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An updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis on the relation between exposure to arsenic and risk of type 2 diabetes
No full textArsenic is among the most critical environmental toxicants associated with many human disorders. However, its effect on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is contradictory. This systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis aim to update information on the association between arsenic exposure and the risk of T2DM. The sample type (drinking water, urine, blood, and nails) conducted the subgroup analysis. Evaluation of the high vs. low arsenic concentrations showed a significant association between drinking water arsenic (OR: 1.58, 95 CI: 1.20-2.08) and urinary arsenic (OR: 1.37, 95 CI: 1.24-1.51) with the risk of T2DM. The linear dose-response meta-analysis showed that each 1 mug/L increase in levels of drinking water arsenic (OR: 1.01, 95 CI: 1.00-1.01) and urinary arsenic (OR: 1.01, 95 CI: 1.00-1.02) was associated with a 1 increased risk of T2DM. The non-linear dose-response analysis indicated that arsenic in urine was associated with the risk of T2DM ((Pnon-linearity)<0.001). However, this effect was not statistically significant for arsenic in drinking water ((Pnon-linearity)=0.941). Our findings suggest that blood arsenic was not significantly linked to the increased risk of T2DM in high vs. low (OR: 1.21, 95 CI: 0.85-1.71), linear (OR: 1.04, 95 CI: 0.99-1.09), and non-linear (P(non-linearity)=0.365) analysis. Also, nail arsenic was not associated with the risk of T2DM in this meta-analysis (OR: 1.33, 95 CI: 0.69-2.59). This updated dose-response meta-analysis indicated that arsenic exposure was significantly correlated with the risk of T2DM
A Novel Missense Mutation in the TGF-beta-binding Protein-Like Domain 3 of FBN1 Causes Weill-Marchesani Syndrome with Intellectual Disability
No full textBACKGROUND: Weill-Marchesani syndrome (WMS) is a rare connective tissue disorder characterized by locus heterogeneity and variable expressivity. Patients suffering from WMS are described by short stature, brachydactyly, joint stiffness, congenital heart defects, and eye abnormalities. This disorder is inherited in two different modes; the autosomal dominant form of the disease occurs due to a mutation in FBN1, and the recessive form results from mutations in ADAMTS10, ADAMTS17, or LTP2 genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The family recruited in this study was a consanguineous Iranian family with an intellectually disabled girl referred to the Sadra Genetics laboratory, Shahrekord, Iran. The clinical history of family members was investigated. Whole-Exome Sequencing (WES) for the proband was performed. Sanger sequencing was used to assess the segregation of candidate variants in the other family members. RESULTS: Whole-exome sequencing analysis revealed a novel heterozygote mutation in the proband located at the third TGF-beta-binding protein-like (TB) domain of the FBN1 gene (NM000138: c.2066A>G: (p. Glu689Gly), NP000129.3, in exon 17 of the gene). Co-segregation analysis with Sanger sequencing confirmed this mutation in the affected members of the pedigree. CONCLUSION: Our findings represent an autosomal dominant form of specific WMS resulting from a substitution mutation in the FBN1 gene. In addition to the typical manifestations of the disorder, mild intellectual disability (ID) was identified in the 8-year-old proband. Given the fact that ID is primarily reported in ADAMTS10 mutated cases, this family was clinically and genetically a novel case
Bacterial Persister Cells: Mechanisms of Formation, Control, and Eradication
No full textBacterial Persister Cells (BPCs) are quiescent, slow-growing or growth-arrested phenotypic variants of normal bacterial cells that are transiently tolerant to antibiotics. It seems that persister cells are the main cause of the recurrence of various chronic infections. Stress response (RpoS-mediated), Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) systems, inhibition of ATP production, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), efflux pumps, bacterial SOS response, cell-to-cell communication and stringent response (ppGpp- mediated) are the primary potential mechanisms for persistence cell formation. However, eradicating persistent cells is challenging as the specific molecular mechanisms that initiate their formation remain fuzzy and unknown. Here we reviewed and summarized the current understanding of how bacterial persister cells are formed, controlled, and destroyed
Amino-functionalized cellulose fibers recovered from newspaper waste for efficient adsorption of crystal violet: Optimization using central composite design
No full textIn this work, the adsorption of crystal violet (CV) dye by amino-functionalized cellulose fibers recovered from newspaper waste (NH2-RCF) was studied for the first time. Characterization of the prepared adsorbent was performed by FE-SEM, EDS, FTIR, and BET techniques. Adsorption tests were carried out considering the desired range of influencing factors in adsorption, including dye concentration, pH, adsorbent dose and contact time at room temperature. The response surface methodology (RSM) was selected to study the effect of interaction independent input variables and a dependent output response variable (crystal violet removal efficiency). The results including p-value (2.2 × 10−16), high F-value (560.633), multi. R2 (0.9929), adj. R2 (0.9882) and absence of significance of the model's lack-of fit (0.147) showed that the diminished second order- model is very significant for the elimination of crystal violet dye by the adsorbent. The most removal efficiency of crystal violet dye was found to be 95.1 , under optimal operational parameters including: adsorbent cycle rate of 0.125 g L−1, pH equal to 9, contact time 92.5 min, and CV concentration of 14 mg L−1. In addition, the results indicated that the pseudo second order kinetic model is the most suitable model for dye adsorption on cellulose adsorbent, and the adsorption behavior of crystal violet dye on NH2-RCF follows the Freundlich model (R2 =0.9955). The negative values of ΔG° at all temperatures exhibited that the spontaneously adsorbed process of crystal violet onto NH2-RCF. In addition, the capacity adsorption and the gradually decreasing in negative values of ΔG° with increasing temperature, implied that the adsorption of crystal violet onto NH2-RCF made more favorable at higher temperature. Collectively, the results showed that the adsorbent created from waste newspaper is an efficient and cheap method to remove crystal violet from aqueous solutions. © 2023 Elsevier Lt
The Efficacy of Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin on the Changes of alpha and beta Apolipoproteins; A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
No full textBackground & Objective: Vascular stenosis is one of the causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Implementing appropriate therapeutic measures for CVDs requires preventing the progression of stenosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on the levels of alpha and beta apolipoproteins using systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials & Methods: This review was performed based on the PRISMA protocol. The ISI, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases were independently searched by two researchers. MeSH keywords were used to recruit related articles published between 2005 and 2018. Meta-analysis was conducted in STATA 11.1software. Results: A total of 65 articles were found. Out of these, nine studies were ultimately included in meta-analysis. The findings showed that alpha lipoprotein level increased by 4.24 mg/dl (95 CI:-0.03;-8.45) and 8.71 mg/dl (95 CI:-1.95;-15.48) in patients treated with atorvastatin and rosuvastatin, respectively. Also, patients treated with either atorvastatin or rosuvastatin showed 40.55mg/dl (95 CI: 32.16; 45.93) and 44.78 g/dl (95 CI: 34.16; 55.39) decreases in beta-lipoprotein levels, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results, rosuvastatin is more effective than atorvastatin in reducing alpha apolipoprotein and increasing beta apolipoprotein levels within a short period of time. © 2023, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. All rights reserved
Radiation exposure to family members of patients treated with radioactive iodine (131I): a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textPurpose: Radiation safety is one of the main concerns for thyroid cancer patients and their caregivers in radioiodine therapy. Even though there is a plethora of research describing radiation exposure to family members of patients, no meta-analysis study has been carried out on this subject. In this study, the doses received by the family members of the patients treated with 131I were investigated. Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out using databases of Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar without the beginning date restriction until December 2022. The meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model, and the doses received by caregivers were calculated as the effect sizes. Results: This meta-analysis retrieved a total number of 2080 family members of thyroid cancer patients. The pooled estimates for radiation exposure to family members of inpatients and outpatients treated with 131I were calculated as 0.4 mSv (95 CI 0.26–0.55 mSv) and 0.54 mSv (95 CI 0.48–0.60 mSv), respectively. The shapes of Begg’s funnel plots seemed asymmetrical for both groups of studies evaluating the doses received by the family members of inpatients and outpatients (Begg’s test p = 0.011 and < 0.001, respectively) which demonstrate the existence of publication bias in the results of included studies. The level of significance calculated in meta-regression analysis to evaluate the effects of administered activity, male sex ratio, and study quality score on the doses received by the family members of the inpatients treated with 131I were p = 0.526, 0.759, and 0.129 respectively. The p-values obtained to evaluate the effects of administered activity, age average of the caregivers, male sex ratio, and study quality score on the doses received by the family members of the outpatients treated with 131I were p = 0.496, 0.974, 0.010, and 0.636 respectively. The study location significantly modifies doses received by family members of patients (both p < 0.001). Conclusion: There are considerable radiation protection considerations for the family members of patients after radioiodine administration. The results of this study showed that caregivers received doses of less than 1 mSv. There are no radiation hazards for family members of patients treated with 131I and the conventional advice provided by the radiation protection advisor is enough. The socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, and literacy levels of the patients’ family members determined the compliance of the caregivers with safety recommendations and therefore modifies the doses received by family members. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Species diversity of medically important necrophagous flies in Southwest Iran
No full textSpecies diversity of medically important necrophagous flies in Southwest Iran. Biodiversitas 24: 1467-1472. The insects are the most successful group in the phylum Arthropoda. Flies are among the most diverse group of insects and organisms. Flies can affect human health in many ways, such as the transmission of a wide range of pathogens and myiasis. Species diversity is the middle level of the hierarchical system of biodiversity. Flies, like other insects, are sensitive to biotic and abiotic factors, and their biodiversity will change under different climatic conditions. This study was performed in Ilam province, in southwest Iran. Two methods were used for collecting the flies, including bottle traps and insect nets. Fly collections were done monthly at each collection site for a year, and to identify the trapped flies, reliable identification keys were used. Calculation of fly species diversity indices was done based on the Shannon-Wiener index, species dominance based on the Simpson dominance index, species richness employing the Margalef's index, and evenness was performed based on the Evenness index. Different aspects of species diversity were calculated using PAST V.3 software. The dominance and abundance of necrophagous flies were higher in the south of the province. The highest evenness was related to the north of the province. A comparison of the diversity of necrophagous flies also indicated that the north of the province has a high species diversity. A significant and positive relationship between fly frequency and the temperature was seen. There was also a significant and negative relationship between the frequency of flies and humidity. The results of this study completed one of the research puzzles on the biodiversity of Iranian flies. The abundance and diversity of necrophagous flies were high in the Ilam province, especially in spring. © 2023, Society for Indonesian Biodiversity. All rights reserved
Diagnostic efficacy of chest computed tomography for Coronavirus Disease 2019
No full textBackground: A significant discrepancy between the results of previous studies is identified regarding the diagnostic efficacy of chest computed tomography (CT) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of chest CT for COVID-19. Methods: Suspected cases of COVID-19 with fever, cough, dyspnea, and evidence of pneumonia on chest CT scan were enrolled in the study. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of chest CT were determined according to real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results as the gold standard method. Results: The study population comprised 356 suspected cases of COVID-19 (174 men and 182 women; age range 3-96 years; mean age +/- standard deviation, 55.21 +/- 18.38 years). COVID-19 patients were diagnosed using chest CT with 89.8 sensitivity, 78.1 accuracy, 21.3 specificity, 84.7 positive predictive value, and 30.23 negative predictive value. The odds ratio was 2.39 (95 confidence interval, 1.16-4.91). Typical CT manifestations of COVID-19 were observed in 48 (13.5) patients with negative RT-PCR results and 30 (8.4) patients with confirmed positive RT-PCR results had no radiological manifestations. Kappa coefficient of chest CT for diagnosis of COVID-19 was 0.78. Conclusion: The results show that when RT-PCR results are negative, chest CT could be considered as a complementary diagnostic method for the diagnosis of COVID-19 patients. A more comprehensive diagnostic method could be established by combining the chest CT examination, clinical symptoms, and RT-PCR assay
Association of Serum Vitamin D Levels with the Risk of Suicidal Behavior in Ilam, Iran: A Brief Report
No full textThere are conflicting reports on the effect of serum vitamin D (VD) levels on the development of suicidal behavior. VD deficiency is prevalent in Ilam province, and this region has the highest suicide mortality rate in Iran. The present study aimed to evaluate a possible association between serum VD levels and the risk of suicide among the inhabitants of Ilam province. A total of 157 suicide attempters (case group) and 314 age- and sex-matched individuals (control group) without a history of suicide attempts were recruited into the study. Suicide attempters were admitted to the Emergency Department of Ilam Shahid Mostafa Khomeini Hospital (Ilam, Iran) between March 2018 and March 2019. The individuals in the control group were randomly selected from those referred to various medical laboratories in Ilam during the same period. The participants in both groups were aged 18-35 years, and none had a history of kidney, liver, or endocrine diseases. Serum VD levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Categorical and continuous variables were compared using the Chi square test and independent samples t test, respectively. Serum VD level in the control group (31.5 +/- 0.2 ng/mL) was significantly lower than in the case group (43.1 +/- 0.1 ng/mL) (P<0.001). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that an increase in serum VD score was associated with an increase in the likelihood of suicide attempts (OR=1.05, 95 CI=1.03-1.06, P<0.001). Our findings confirmed the role of VD deficiency in the development of suicidal behavior. However, it is not a significant factor in its pathogenesis
Nurses' bereavement experiences of a deceased colleague due to COVID-19: A phenomenological study
No full textAim: Healthcare workers have little time to mourn due to the intensification of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although grief is a normal part of life and death, the circumstances surrounding the death can affect the grieving process. So far, the nurses' experience in mourn for a deceased colleague in the COVID-19 pandemic has not been determined. Identifying these experiences can provide opportunities to formulate appropriate strategies to functionally adapt to death and promote mental health and well-being during this crisis. This study aimed to understand the nurses' experiences in mourning for a deceased colleague due to COVID-19.Design: This was an interpretive phenomenological study.Method: Participants included 10 nurses with the bereavement experience following the death of a colleague due to COVID-19, who were selected through purposive sampling, and the data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews and analysed using Diekelmann et al.'s (1989) approach.Results: The nurses' bereavement experiences were in the form of eight themes: disbelief and amazement, acceptance with grief, lasting sadness, unsung laments, bringing back memories, impulse to leave the service, a professional myth and holy death. For nurses, mourning for the death of a colleague due to COVID-19 is like a lasting sadness that begins with disbelief and amazement and changes to acceptance with sadness. From the fellow nurses' point of view, this type of death was perceived as a holy death, which along with countless unsung laments and memories brought to us the association of a professional legend, and that such a fate would be inevitable for us as well, it was a push to leave the service.Public Contribution: Crisis managers and policymakers need to add protocols and training programs for resilience skills and healthy mourning