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Effect of dill (Anethum Graveolens Linn) seed on the duration of labor: A systematic review
No full textBackground: It is well documented that prolonged labor is associated with complications. This systematic review aimed to study the effect of Anethum Graveolens Linn (Dill) on the duration of labor. Methods: We conducted a search on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane central, Web of Science, and MEDLINE. All randomized controlled trials and observational studies evaluating the effect of Dill seeds on labor were recruited. The mean differences (MD) with 95% CI were calculated. Results: Two RCTs showed that using Dill seeds could significantly reduce duration of the first stage (MD = −43.66, 95% CI [-52.99, - 34.33]), second stage (MD = −15.76, 95% CI [-20.06, −11.47]) and third stage of labor (MD = −1.79, 95% CI [-2.62, −0.95]). Two retrospective cohort studies showed a significant reduction in the first, and second stages of labor. Conclusion: Using Dill seeds could reduce the duration of labor. Using this herb in low-risk pregnant women is recommended
Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol
Get PDFHigh blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol—which is a marker of cardiovascular risk—changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million–4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world
Silica-functionalized graphene oxide/ZnO as a photocatalyst for degradation of pirimiphos-methyl from aqueous solutions
No full textPhotocatalytic degradation of pirimiphos-methyl using silica-functionalized graphene oxide (GO)/ ZnO incorporated with fiberglass (silica-GO/ZnO) was evaluated. The effect of different variables including the initial concentration of pirimiphos-methyl, temperature, contact time, and hydrogen peroxide concentration was tested on the photocatalytic degradation. Moreover, the effect of co-existing organic compounds (folic acid, citric acid, oxalate, phenol, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and different purging gases (oxygen and nitrogen) was explored. The maximum removal efficiency was achieved at a neutral medium, in other words at acidic and alkaline conditions the catalyst corrosion occurred which resulted in a decrease in efficiency. By increasing the temperature, the photocatalytic removal efficiency using silica-GO/ZnO increased, because of the catalyst expansion and therefore, greater availability of functional groups. With an increase in the concentration of pollutant from 5 to 60 mg/L, the kobs values decreased from 0.050 to 0.005, while the electrical energy per order (EE0) increased from 95.81 to 923.12 kWh/m3. The removal efficiency of pirimiphos-methyl in the absence of hydrogen peroxide under the optimal conditions of other factors was obtained by ≈98%. However, as the concentration of hydrogen peroxide increased from 3 to 45 mM, the removal efficiency decreased from 86.74% to 81.61%, respectively. The presence of organic compounds acted as a scavenger and resulted in reduced removal efficiency. The findings of this study also suggested that purging of oxygen gas provided greater photocatalytic activity compared to nitrogen and ambient air for the degradation of the target contaminant
Creation the fully integrated and flourishing assessment challenge award: Integration is the key
No full textMedicine is now undertaking a paramount revolution that will alter the nature of healthcare from reactive to proactive. It is imperative to integrate experimental and computational investigation in order to appreciate complex biological systems in the era of precision medicine. In light of this revolution, we necessitate to precision medicine means such as systems approaches (genomics, radiogenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) and also imaging techniques. In addition to technological issues, the fast growth of precision medicine needs dedicated future leaders with a strong foundation in advanced genomic medicine, so that these leaders should assimilate personalized medicine into healthcare, and they must attain many additional management and teaching skills. On other hand, nowadays, universities beyond that primary mission in training heath workers utilize novel protocols for providing a scientific and competitive atmosphere to identify talented students. The fully integrated and flourishing assessment (FIFA) challenge promote cross-disciplinary nuclear medicine related sciences integration within universities. The FIFA challenge could be presented where a place every year active nuclear medicine discipline students in the worldwide can involve their skills for an award program and all the recognition provided by our societies. Developing of such program may simplify the inclusion of all fields which are integrated with nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, entailing integrated molecular, functional and morphological big imaging data generated with various technologies, integrated therapeutic options, quantitative examinations such as radiomics and radiogenomics and also artificial intelligence applications
Gastrointestinal bleeding in a newborn infant with congenital factor X deficiency and COVID-19—A common clinical feature between a rare disorder and a new, common infection
Get PDFDear Editors,
Congenital factor X (FX) deficiency is an extremely rare, bleeding disorder with an estimated incidence of one per 1 million. Patients with severe FX deficiency (FX:C < 1%) demonstrate a wide spectrum of serious clinical presentations, including hemarthrosis, hematoma, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and umbilical cord bleeding.1 In fact, severe FX deficiency, with a high rate of life‐threatening bleeding, is the second‐most severe, rare coagulation factor deficiency (RCFD) after FXIII deficiency.1, 2 Although homozygotes are at risk of severe bleeding, heterozygotes usually are asymptomatic, but postsurgical bleeding or bleeding after childbirth may occur.1, 2 Other risk factors can increase the risk of bleeding in FX deficiency, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), a new medical challenge, could affect the patient's bleeding or thrombotic tendency.3 COVID‐19, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) presents an enormous challenge for everyone, especially for those with underlying risk factors such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and renal failure. Age and male sex are other risk factors.4 Limited data are available regarding the effect of COVID‐19 on patients with congenital bleeding disorders (CBDs), particularly RCFDs.5 It has been shown that hypercoagulability‐related adverse consequences are less common among patients with CBDs, at least in those with moderate‐to‐severe deficiency, but further studies, including our ongoing work on a large number of patients, are required.5 Although there are several reports of newborns among infected pregnant mothers, this is the first report of such a case in an RCFD. This case report may help medical professionals to better manage similar cases. A 19‐year‐old pregnant woman was infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 early in the 9th month of pregnancy. Reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) confirmed the infection. The patient had been in close contact with family members with confirmed COVID‐19. The patient had cough and fever. Due to the mild presentation, she was given Azithromycin and advised to isolate herself at home. The symptoms resolved within 14 days. At end of her 9th month, three days prior to the planned cesarean section, she was rechecked for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection; her RT‐PCR was negative. She successfully underwent cesarean section without complications and delivered a healthy full‐term baby. Therefore, mother and newborn discharged the following morning. In the evening, the baby experienced bloody vomiting and was hospitalized for further assessment, which showed GI bleeding. At admission, laboratory tests showed a positive C‐reactive protein (CRP) (qualitative), a low hemoglobin level, and prolonged prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) (Table 1). He was hospitalized in the neonate intensive care unit (NICU) for 10 days. Due to the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, on the third day after admission he was tested by RT‐PCR, which was positive. The neonate received 30 mL frozen plasma (FFP) six times over 10 days, which resolved the GI bleeding. Tranexamic acid (TXA) was administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg every 8 hours. Due to lack of COVID‐19 symptoms, he did not receive any special treatment for the disorder. After 10‐day hospitalization in the NICU, the neonate was sent to an isolation room for 5 days, during which his condition stabilized, after which he was discharged in stable condition. He has had no complications during the past two months after discharge. Since the child's father and two other first‐degree family members have severe FX deficiency, and the parents of the baby are closely related, the mother and the baby were checked for FX deficiency. Routine coagulation tests, and FX:C assay performed by STA Compact automatic coagulometer (Stago, Paris, France), revealed a severe deficiency in the baby, and a mild deficiency, compatible with heterozygote FX deficiency, in the mother (Table 1).
Table 1. Laboratory characteristics of mother and baby with factor X deficiency and COVID‐19
Test Proband (2nd day after birth) Proband (7th day after birth) Proband (2 months after hospital discharge) Mother (about 3 1/2 months after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection)
WBC × 109/L 14.2 (8‐24)b 9.43 (5‐21) 10.79 (6‐18) 8.7 (3.6‐10.6)
RBC × 109/L 2.5 (4.36‐5.96) 2.78 (4.2‐5.8) 3.50 (3.4‐5) 4.41 (3.8‐5.2)
Hb (g/dL) 8.2 (16.4‐20.8) 9.2 (15.2‐20.4) 10.2 (10.6‐16.4) 13.6 (12‐15)
HCT (%) 24.6 (48‐68) 27 (50‐64) 29.2 (32‐50) 41.4 (35‐49)
Lymphocyte × 109/L 6.4 (1.3‐11) 4.3 (1.2‐11.3) 8.21 (2.5‐13) 2.22 (1‐3.2)
Neutrophil × 109/L 4.9 (2.6‐17) 2.9 (1.5‐12.6) 1.85 (1.2‐8.1) 5.75 (1.7‐7.5)
Platelet × 109/L 370 (150‐450) 331 (150‐450) 334 (150‐450) 276 (150‐450)
PT (sec)
>60
(PTC: 12.6)
90
(PTC: 12.6)
>60
(PTC: 10)
13
(PTC: 10)
APTT (sec)
>120
(APTTC: 31)
100
(APTTC: 30)
>120
(APTTC: 32)
37
(APTTC: 32)
CRP (Quantitative) Trace Negative NC NC
FX:C level NC NC <1% (50%‐150%) 40% (50%‐150%)
Abbreviations: APTT, activated partial thromboplastin time; APTTC, APTT control; CRP, C‐reactive protein; Hb, hemoglobin; HCT, hematocrit; NC, Not checked; PT, prothrombin time; PTC, PT control; RBC, red blood cell; WBC, white blood cell.
a Hematological test normal ranges are extracted from Rodak's Hematology: Clinical Principles and Applications, 5th Ed (2016).
b Normal values are placed in parentheses.
COVID‐19 is an emerging medical challenge that can present more difficulties for those with special conditions, such as pregnant women and newborns. Due to alterations in cellular immunity, pregnant women are more prone to infection by intracellular pathogens like viruses.6 The fetus is also highly susceptible to infection due to immaturity of the immune system.7 Furthermore, the mother's (heterozygote) congenital coagulopathy and that of her newborn (homozygote) were additional potential risk factors, because a disrupted coagulation system is a prominent feature of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.8 To date, FX deficiency in a newborn has not been cited anywhere as a special condition requiring close attention in the case of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. According to the few reports to date, SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is a risk factor for severe maternal morbidity. It is worth noting that most of those mothers were discharged without complications.9 From a clinical aspect, fever was the most common symptom (68%) at the time of admission.9 This was also observed in the affected woman of this study. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection can even affect the type of delivery. A systematic review of these women showed that about 92% of deliveries were by cesarean section, less than 10% being the usual vaginal delivery (7 of 85). Fetal distress was mentioned as the most common indication for cesarean section. Our patient underwent a planned cesarean section, due to her previous history. The delivery itself was uneventful, and a healthy baby was delivered, while among other reported cases, a number of complications have been noted.9 As with most other reports, the infant did not have any symptoms at the time of delivery and was discharged the day after birth.9 In a case series of 10 patients, various first clinical presentations were observed, including shortness of breath (n = 6), fever (n = 2), vomiting (n = 1), and rapid heart rate (n = 1).10 In the case at hand, bloody vomiting was the first clinical presentation. In the same case series, one died due to refractory shock, multiple organ failure (MOF), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Another patient with severe presentation was managed by intravenous infusions of gamma globulin, platelets, and plasma, which was suggestive of the effectiveness of gamma globulin in severe cases. The author recommended early use of intravenous gamma globulin for passive immunization.10 GI bleeding in our case was successfully managed by administration of FFP and TXA. In addition to thrombotic complication, bleeding is not infrequent in patients affected by COVID‐19, with GI bleeding seemingly the most common hemorrhagic manifestation among adults. GI bleeding, with a frequency of 40%, was observed among neonates from affected mothers.3 On the other hand, GI bleeding is also a relatively common presentation among severely FX deficient patients.1, 2 In fact, GI bleeding can occur in children with severe FX deficiency within the first months of life. It seems that such patients are prone to experience severe bleeding, such as ICH, later in life, in the absence of an appropriate therapeutic strategy, most likely preventative regular secondary prophylaxis.1, 2 In one study of 102 patients with congenital FX deficiency, GI bleeding has been reported in 12% of symptomatic cases.1 In this case, with GI bleeding being a common presentation of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and congenital FX deficiency, it cannot definitively be attributed to one or the other. Close monitoring of such cases is necessary to decrease related adverse consequences. Although it seems that COVID‐19 is less severe in adults with CBDs, it is a less‐known issue among children and newborns with CBDs. Further reports and studies could provide clarity. Due to their severe bleeding tendency, close monitoring of patients with severe congenital FX deficiency is mandatory, even without potential SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. And close monitoring of neonates with infected mothers is mandatory to prevent severe consequences. Patients with concomitant infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 require even more rigorous preventative and supportive care.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We highly appreciate Daisy Morant's valuable aid in improving the English Language of this manuscript. The study was supported and approved by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors have no competing interests.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
A. Dorgalaleh designed the work, performed laboratory analysis, and wrote the manuscript. F Ghazizadeh, M. Baghaipour, A. Dabbagh, Gh. Bahoush, and N Baghaipour performed clinical studies. Sh. Tabibian, M. Jazebi, N. Baghaipour, M. Bahraini, A. Fazeli, and F. Yousefi performed laboratory analysis. All the authors approved the submission
Amyloid fibril inhibition, acceleration, or fragmentation; Are nano-based approaches advance in the right direction?
No full textNanotechnology-based approaches have shown promising potential to overcome the challenges associated with current therapeutic/diagnostic approaches and offer exciting solutions to improve the quality of life of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients. Unfortunately, thus far they have failed in clinical translation. These disappointing results question whether nanotechnology-based therapeutic strategies are heading in the right direction. Here, we re-consider the problems and current therapeutic approaches from new angles and suggest what might have been overlooked in advanced AD therapy
Osteoporosis and cognitive impairment interwoven warning signs: community-based study on older adults—Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) Program
No full textSummary: Cognitive impairment and osteoporosis are frequently seen to coincide in clinical practice. Osteoporosis was higher in elderly populations with cognitive impairment, especially in postmenopausal women. Thus, prophylaxis for osteoporosis, falls, and fractures should be considered as part of the treatment of patients with cognitive impairment. Introduction: Cognitive impairment and osteoporosis are two important health concerns among older adults that their possible relationship, concurrent occurrence, and linking mechanism have recently been highlighted. The purpose of this study was to assess the sex-independent association of these two conditions. Materials and methods: From among 2331 individuals aged ≥ 60 years selected in Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) Program, Iran; data of 1508 participants were analyzed. Cognitive status was assessed using Category Fluency Test and Mini-cog assessment instrument. Association between osteopenia–osteoporosis and cognitive impairment were assessed using uni- and multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Osteoporosis was diagnosed in 598 (39.6%) of the participants (58.3% female and 21.9% male, P < 0.001). From among them, 677 (44.9%) had evidence of cognitive impairment (64.5% female and 31.0% male, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regressions showed spinal and total hip osteoporosis was associated with 1.83 (CI 95% 1.13–2.96) and 2.24-fold (CI 95% 1.28–3.89) increase in the risk of cognitive impairment among female subjects, respectively. Ordinal logistic regression, on the other hand, revealed cognitive impairment to be associated with 1.42-fold (CI 95% 1.04–1.92) increase in the risk of spinal osteopenia–osteoporosis, 1.5-fold increase in total hip osteoporosis (CI 95% 1.09–2.05), and 1.48-fold increase in general osteoporosis (CI 95% 1.06–2.0). Conclusion: Different degrees of bone loss and cognitive impairment may be a risk factor for each other among women but not in men. It is suggested that the screening, adopting preventive measures for the other condition and regular follow-ups, if needed, could be of utmost importance
DNA topoisomerase 2 gene polymorphism in dermatophytes
No full textBackground: Dermatophytes are a group of keratinophilic fungi of medical importance. Despite a relatively long history of molecular taxonomic studies, there is still a need for information on genetic polymorphism in wider variety of genomic loci. Objectives: Our goal was to study partial DNA topoisomerase 2 gene (TOP2) polymorphism in dermatophytes. Methods: We performed DNA sequencing of TOP2 in 26 dermatophyte species along with ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Results: The number of polymorphic sites in TOP2 data set was similar to that one in ITS data set. Nannizzia species formed paraphyletic group in TOP2 tree. Trichophyton simii was paraphyletic in concatenated TOP2-ITS tree, one of its two clades contained solely Iranian isolates. Conclusions: Our results revealed several unresolved problems in the taxonomy of dermatophytes, including probable polyphyly of the genus Nannizzia and the species T simii
The effects of ginger supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
No full textThe current systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RTCs) was conducted to summarize the effect of ginger supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in adults. Electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar were systematically searched up to February 2018 to identify eligible RCTs which assessed the effect of ginger on C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid peroxidation products like malondialdehyde (MDA). Fourteen studies were eligible to be included in the quantitative analysis. Results from meta-analysis suggested that CRP (−0.8 mg/L, 95 % CI: −1.17 to −0.43; I2 = 53 %), IL-6 (−2.26 pg/mL; 95 % CI: −4.00 to −0.52; I2 = 58 %) and TNF-α (−1.33 pg/mL; 95 % CI: −1.85 to −0.80; I2 = 55%) were significantly reduced by ginger supplementation. The pooled effect size indicated a significant increase in blood TAC levels after ginger consumption (1.26 μmol/L; 95 % CI: 0.17–2.35; I2 = 84%). Ginger had no significant effect on MDA (−0.29 μmol/L; 95 % CI: −1.06 to 0.47; I2 =78%). Subgroup analysis showed that the effect of ginger on CRP and TNF-α is more pronounced in studies with >80-days’ intervention. When studies were categorized based on hs-CRP/CRP, the effect of ginger was significant in both subgroups. In conclusion, the present study suggested that supplementation with ginger can improve health status in adults by lowering inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. Future trials with high methodological quality are needed to support the beneficial potential (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects) of ginger
Toxic heavy metals and nutrient concentration in the milk of goat herds in two Iranian industrial and non-industrial zones
No full textThis work aimed to explore the concentration of nickel, manganese, iron, copper, chromium, and lead in the milk of goat herds in the industrial area of Asaluyeh (southern Iran) and the non-industrial area of Kaki. The milk of 16 goat herds (each herd had at least ten goats) was collected in several villages in each area, and at the same time, the drinking water and forage of goats were sampled. The concentration of elements in the samples was determined by ICP-OES. The mean concentrations of chromium, copper, iron, manganese, lead, and nickel in milk samples of the Asaluyeh area were 16.423 ± 0.349, 0.146 ± 0.118, 6.111 ± 0.501, 0.239 ± 0.016, 0.141 ± 0.030, and 1.447 ± 0.101 mg/kg, respectively. Concentrations of heavy metals (except for copper) in the milk of goats in the industrialized area of Asaluyeh were significantly higher than that of Kaki (P < 0.05). Also, the content of heavy metals was significantly correlated with lactose levels (P < 0.05). The hazard index for drinking the goat milk was computed to be 0.444 and 0.386 for the Asaluyeh and Kaki area, respectively, which shows a minimal effect of this exposure pathwa