Effect of Rosiglitazone, the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR)-γ Agonist, on Apoptosis, Inflammatory Cytokines and Oxidative Stress in pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures in Kindled Mice.

A growing body of evidence has shown that seizure can trigger inflammatory cascades through increasing the expression of several inflammatory cytokines. It has been proved that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonists have immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects beyond the putative hypoglycemic effects. Thus, we investigated the inhibitory effect of rosiglitazone on the development of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced kindling via affecting the inflammatory pathway. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into vehicle group (0.1% DMSO), PTZ-group and rosiglitazone-PTZ-group. Kindling was induced by the administration of PTZ (40 mg/kg, i.p) every other day and mice were observed for 20 min after each PTZ injection. Twenty-four hours after the last dose, animals were euthanized and hippocampus was isolated. The level of Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and Catalase (CAT) activity were quantified in hippocampus by biochemical methods. The protein levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, caspase-3, iNOS, PPAR-γ, Bcl-2, or Bax factors were measured with western blotting. Also, the quantitative real-time PCR were used to evaluate the mRNA expression of those factors. Pretreatment with rosiglitazone significantly prevented the progression of kindling in comparison with control group. The rosiglitazone significantly decreased the MDA level and increased the CAT, and SOD levels in the rosiglitazone treated mice compared to those in the PTZ group (P < 0.01). Using real-time PCR and Western blotting assay, similar results were obtained. The expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, Bax or PPAR-γ were significantly changed in the brain. The results of this study suggest that effect of rosiglitazone may be crucial in its ability to protect against the neuronal damage caused by PTZ induced seizure.

The results of photorefractive keratectomy with Mitomycin-C in myopia correction after 5 years.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with mitomycin C in myopia correction after five years. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study which included 145 eyes of 74 patients in 18 to 51 years age group that were undergoing Photorefractive keratectomy with mitomycin C using Allegretto Wave Eye-Q 400-Hz excimer laser platform in Markazi Eye Center, Tehran, Iran. All the surgical procedures were performed by the same surgeon. After five years follow-up evaluation including BCVA, UCVA, Refractive error measurement and external eye examination was performed. RESULTS: The mean diopter of spherical equivalent before surgery was -3.40±1.73. The following findings were obtained after 5 years follow up visit: The mean spherical equivalent value: -0.08±0.40, the mean: Log MARUCVA: 0.02±0.07, the mean Log MAR BCVA: 0.00±0.04. CONCLUSION: PRK is an effective, safe and predictable method used to correct myopia. The wave front-optimized algorithm of the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q 400-Hz excimer laser platform demonstrated good refractive and visual results. Presence of variables such as gender, age and astigmatism before operation have no significant impact on the result of this operation.

Computer and Internet use among Undergraduate Medical Students in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Although computer technologies are now widely used in medicine, little is known about its use among medical students in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the competence and access to computer and internet among the medical students. METHODS: In this descriptive study, medical students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Science, Yazd, Iran from the fifth years were asked to answer a questionnaire during a time-tabled lecture slot. The chi-square test was used to compare the frequency of computer and internet use between the two genders, and the level of statistical significance for all test was set at 0.05. RESULTS: All the students have a personal computer and internet access. There were no statistically significant differences between men and women for the computer and internet access, use wireless device to access internet, having laptop and e-mail address and the difficulties encountered using internet. The main reason for less utilization of internet was slow speed of data transfer. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the wide range of computer skills and internet information among medical students in our institution, a single computer and internet course for all students would not be useful nor would it be accepted.

Hematological and Biochemical Laboratory Parameters in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Modeling Study of Severity and Mortality Predictors.

Background: It is well known that laboratory markers could help in identifying risk factors of severe illness and predicting outcomes of diseases. Here, we performed a retrospective modeling study of severity and mortality predictors of hematological and biochemical laboratory parameters in Iranian COVID-19 patients. Methods: Data were obtained retrospectively from medical records of 564 confirmed Iranian COVID-19 cases. According to the disease severity, the patients were categorized into two groups (severe or nonsevere), and based on the outcome of the disease, patients were divided into two groups (recovered or deceased). Demographic and laboratory data were compared between groups, and statistical analyses were performed to define predictors of disease severity and mortality in the patients. Results: The study identified a panel of hematological and biochemical markers associated with the severe outcome of COVID-19 and constructed different predictive models for severity and mortality. The disease severity and mortality rate were significantly higher in elderly inpatients, whereas gender was not a determining factor of the clinical outcome. Age-adjusted white blood cells (WBC), platelet cells (PLT), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCHC), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cr) also showed high accuracy in predicting severe cases at the time of hospitalization, and logistic regression analysis suggested grouped hematological parameters (age, WBC, NLR, PLT, HGB, and international normalized ratio (INR)) and biochemical markers (age, BUN, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) as the best models of combined laboratory predictors for severity and mortality. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a panel of several routine laboratory parameters recorded on admission could be helpful for clinicians to predict and evaluate the risk of disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Association between blood groups and COVID-19 outcome in Iranian patients.

Aim: Many factors have been speculated to explain the COVID-19 complex clinical phenotype. Due to the inconsistent data published on blood groups and COVID-19, we conducted a study on Iranian patients to further assess this association. Materials & methods: This retrospective study was conducted on data collected from confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized patients during March and December 2020 in a referral hospital for COVID-19, 5 Azar Hospital, Gorgan, north of Iran. A total of 1554 confirmed COVID-19 cases were enrolled in the study with blood group (ABO and Rh), demographic, and clinical data available. Results: Of 1554 patients, 1267 and 287 cases had recovered and deceased (due to COVID-19) outcomes, respectively. Most of the cases had O+ (29.6%), the least number had AB- (0.5%), and most of the deceased cases had O+ blood types (31.4%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that groups A- and B- had higher and groups B+, AB+, O+ and O- had lower odds of death than the A+ group. Conclusion: This study indicates that blood types may be related to the clinical outcome of COVID-19. Further studies with a large cohort for multiple people are required to validate this association.

Prevalence of Gram-Negative Bacilli Isolated from the Equipment and Surfaces in Hospital Wards of Golestan Province, North of Iran.

Nosocomial infections are one of the most common causes of death in hospitals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of gram-negative bacilli isolated from the equipment in hospital wards of the Golestan province, in the year 2015. In this cross-sectional study in 2015, 1980 samples from medical and nonmedical equipment and surfaces were collected from the wards of 13 teaching hospitals, in the Golestan province. Samples were inoculated into eosin methylene blue agar and blood agar culture media and isolated colonies were identified by standard biochemical tests. The obtained results were then analyzed using SPSS 22 software and χ2 test. Among 1980 isolated samples, 601 samples (30.35%) were infected with gram-negative bacilli while Enterobacter aerogenes (37.27%) was responsible for most of the contaminations. The highest rate of infection was observed in the intensive care unit (33.1%), and the highest level of contamination in the medical equipment was associated with laryngoscope and its blade (10.48%), as well as ECG sensor and its monitoring connector (6.65%). Meanwhile, phone (6.32%) and patients' beds and linen (5.15%) had the highest level of contamination in the nonmedical equipment. Considering the high rates of gram-negative bacilli contamination in the hospital wards of the Golestan province, thorough hand washing as the main action for disinfection and sterilizing the equipment, as well as performing periodic cultivation alongside the use of standard guidelines for prevention and control of nosocomial infections, are recommended to reduce the level of contamination.

The effect of deoxyribonucleic acid extraction methods from lymphoid tissue on the purity, content, and amplifying ability.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, definitive diagnosis of numerous diseases is based on the genetic and molecular findings. Therefore, preparation of fundamental materials for these evaluations is necessary. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the first material for the molecular pathology and genetic analysis, and better results need more pure DNA. Furthermore, higher concentration of achieved DNA causes better results and higher amplifying ability for subsequent steps. We aim to evaluate five DNA extraction methods to compare DNA intimacy including purity, concentration, and amplifying ability with each other. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The lymphoid tissue DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue through five different methods including phenol-chloroform as the reference method, DNA isolation kit (QIAamp DNA FFPE Tissue Kit, Qiagen, Germany), proteinase K and xylol extraction and heat alkaline plus mineral oil extraction as authorship innovative method. Finally, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR method were assessed to compare each following method consider to DNA purity and its concentration. RESULTS: Among five different applied methods, the highest mean of DNA purity was related to heat alkaline method. Moreover, the highest mean of DNA concentration was related to heat alkaline plus mineral oil. Furthermore, the best result in quantitative PCR was in proteinase K method that had the lowest cycle threshold averages among the other extraction methods. CONCLUSION: We concluded that our innovative method for DNA extraction (heat alkaline plus mineral oil) achieved high DNA purity and concentration.

Compliance with hepatitis B vaccination among adult males with sexually transmitted infections.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a diverse group of infections caused by widely differing microorganisms (viruses, protozoa, bacteria, yeasts, ectoparasites and even a nematode), with transmission from person to person by sexual contact as its common characteristic. In all societies, sexually transmitted infections rank among the most common infectious diseases. These patients are at risk for hepatitis B virus infection, but have been relatively neglected in terms of hepatitis B virus vaccination. OBJECTIVES: In this study, compliance with hepatitis B vaccination among adult males with sexually diseases was examined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this survey, 114 males, referred to an infectious diseases clinic, were asked to complete a questionnaire evaluating their knowledge of hepatitis B vaccine, and were interviewed to assess their reasons for refusal or acceptance. Finally, SPSS (version 16) was used to perform the statistical analyses. Variables were analyzed with Chi-square tests. RESULTS: The results of this study indicated that the overall hepatitis B vaccine acceptance rate was acceptably high. Among all, 53.5% correctly identified that a vaccine to prevent hepatitis B virus infection had been available, 15% had a negative opinion, and 31.5% were neutral. The rations of all three doses of vaccination were 69.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Among the respondents, 87% were currently married, 86.8% were currently employed, 17.5% have addiction, 34.2 % used condom, and 36.8% correctly identified hepatitis B as a sexually transmitted infection.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis of the eyelid: a case report.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in certain areas of Iran, and in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reports for rare and new forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis. We describe one unusual clinical form of cutaneous leishmaniasis. In a 27-year-old man, who noted a pimple on the upper eyelid 4 months before. The lesion was nodular and measured 1 cm × 1 cm in diameter. A diagnosis of eyelid cutaneous leishmaniasis was made, and treatment was started with intramuscular meglumine antimonate. He showed a dramatic response, and the lesion almost completely disappeared.

Occupational hazards to dental staff.

Dental professionals are predisposed to a number of occupational hazards. These include exposure to infections (including Human Immunodeficiency Virus and viral hepatitis); percutaneous exposure incidents, dental materials, radiation, and noise; musculoskeletal disorders; psychological problems and dermatitis; respiratory disorders; and eye insults. Percutaneous exposure incidents remain a main concern, as exposure to serious infectious agents is a virtual risk. Minimizing percutaneous exposure incidents and their consequences should continue to be considered, including sound infection control practices, continuing education, and hepatitis B vaccination. Basically, for any infection control strategies, dentists should be aware of individual protective measures and appropriate sterilization or other high-level disinfection utilities. Strained posture at work disturbs the musculoskeletal alignment and leads to stooped spine. The stooped posture also involved certain groups of muscles and joints. This may lead to diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Continuous educating and appropriate intervention studies are needed to reduce the complication of these hazards. So, it is important for dentists to remain constantly up-to-date about measures on how to deal with newer strategies and dental materials, and implicates the need for special medical care for this professional group.

Nursing and midwifery students' approaches to study and learning.

AIM: This paper reports an investigation of the approaches to study and learning of nursing and midwifery students at a school of nursing and midwifery in Iran. BACKGROUND: Current knowledge suggests that students approach their studies in surface, deep or strategic manners. Students' approaches to study have an important impact on their academic success. Awareness of their approaches to study and factors that affect their choices is important for curriculum planners as well as nurse and midwife educators. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of nursing and midwifery students in all 3 years of study at one university in Iran. The validated Persian translation of Entwistle and Ramsden's Approaches and Study Skills Inventory was administered in a classroom context in 2003. RESULTS: Sixty-four per cent (95% CI; 57-72%) of nursing and 63% (95%; CI 50-75%) of midwifery students adopted a deep approach. The use of a surface approach was negatively correlated to the stage of study for midwifery but not nursing students. There was also a statistically significant positive correlation between level of interest in the field of study and use of strategic approach for both nursing and midwifery students. Grade point average for the nursing students adopting the strategic approach was statistically significantly higher than for those adopting deep or surface approach. The grade point average for midwifery students adopting strategic approach was statistically significantly higher than that for those adopting deep approach, but not different from the grade point average of those adopting surface approach. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that adoption of strategic or deep approaches to learning was associated with better educational outcome, as indicated by higher grade point averages. Moreover, the findings emphasize the impact of students' interest in their field on their academic success. Therefore, the adoption of factors which foster deep or strategic approaches and activities which increase students' interest should lead to improved academic outcomes.