BALB/c mice by the intramuscular (IM) or intranasal (IN) route. We found that there were significantly higher inflammatory cell and lymphocyte concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage samples and the lungs of IN immunized mice; however, the IM group had little signs of inflammatory responses. On the basis of our results, immunization with H1N1 influenza VLP elicited a strong T cell immunity in BALB/c mice. Despite T cell immunity amplification after both IN and IM vaccination methods in mice, IN-induced T cell responses were significantly more intense than IM-induced responses, and this was likely related to an increased number of both CD11b high and CD103 + dendritic cells in mice lungs after IN administration of VLP. Furthermore, evaluation of interleukin-4 and interferon gamma cytokines along with several chemokine receptors showed that VLP vaccination via IN and IM routes leads to a greater CD4 + Th1 and Th2 response, respectively. Our findings indicated that VLPs represent a potential strategy for the development of an effective influenza vaccine; however, employing relevant routes for vaccination can be another important part of the universal influenza vaccine puzzle. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc