Quercetin protects liver injury induced by bile duct ligation via attenuation of Rac1 and NADPH oxidase1 expression in rats

BACKGROUND： Bile duct ligation （BDL） and subsequent cholestasis are correlated with oxidative stress, hepatocellular injury and fibrosis. Quercetin is a flavonoid with antifibrotic, and hepatoprotective properties. However, the molecular mechanism underlying quercetin-mediated hepatoprotection is not fully understood. The current study was to evaluate mecha- nisms of hepatoprotective effect of quercetin in BDL rat model. METHODS： We divided male Wistar rats into 4 groups （n=8 for each）： sham, sham＋quercetin （30 mg/kg per day）, BDL, and BDL＋quercetin （30 mg/kg per day）. Four weeks later, the rats were sacrificed, the blood was collected for liver enzyme mea- surements and liver for the measurement of Racl, Racl-GTP and NOX1 mRNA and protein levels by quantitative PCR and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS： Quercetin significantly alleviated liver injury in BDL rats as evidenced by histology and reduced liver enzymes. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression of Racl, Racl-GTP and NOX1 were significantly increased in BDL rats compared with those in the sham group （P〈0.05）; quercetin treatment reversed these variables back toward normal （P〈0.05）. Another interesting finding was that the antioxidant markers e.g. superoxide dismutase and catalase were elevated in quercetin-treated BDL rats compared to BDL rats （P〈0.05）. CONCLUSION： Quercetin demonstrated hepatoprotective activity against BDL-induced liver injury through increasing antioxidant capacity of the liver tissue, while preventing the production of Racl, Racl-GTP and NOX1 proteins.

Visual performance of four types of diffractive multifocal intraocular lenses and a review of articles

AIM: To compare the clinical outcomes of a variety of multifocal intraocular lenses(MIOLs) in patients diagnosed with presbyopia or cataracts. METHODS: This clinical trial study included 141 patients(282 eyes) with different MIOLs implantation. The Symfony(60 eyes), the Re STOR(100 eyes), the AT LISAtri(60 eyes), and the Pan Optix(62 eyes) intraocular lenses were evaluated in this prospective interventional study. The near, intermediate, and distant visual acuities, contrast sensitivity, and defocus curve were measured as valid criteria. To statistically analyze the results, we used the Statistical Package for Social Science software, the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank t, the one-way analysis of variance and the Tukey’s post-hoc test in our analysis. Moreover, we conducted a detailed literature search on the Pub Med database in English about MIOLs, in total 59 studies were included in this review article.RESULTS: The four approaches did not show any significant difference in the best-corrected distance visual acuity(P>0.05). The defocus curves at the contrast of 100% showed that trifocal IOLs had better intermediate performance than the bifocal IOL(P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between AT LISAtri and Pan Optix lenses for visual acuity at all distances. The eyes with Pan Optix, Symfony, and AT LISAtri IOL showed better contrast sensitivity than those Re STOR at spatial frequencies of 1, 3, and 6 cpd in photopic and mesopic conditions(P<0.001). CONCLUSION: All four groups of the multifocal lenses were satisfying in terms of distance and near vision. Also, the group of trifocal lenses led to satisfactory outcomes in intermediate vision, without degradation in quality of vision.

Recombinant expression and purification of functional vascular endothelial growth factor-121 in the baculovirus expression system

Objective: To express human Vascular endothelial growth factor121(VEGF121) in insect cells. Methods: A gene construct containing VEGF was cloned in the p Fast Bac-HTA vector, followed by transformation in DH10 BAC. The recombinant bacmid was then extracted, and transfected into Sf9 insect cells. The transfected cells were harvested, and then VEGF expression was confirmed by Western blotting using specific antibodies. The tube formation assay was used for functional assessment of VEGF. Results: Our results showed that VEGF could be successfully expressed in the baculovirus system. Purified VEGF was able to stimulate in vitro tube formation of human endothelial cells. Conclusions: Results from this study demonstrated that the recombinantly-produced VEGF can be considered as a promising candidate for therapeutic purposes.

Effects of Acupressure and Ibuprofen on the Severity of Primary Dysmenorrhea

The present study aims at comparing the effects of acupressure using new combination of acupoints, and Ibuprofen on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea (PD). 216 female high school students, aged between 14 to 18 years, were randomly selected and divided into three groups. Each group underwent different treatment techniques: acupressure, Ibuprofen and sham acupressure as a placebo. The results indicated that the three therapeutic techniques were significantly effective in reducing the pain. However the therapeutic efficacies of acupressure and Ibuprofenwere similar with no significant difference, and were significantly better thanthe placebo. Thus acupressure, with no complications, is recommended as an alternative and also a better choice in the decrease of the severity of PD. ……

Epidemiological patterns of animal bites in Yazd Province (central Iran) between 2013 and 2017

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological pattern of animal bites in Yazd Province,central Iran.Methods:In this cross-sectional study,8 545 individuals with animal bites who were referred to the Yazd Province Rabies Treatment Center were investigated using the census method from April 2013 to March 2017.The variables included:demographic information,household living condition,the type of biting animals,the domesticated and wild animals,the time of biting based on year,the residence location (urban or rural),and the treatment status.Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using Excel 2013,SPSS version 25 and Arc GIS 14.1 Software.Results:A total of 8 545 cases of animal bites were reported in Yazd province from 2013 to 2017.The most animal bites (with 4 253 case of bites) and the lowest animal bites (with 121 case of bites) occurred in Yazd and Bahabad district,respectively.The incidence of animal bites was 168.4 per 100 000 people during the five-year period.Most of cases (73.9%) occurred in urban areas.Dog and cat bites accounted for 47.6% and 47.4% of all cases,respectively.Most of animal bites were reported in the summer (29.4%).Sixty percent of the cases received incomplete treatments,while 40% of them received complete treatments.During this study,three positive cases of fatal rabies from dog bites were reported.Conclusions:The incidence of animal bites is high in Yazd province,and more patients are bitten by dog and cat.Hence,educational,preventive,and informative programs are required to reduce the incidence of animal bites.

Formulation, Preparation and Evaluation of Low-Cost Extrude Products Based on Cereals and Pulses

Protein-energy malnutrition among children is the major health challenges and it may be related to low nutritional quality of traditional complementary foods and high cost of quality protein-based complementary foods. The aim of this study was formulation, preparation and evaluation of low-cost extruded products based on cereals and pulses. Composite flours were prepared using cereals and pulses, then formulated and extruded by a twin screw extruder in Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results showed: the protein contents of extruded formulas B, D and F were in the highest values. Carbohydrate in the extruded formula A was significantly higher than others. The lowest amount of ash and crude fiber were observed in the formula A. Content of energy in the extruded formulas E, F and C was higher;mean (SD) of Fe content in the extruded formula B, D and F was in the higher ranks among others. Calcium content in the extruded formulas C, E and F was in the highest amounts. Magnesium content in the extruded formulas B, D and F was higher than others. Cu content in the extruded formula C, D, B and F was higher than others. Manganese content in the extruded formulas B, C and F, and zinc content in the formulas B, D and F were higher than others. Tap density showed the lowest amount in the formula B, D and F, while their bulk density was higher. WHC was in the highest amount in the extruded formula A, while WSI in the extruded formula B, D and followed by F was in the highest amount. The mean scores of sensory evaluation of extruded products F showed that this combination has significantly better colour, flavour, texture and overall acceptability than others.

Qualitative reappraisal of perspectives,prevalence,and management of family violence among the Yoruba people:a study of representatives of some Yoruba ethnic subgroups from Ile Ife

Objective:The analysis of changing definitions and perspectives of violating behaviors within cultural contexts will inform the responses and interventions that will mostly reduce the occurrences of family violence.Methods:This study used focus group discussions of purposively selected participants to generate data that were analyzed using content with themes of definition,perspectives,prevalent forms,persons mostly affected,perpetrators,and management strategies among the Yoruba people.Results:There were multiple words and descriptions in the local Yoruba language for abuse and violence,but no single word for either of the two concepts.Common forms of family violence identified were verbal assaults from parents to children,among couples,siblings,physical assault of children by parents,physical assault of parents by children,neglect of children,parents,spouses mostly wives,sexual harassment,and sexual violence.Neglect of wives and children was perceived to be increasing,occurring in one in four houses.Sexual harassment and sexual violence were perceived to be rare,but the latter not an issue in marriage.A variant of sexual“touching”said to be tolerated with unmarried young people was identified as common among this ethnic group.Age and gender were dominant factors in the use of common forms of violence.Informal approaches were methods of management of family violence but perceived inadequate.Conclusions:This study concluded that family violence is a common phenomenon occurring among family members.Hence,formal acceptable interventions that will be appropriate for this ethnic subgroup are required.

Weighing and Prioritizing Noise Control Methods Using the Delphi Technique and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) in an Iranian Tire Manufacturing Factory

Undoubtedly,noise has become a major hazardous issue in today’s industrial world,with a lot of people suffering from exposure to excessive noise in their work environments.This study was conducted to weigh and prioritize noise control methods in an Iranian tire manufacturing complex in Iran.The Delphi method and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity and an Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)were utilized for this purpose.This cross-sectional,descriptive study was conducted in the baking hall of an Iranian tire manufacturing factory in 2016.To weigh and prioritize noise control methods,Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)and TOPSIS were applied.In total,4 criteria and 8 alternatives were examined.An AHP and TOPSIS questionnaire was then designed to prioritize noise control methods in the light of the objectives,criteria,and alternatives.Then,the collected data were fed into Expert Choise.V.11 and Excel and data analysis was carried out using TOPSIS.The results of data analysis indicated that the inconsistency rate in all the cases was smaller than 10%,hence the consistency of the responses was verified.According to the TOPSIS results and experts’opinions about the criteria,implementation and maintenance cost(with a weight of 0.481)and method effectiveness and efficiency(with a weight of 0.046)had the highest and lowest priority respectively.Based on the weights TOPSIS,the appropriate methods for controlling noise in tire manufacturing are designing and manufacturing silencer,requiring people in charge to quickly fix the leaks and change baking press washers on time.

Comparison of Total Mercury Accommodations between Two Edible Fish Tissues （Tuna and Fitofag）

In this study, total mercury in canned tuna in comparison with Hypophthalmichthys molitrix （fitofag or phytophag） fish samples were determined by flow injection cold vapour generation atomic absorption spectrometry after digestion by the two different methods. The mercury concentration varied from 83 to 290 ng g~ with an average value of 147 ng g-1 in canned tuna, while the concentration varied from 14 to 56 ng g-1 with an average value of 26 ng g-1 for fitofag fish. Recoveries of the total mercury were in the range of 81-107% and 120-160% by method 1 and 2, respectively. The results of this study indicate that tuna and fitofag fish from the Persian Gulf area of Iran have concentrations well below the permissible FAO/WHO levels for total mercury and also the feed regime of fishes can affect the mercury accommodation. Therefore, their contribution to the body burden can be considering negligible and the fish seem to be safe for human consumption.

Pica Practices among Pregnant Women Are Associated with Lower Hemoglobin Levels and Pregnancy Outcome

Pica is an eating disorder in which non-nutritional objects are frequently eaten, and may have serious side effects for both the mother and neonate. The aim of this study was to determine the pica and its association with biochemical profiles of pregnant women and its relation to pregnancy outcome. A prospective cohort study was conducted in five health care centers in Zahedan City, Iran, in 2011-2012. Samples of pregnant women (n = 200) in the age groups 18 - 40 years were selected for this study and interviewed using a questionnaire. Maternal biochemical profiles (hemoglobin and ferritin) during pregnancy, mean gestational age and pregnancy outcome namely height, weight, and head circumferences of neonates were compared to pregnant women who reported pica (pica group) and women who did not (without pica group). The results showed pica prevalence categorized by substance as follows: clay (23.3%), ice (53.7%), ice and freezer frost (11.5%) and other substances (11.5%). Women in pica group had lower hemoglobin levels during the three trimesters of pregnancy than without pica group. Head circumferences of neonates in pica groups were significantly lower than those of without pica groups (31.0 ± 0.6 vs. 34.0 ± 0.2 respectively). There were no differences in mean birth weight, length, gestational age of infants born to pregnant women from the pica group and without pica group. The findings suggest that the pica practices during pregnancy are associated with lower maternal hemoglobin during the?pregnancy periods, and also significantly lower head circumferences of neonates. Dietitians should ask pregnant women with anemia about pica and should counsel pregnant women who report pica.

Clinical features, management and outcomes of pediatric pleural empyema: A retrospective, multicenter cross sectional study

Objectives:To evaluate clinical features,treatment strategies,and outcomes of pleural empyema for children who were treated at referral pediatric hospitals in 8 provinces of Iran.Methods:In this retrospective,multicenter cross sectional study,we retrospectively retrieved patients'data from 8 teaching hospitals during 2010 and 2017.A questionnaire was applied and filled,and all data were statistically and descriptively analyzed.Results:In total,191 children(109 males and 82 females)were included.Their mean age was 4.95 years and ranged from 11 months to 16 years.The majority of cases(45.1%)were 1-4 years old.Fever(70.3%),cough(65.6%),tachypnea(53.1%),chest pain(14.6%),and abdominal pain(12%)were the most common manifestations at admission.The mean length of admission in hospital was 16.4 d.Consequently,27 patients(14.1%)were admitted into the pediatric intensive unit because of severe illness,and 15 patients(7.9%)died.Logistic regression analysis showed that younger age(less than 12 months)and presence of underlying diseases(such as cardiovascular disease,immune deficiencies,malignancies,and neuro-developmental delay)significantly increased the mortality rate of patients with pleural empyema(P=0.004 and P=0.001,respectively).Conclusions:Pleural empyema children of younger age and with underlying diseases are at higher risks of death.In addition,guidelines for treating pleural empyema should be developed.

Relationship between clinical performance and professional self-concept in critical care nurses

Objective:To determine the relationship between clinical performance and professional self-concept in critical care nurses.Methods:This study was conducted on 308 critical care nurses.Data gathering instruments were nurses’clinical performance questionnaire(NCPQ)and nursing professional self-concept measure(NPSCM).Independent sample t-test,one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA),and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for data analyses.Results:The average age of the nurses was 33.74±7.01 years.The clinical performance score of female nurses was significantly higher than male nurses.In the domain of clinical performance,clinical judgment and clinical inquiry had the highest and lowest scores,respectively.In the nurses’professional self-concept,the highest and lowest scores were awarded to the subscales of self-confidence and staff relations,respectively.In addition,there was a significant positive correlation between self-concept and clinical performance of nurses.Conclusions:Increasing professional self-concept improves the clinical performance of critical care nurses.Professional self-concept enhancement measures are recommended to improve the clinical performance of nurses in critical care units.

Biochemical response to lamivudine treatment in HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis B patients in Iran

AIM： To study the effect of a one-year lamivudine regimen in patients with chronic hepatitis B. METHODS： Medical records of HBeAg negative hepatitis B patients who attended a hepatitis clinic in Tehran between March 2002-March 2004 were evaluated. The patients received 100 mg lamivudine tablets once daily for at least 12 mo. Liver enzymes and complete blood count were checked at baseline and the end of treatment （12th mo） and 6 mo after discontinuation of treatment. RESULTS： Of all patients, 24 were excluded. Of 71 patients left, 58 （81.7%） were men. Mean age of the patients was 38 ± 14 years. Mean level of ALT in serum was 1437 ± 205 nkat/L at baseline with a significant reduction at the end of treatment to a mean level of 723 ± 92 nkat/L （P = 0.002）. In 38 patients （53.5%）, the ALT level was normal after one-year treatment. Five patients （7.3%） relapsed （biochemically） within 6 mo after discontinuing lamivudine therapy （the patients with good end of treatment response）. Mean level of AST in serum was 1060 ± 105 nkat/L at baseline which decreased significantly to 652 ± 75 nkat/L at the end of treatment （P = 0.002）. CONCLUSION： Over half （53.5%） of chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg negative have normal liver enzyme level at 12-mo lamivudine therapy.

阿托西班及弥新平用于早产的治疗

Objective: To perform a comparison between atosiban (oxytocin antagonist) and nifedipin (calcium channel blocker) for acute treatment of preterm labor and their maternal safety. Methods: A randomized controlled trial study was performed on 80 pregnant women with preterm labor, between 26 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, in Akbar Abadi Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran. 40 women (the atosiban group) were compared with another 40 women (the nifedipin group) for the drugs’efficacy in delaying delivery for more than 48 h in order to undergo steroid therapy, and for more than 7 days or more, and also to assess their maternal safety. The duration between the drugs’administration and delivery were compared. The statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the treatment of preterm labor. Atosiban was effective in 82.5%of cases, and nifedipin in 75%of the cases (p = 1.000), for delaying delivery for 48 h. Atosiban was effective in 75%of the cases, and nifedipin in 65%of the cases, for delaying delivery for more than 7 days. The maternal side effects in the atosiban group were 17.5%, and in the nifedipin group they were 40%, which had a statistically significant difference (p = 0.027). The duration between treatment and delivery was 29.03 ±16.12 days in the atosiban group and 22.85 ±13.9 days in the nifedipin group with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.79). Conclusion: Atosiban is an effective and safe drug for the acute treatment of preterm labor with minimal side effects, and it can be an option in the treatment of preterm labor, especially in patients with heart disease and multi-fetal pregnancies.

Molecular detection of <i>Ehrlichia canis</i>in ticks population collected on dogs in Meshkin-Shahr, Ardebil Province, Iran

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis is a disease which can cause death in dogs and cats by the Ehrlichia canis and transmitted by hard ticks. The main vector is Rhipicephalus sanguineus which is a common tick in Iran and common ectoparasite on dogs. Few researches has been done to show Ehrlichiosis situation in dog’s ticks. Animal husbandry in Meshkin-Shahr County from Ardebil province (North-West Iran) is the main job of people. Specimens were collected on dogs’ ears, neck, shoulder and toes and they were transferred to the Entomology Laboratory, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. After DNA extraction, Ehrlichia agent was detected by nested-PCR, 16 s rRNA amplification. Determination of sequence homologies have been done in Gen-Bank. 146 ticks were identified which included 29.44% female and 47.94% male. Rhipicephalus sanguineus were the most prevalent ticks. Ehrlichia spp and Anaplasma spp were found in 43.84% of all the specimens containing Anaplasma ovis, and Ehrlichia sp. and Herlichia canis. Rhipicephalus sanguineus is widely spread and the most common ticks on dogs. As far as we know, this is the first report of E. canis in vector from Iran. Nested PCR showed that hard ticks can contain Anaplasma ovis, Ehrlichia spp and E. canis. These results warrant studying on vector competence of ticks for the Ehrlichiosis agents.

Investigation of Affecting Factors on Persistence in the Treatment of Patients under Methadone Maintenance Therapy in Addiction Therapy Centers, Yazd-Iran

Drug addiction is one of the current world’s hygienic, mental and social problems. There are different treatments for this illness. MMT (Methadone Maintenance Therapy) is considered as a standard and acceptable therapy for addiction;and there are many affecting factors regarding gaining success in this type of treatment. In this study, we investigated some of these factors. One of the most important issues in MMT is to keep up patient on his/her treatment till complete abstinence;therefore, it is recommended that the patient does not leave his/her therapy without discretion of the therapist. In this study, 230 patients, who began MMT, and admitted to addiction treatment centers of Yazd province were included. In this study, the survival rate in the first, third, and sixth months were evaluated as 93.9%, 63.48%, and 28.36%, respectively. It was found that following parameters are important in rate of survival during treatment: family support, gender, dose of methadone and concomitant use of morphine during treatment. Moreover, factors like level of education, marital status, age and concomitant use of methamphetamine during treatment can be effective in this regard.

联胎自养体脊髓膨出至寄生胎内形成疝的脊柱联体双胎:病例报道

A female newborn was found to have a rachiopagus parasite consisting of hypoplastic lower limbs attached to the dorsal thoracolumbar region; at surgery, when the infant was 30 days old, the autosite spinal cord was found to have herniated through a spina bifida into the parasite.

Effect of green tea consumption in treatment of mild to moderate depression in Iranian patients living with HIV: A double-blind randomized clinical trial

Objective: Depression affects people living with HIV(PLWH) compliance leading to poor control infection.Previous observational studies showed an anti-depression effect of green tea extract(GTE). The therapeutic effect of GTE on depression were investigated in PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy(ART).Methods: Fifty PLWH on ART with diagnose of mild to moderate of depression, participated in a doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial and underwent 12 weeks of treatment with either 400 mg GTE capsules or placebo twice daily. The Hamilton depression scale of patients was measured before, 6 weeks and 12 weeks after treatment in two groups. The primary outcome measure was performed to evaluate the efficacy of GTE in improving depressive symptoms.Results: The mean of Hamilton score showed a significant difference between the two groups after 12 weeks(P = 0.035). Repeated measures ANOVA test showed a significant effect for time ? treatment interaction on the Hamilton mean score between the two groups(P = 0.000).Conclusion: It seems the use of GTE capsules in PLWH on ART is safe and could lead to greater and more rapid improvement in depressive symptoms than placebo. Thus it can be considered as an alternative therapy for mild to moderate depression. Further studies with higher sample size and longer followup and comparisons with other antidepressive drugs are warranted.

Status of ocular trauma in hospitalized patients in Kashan, 2011： As a sample of industrial city

Purpose： Ocular trauma is the third leading cause of hospitalization in ophthalmology patients, imposing direct and indirect physical and psychological costs on society. This study aims to investigate the status of ocular trauma in hospitalized patients in the industrialized city of Kashan in 2011. Methods： This cross-sectional descriptive applied study was conducted in 2012 on patients hospitalized for ocular trauma. Data, including age, gender, occupation, education, timing of admission following accident, location of accident, type of injury, damaging instrument, and type of trauma, were collected using a questionnaire designed by a trained nurse, and analyzed using SPSS-lfi software by means of means _＋ standard deviation, frequency, and percentage for descriptive data and t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Chi-square and Fisher exact test for analysis at significance level ofp 〈 0.05. Results： In total, 82 patients were hospitalized due to ocular traumas. The majority of patients were male （65 patients, 79.3%）. Their mean age was （25.4 ± 21.4） years, with an age range of 20-40 years （30 patients, 36.6%）. Hyphema was the most common injury （26 patients, 25.5%）, home was the most frequent incident location （32 patients, 39%）, and knife or other cutting tools were mostly responsible for injuries （18 patients, 21.9%）. Patients were hospitalized for 1-6 days, and the average length of stay in hospital was 2.63 days. Frequency distribution of injuries based on whether or not ruptures differed significantly among different age groups. Conclusion： The majority of ocular trauma occurred in young males. Knife was the principle culprit for eye injuries, followed by vehicles. To reduce such incidents, it is recommended that people be trained to avoid high-risk behaviors when using knives and to better heed driving rules and regulations.