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Impact of Care Education on the Anxiety of Mothers of Children with Leukemia
No full textObjective: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of care education on the anxiety of mothers of children with leukemia. Study Design: This is a clinical trial study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted among 70 mothers of children with leukemia admitted to a pediatric hospital affiliated to Yazd University of Medical Sciences, Yazd/Iran over a period of 8 weeks. Material and Methods: Participants were selected using stratified random sampling method. The control and the study group both included 35 mothers. The study group was given classes and educational material. Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS) was used to evaluate mothers' levels of anxiety. Results: The study findings showed that before intervention, the mean score of anxiety among mothers in control and intervention groups were 16.6 8 ±10.5 and 13.2 ± 8.34 respectively (p= 0.129). But after educational intervention, the mean score of anxiety in intervention group (4.22 ± 3.68) was less than control group (13.2 ± 8.66) and there was a significant statistical difference between two groups (p<0.001). Conclusions: According to present study findings, we recommended that for control of anxiety among mothers in children with laukemia were used an educational based care approach in nursing care plan. This educational approach can include booklet, lecture and question-answer classroom. © 2022, Pakistan Pediatric Journal. All rights reserved
p Study of Anaerobic Bacterial Infections in Iran, Are They Important?
No full textANAEROBIC bacteria can either alone or in association with other microorganisms lead to various diseases such as oral infection; anaerobic bacteria do not perform oxidative phosphorylation. Air-tolerant organisms have only non-oxidative metabolism but are resistant to oxygen for reasons such as the presence of these enzymes. Clostridium difficile is caused by bacteremia. Recovery from the infections caused by anaerobic bacteria requires prompt and proper management and treatment. The isolation, identification, and eradication of anaerobic bacteria can become complicated, challenging, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. A few studies have addressed anaerobic bacterial associated-infections (ABAIs), but recently this idea has acquired attention in Iran. So, in this study, we reviewed various aspects of ABAIs addressed in Iran. Anaerobic bacteria can either alone or in association with other microorganisms lead to various diseases such as oral infections, C. difficile infection, and bacteremia. Recovery from the infections caused by anaerobic bacteria requires prompt and proper management and treatment. The isolation, identification, and eradication of anaerobic bacteria can become complicated, challenging, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. A few studies have addressed ABAIs, but recently this idea has acquired attention in Iran. So, in this study, we reviewed various aspects of ABAIs addressed in Iran
The most important medicinal plants affecting sperm and testosterone production: a systematic review
No full textOBJECTIVE: Infertility, defined as the inability to conceive after one year of intercourse without the use of contraception, affects 15 of couples. Many factors, such as genitourinary tract infections, endocrine disorders, immunological factors and drug-related injuries, affect the male reproductive system and cause infertility. Due to men's fear of infertility, it is very important to pay attention to medicinal plants that are effective in male fertility. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the medicinal plants that affect sperm and testosterone production in men. METHODS: In this review, we used the following search terms, consisting of herbal medicine, traditional medicine, traditional therapies, sperm, testosterone, testicles and Iran were used to retrieve the relevant articles published in the journals indexed in the Information Sciences Institute, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, PubMed Central and Scientific Information Databases. We searched and used papers published between 2000 and 2020. Then, we analyzed the eligible papers. We collected and analyzed 35 papers from the databases. We selected only the articles about herbs that affect sperm and testosterone production. RESULTS: Based on the results, herbs Apium graveolens, Cinnamomum camphora, Cornus mas, Satureja khuzestanica, Withania somnifera, Fumaria parviflora, zingiber officinale, cinnamomum zeylanicum and Phoenix dactylifera are used in the male reproductive system. CONCLUSIONS: Plants can probably be useful in increasing fertility due to their antioxidant power and low side effects
VDR gene polymorphisms are associated with the increased susceptibility to COVID-19 among iranian population: A case-control study
No full textCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the pathogenesis is unclear. Host genetic background is one of the main factors influencing the patients' susceptibility to several viral infectious diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between host genetic polymorphisms of two genes, including vitamin D receptor (VDR) and vitamin D binding protein (DBP), and susceptibility to COVID-19 in a sample of the Iranian population. This case-control study enrolled 188 hospitalized COVID-19 patients as the case group and 218 suspected COVID-19 patients with mild signs as the control group. The VDR (rs7975232, rs731236 and rs2228570) and DBP (rs7041) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by Polymerase Chain Reaction Restriction - Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. A significant association between rs2228570 SNP in the VDR gene and the susceptibility of COVID-19 was found between case and control groups. The CT genotype (Heterozygous) of rs2228570 C > T polymorphism showed significant association with a 3.088 fold increased odds of COVID-19 (p .05). Our results showed that polymorphism of VDR (rs2228570) probably could influence individual susceptibility to COVID-19. The polymorphisms of VDR (rs7975232 and rs731236) and DBP (rs7041) were not associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility
COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among pregnant women worldwide: A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the death of many people worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared vaccine resistance as one of the greatest health threats in the world even before the COVID-19 epidemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant women. METHOD: We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. We applied the standard search strategy to the PubMed/Medline, Web of Science (ISI), Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and EBSCO databases, and the Google Scholar search engine. Heterogeneity between studies was relatively high and therefore meta-analyses were performed based on random effects model with 95 CI using STATA version 16. RESULTS: In 16 articles with a sample size of 19219 pregnant women, the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine was estimated 53.46 (95CI: 47.64-59.24). Subgroup analysis was performed based on continent (p = 0.796), data collection method (p = 0.450) and meta-regression based on the month of the study (P<0.001), and only meta-regression was significant based on the month of the study. The effect of some variables such as graviad (OR = 1.02 95%CI: 0.90-1.16), maternal age was (OR = 1.02 95%CI: 0.93-1.11) and history of influenza vaccination (OR = 0.87 95%CI: 0.71-1.06) on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was evaluated, which was not significant. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in pregnant women was 53.46%, which was much lower than the general COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, necessary interventions should be taken to increase the acceptance of the vaccine, address safety concerns and educate about it
An updated systematic review on the maternal exposure to environmental pesticides and involved mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) progression risk in children
No full textAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) increased dramatically over the past 25 years because of genetic and environmental factors. This systematic review (SR) aimed to determine the association between maternal exposure during pregnancy to environmental pesticides and other associations with the risk of ASD progression in children. PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus (Elsevier) and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science were searched using appropriate keywords up to March 2021. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were selected. Most studies reported that ASD increases the risk of offspring after prenatal exposure to environmental pesticides in pregnant mother's residences, against offspring of women from the same region without this exposure. The main potential mechanisms inducing ASD progressions are ROS and prostaglandin E2 synthesis, AChE inhibition, voltage-gated sodium channel disruption, and GABA inhibition. According to the included studies, the highest rates of ASD diagnosis increased relative to organophosphates, and the application of the most common pesticides near residences might enhance the prevalence of ASD
The Effects of Toxic Heavy Metals Lead, Cadmium and Copper on the Epidemiology of Male and Female Infertility
No full textInfertility is a major problem in modern society that affects a significant number of couples around the world. Heavy metals and a number of other factors have been causally linked to infertility. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of heavy metals lead, cadmium, and copper on the epidemiology of male and female infertility. Searches for articles published from 1982 to 2020 using related keywords such as male and female infertility and heavy metals were performed in scientific databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and others. The results showed that, in recent years, the number of infertile individuals has increased. Various environmental, occupational, and genetic factors have been described as potential causes. Heavy metals lead, cadmium, and copper cause infertility in couples through various mechanisms, such as changes in sperm motility factors, decreased semen quality, or effects on the egg. Exposure to physical phenomena such as radiation (ionized or microwave) and heat; stress and mental disorders; chemicals from cigarettes, respiratory pollutants (lead), insecticides and pesticides; anesthetic gases; and mercury and cytotoxic drugs may also contribute to the onset of infertility
Effect of Chlorhexidine (CHX) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) on the Biofilm Formation of Enterococcus faecalis
No full textBackground: Biofilm makes bacteria resistant to antimicrobial agents and facilitates the transmission of infectious diseases in hospitals. Disinfectant compounds are frequently used to control surface contamination. This study was designed to investigate the effect of chlorhexidine (CHX) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on biofilm formation of Enterococcus faecalis. Methods: This study was performed on 40 E. faecalis clinical isolates. After the determination of MIC, the effect of different concentrations of CHX and H2O2 on the biofilm formation was evaluated. Also, the relative expression level of the studied biofilm genes, following exposure to sublethal concentration of CHX and H2O2, was assessed using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: The frequency of the asa1, efaA, epaI, and esp biofilm genes were 80, 92.5, 100, and 75, respectively. Various concentrations of CHX increased the biofilm mass in E. faecalis. Also, the combination of CHX and H2O2 at sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations, significantly elevated the expression of asa1, epaI, and esp genes. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the improper use of disinfectants can increase the ability of biofilm formation in E. faecalis and may cause selective pressure leading to the emergence of biocide-resistant micro-organisms
Graphite Electrode Potentiometric Sensor Modified by Surface Imprinted Silica Gel to Measure Valproic Acid
No full textThe aim of the study was to produce a Polyvinyl chloride-based membrane containing a polymer imprinted with a valproic acid molecule which was directly coated on a graphite electrode to determine the amount of valproic acid in aqueous samples. With the dispersion of molecularly imprinted polymer particles in dioctyl phthalate plasticizer as a solvent mediator, this potentiometric sensor was designed and after that it was embedded in a polyvinyl chloride matrix. The designed electrode showed a near-Nernstian slope of 54.1 +/- 1 mV decade(-1) in the concentration range of 10(-6)-10(-2) M and a detection limit of 10(-6) M with a response time of about 40 seconds for valproic acid and can be used for 2 months without divergence changing the potential. The fabricated electrode, in the pH range among 3.5-8.5, indicates the good sensitivity to valproic acid relative to the other ions. Finally, this electrode can be used as an indicator electrode in determining the concentration of valproic acid in valproic acid tablets. GRAPHICS
Investigation of biological effects of chitosan magnetic nano-composites hydrogel
No full textThe growing concern about microorganism infections, especially hospital-acquired infections, has driven the demand for effective and safe agents in recent years. Herein, novel nanocomposites were prepared based on layered double hydroxides (LDH NPs), Fe2O3 nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs), and chitosan hydrogel beads in different concentrations. The characteristics and composition of the prepared materials were investigated by various techniques such as XRD, FESEM, and FTIR. The results indicate that the nanocomposites are synthesized successfully, and each component is present in hydrogel matrixes. Then, their biomedical properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activity, were examined. Our findings demonstrate that the antimicrobial activity of nanocomposites significantly depends on the concentration of each component and their chemical groups. It shows itself in the result of the inhibitory zone of all bacteria or fungi samples. The obtained results indicate that the nanocomposite of Chitosan-hydrogel beads with 20 LDH and Fe2O3 (CHB-LDH-Fe2O320) and Chitosan-hydrogel beads based on 20 LDH (CHB-LDH20) showed excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties against all tested bacteria and fungi (P <= 0.01). In addition, the antioxidant effects of the synthesized materials (especially CHB-LDH Fe2O320 and CHB-LDH20) were investigated, showing high antioxidant efficacy against DPPH free radicals (P <= 0.01). According to our findings, we can say that these materials are promising biomaterials for inhibiting some infectious bacteria and fungi