A comparison of white-to-white measurements obtained by Anterion AS-OCT versus three optical devices in refractive surgery candidates.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the agreement between Anterion AS-OCT and three optical devices in measuring the white-to-white (WTW) diameter in candidates for refractive surgery. METHODS: In this cross-sectional prospective study, 129 right eyes of 129 normal individuals underwent consecutive scans with the Anterion, the Pentacam AXL, the IOLMaster 700, and the Orbscan IIz. Mean difference (MD), 95% limits of agreement (LoA), and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) were calculated to assess agreement and interchangeability. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 30.4 ± 5.9 (range: 21-47) years. The mean WTW distance measured by the different instruments was as follows: 12.00 ± 0.42 mm (range, 10.57 to 13.05) using the Anterion, 11.87 ± 0.34 (11.10 to 12.80) using the Pentacam, 12.12 ± 0.44 (11.00 to 13.30) using the IOLMaster, and 11.73 ± 0.37 (11.00 to 13.10) using the Orbscan. The MD and 95% LoA for Anterion vs. Pentacam, IOLMaster, or Orbscan were [0.11; -0.31 to 0.54 mm], [-0.13; -0.93 to 0.66], and [0.25; -0.28 to 0.78], respectively. The corresponding CCCs were 0.803, 0.514, and 0.631. CONCLUSIONS: This study found weak agreement between Anterion and Pentacam AXL, IOLMaster 700, and Orbscan IIz devices regarding WTW distance measurements in refractive surgery candidates. Therefore, it is not recommended to use Anterion's WTW measurements interchangeably with the other three devices, particularly for phakic intraocular lens sizing.

Quality of life and activities of daily living one year after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Daily activities have been recommended to minimize the long-term complications of coronary artery bypass as one of the strategies to return to the normal activity level, the effectiveness of which needs further investigation. This study aims to determine the quality of life and activities of daily living one year after CABG. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 206 patients who had undergone CABG for more than one year in 2018 in the north of Iran. The research instrument was a questionnaire including five sections, Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi2, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and a Logistic regression model. RESULT: The mean score of quality of life was 31.7 ± 2.04 of 12 to 48 possible scores. About Activities of Daily Living results showed 99.5% and 84.7% of the samples needed help with many of these activities respectively. The mean score of quality of life was significantly different based on sex (p < 0.018) and instrumental activity of daily living (p < 0.0001). A logistic regression model was used to determine the factors related to quality of life. The final model showed cross-clamp duration (OR = 0.33,p = 0.014), length of stay(LOS)in the intensive care unit(OR = 0.42,p = 0.05), and instrumental activities of daily living (OR = 0.08,p = 0.001) predicted patients' quality of life one year after coronary artery bypass grafting. CONCLUSION: Although more than half of the samples had a good average quality of life score, due to the lack of definitive treatment for coronary artery disease, it is suggested to consider predictive variables to help plan to improve the quality of life of these patients.

The quality of life (QoL) of patients after CABG depends on many variables, one of the effective variables is the daily activity of these patients, which can significantly affect their quality of life, so it seems that by creating low-cost programs to improve the activity level of these people, it is possible to help increase their quality of life. The results of this research showed that about half of the research samples had an average quality of life and the majority of them still needed help to perform daily life activities. Maybe the design of special tools to determine the quality of life of these patients after coronary artery bypass surgery can show a clearer picture of the quality of life of these patients after surgery.

Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the long term reduces the quality of life, leading to digestive diseases. The present study aims to determine the risk factors for GERD. METHOD: This study was conducted on 9,631 adults aged 35-65 years. The demographic characteristics, behavioral habits, nutritional intake, physical activity, anthropometric indices, and GERD data were extracted from the databank related to the Ravansar non-communicable diseases (RaNCD). Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of GERD was 10.99% (n = 1,058). The GERD was higher among older age and women. After adjusting for age and sex, the odds of GERD among current smokers was 23% higher than non-smokers. Drinking increased odds of GERD (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.99). The odds of GERD among depressed individuals were 46% higher than non-depressed. In addition, a significant relationship was observed between the high intake of sweets and desserts with increased GERD (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03). Further, high intake of fiber (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97, 0.99) and dairy (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98, 0.99) was related to reducing the odds of GERD. Furthermore, a significant relationship was reported between the waist hip ratio (WHR) and visceral fat area (VFA) with increased odds of GERD. Finally, the physical activity level was inversely related to GERD. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, smoking, alcohol, inactivity, high intake of sweets and desserts, low intake of fiber, depression, visceral fat, and obesity are considered as risk factors for GERD. Modifying lifestyle and behavioral habits prevent GERD.

Analysis of Interleukin-6 Gene Variants (rs1800795, rs1800796, rs1554606, rs1800797, rs2069840, rs12700386, and rs2069861) as Prognostic Markers in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Network Analysis.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has obviously tumor-promoting and tumor-inhibitory effects and can induce an epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype in human breast cancer (BC) cells and implicate its potential to promote BC metastasis. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the association of IL-6 variants (rs1800795, rs1800796, rs1554606, rs1800797, rs2069840, rs12700386, and rs2069861) with the susceptibility to BC. The databases of PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched until December 19, 2022, without any restrictions. The quality assessment of each study was performed based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale tool. The Review Manager 5.3 software presented the effect sizes including odds ratio (OR) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Both publication bias and sensitivity analyses were carried out by the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2.0 software. A total of 2,508 records were identified among databases and at last, 27 articles were entered into the meta-analysis. Seven polymorphisms of IL-6 were entered into the analyses. Just rs1800797 polymorphism in the dominant model (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.15-2.00; P = 0.003) and rs2069840 polymorphism in heterozygous (OR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.81-0.97; P = 0.008) and dominant (OR = 0.91; 95% CI = 0.84-0.99; P = 0.02) models had a significant association with the BC risk. In conclusion, among 7 polymorphisms and despite a few included cases, the present meta-analysis recommended that the AA+GA genotype of rs1800797 polymorphism had a significantly elevated risk and the GC and the CC+GC genotypes of rs2069840 polymorphism had a protective role in the BC patients.

Interaction of Rosmarinus officinalis L. with UV-A radiation by preserving its morphological traits and modifying its phenolic composition.

This study investigated the effects of supplemental ultraviolet-A (UV-A) radiation on phenolic compounds, antioxidant properties, and agro-morphological characteristics of Rosmarinus officinalis L. Greenhouse plants were exposed to UV-A for 1, 2, and 4 h daily, 40 days. Based on the results, UV-A radiation had no significant effect on agro-morphological traits, while it remarkably altered chlorophyll content, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as radical scavenging activity. Plants exposed to UV-A (4h) had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity, as well as the content of rosmarinic, carnosic, vanillic, and caffeic acids, and naringin. Conversely, carnosol, cirsimaritin, and hispulin levels decreased in treated plants. Overall, UV-A radiation had a positive effect on the medicinal aspects of R. officinalis L., which is important in the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, it is suggested application of UV-A emitting LEDs for commercial purposes, with a lower risk level than UV-B and UV-C.

Application of Functionalized Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles Using CTAB and SDS for Oil Separation from Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsions.

Using magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for emulsified oil separation from wastewater is becoming increasingly widespread. This study aims to synthesize MNPs using amphiphilic coatings to stabilize the MNPs and prevent their agglomeration for efficiently breaking oil-in-water nanoemulsions. We coat two different sizes of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (15-20 and 50-100 nm) using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with surfactant-to-MNP mass ratios of 0.4 and 0.8. We study the effect of various variables on the demulsification performance, including the MNP size and concentration, coating materials, and MNP loading. Based on the oil-water separation analysis, the smaller size MNPs (MNP-S) show a better demulsification performance than the larger ones (MNP-L ) for a 1000 ppm dodecane-in-water emulsion containing nanosized oil droplets (250-300 nm). For smaller MNPs (MNP-S) and at low dosage level of 0.5 g/L, functionalizing with surfactant-to-MNP mass ratio of 0.4, the functionalization increases the separation efficiency (SE) from 57.5% for bare MNP-S to 86.1% and 99.8 for the SDS and CTAB coatings, respectively. The highest SE for MNP-S@CTAB and the zeta potential measurements imply that electrostatic attraction between negatively charged oil droplets (-55.9 ± 2.44 mV) and positively charged MNP-S@CTAB (+35.8 ± 0.34 mV) is the major contributor to a high SE. Furthermore, the reusability tests for MNP-S@CTAB reveal that after 10 cycles, the amount of oil adsorption capacity decreases slightly, from 20 to 19 mg/g, indicating an excellent stability of synthesized nanoparticles. In conclusion, functionalized MNPs with tailored functional groups feature a high oil SE that could be effectively used for oil separation from emulsified oily wastewater streams.

Ginger as an anticolorectal cancer spice: A systematic review of in vitro to clinical evidence.

Ginger and its derivatives have been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of cancer. We undertook a systematic review to answer the question of whether ginger has a role in modifying the biomarkers of cancer in cell culture conditions and on colorectal cancer in randomized clinical trials. We performed a comprehensive search of the literature from Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, and Cochrane database of systematic reviews. At first, all 12 papers studied the effect of ginger or its derivatives on cell culture conditions. The results of cell culture studies show that ginger has a powerful role in inducing apoptosis. In the second part, five studies of clinical trials were analyzed. By analyzing antitumor markers of clinical trials, ginger increased some anticancer markers but performed poorly in inducing some anticancer markers. This systematic review showed that the consumption of ginger extract has the potential to prevent and treat colorectal cancer but this ability is weak.

Angle κ and its effect on the corneal elevation maps in refractive surgery candidates.

PURPOSE: To assess the associations of angle κ and Pentacam decentration indices with elevation maps in normal refractive surgery candidates. SETTING: Salouti Cornea Research Center, Salouti Eye Clinic, Shiraz, Iran. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. METHODS: In this research, the right eyes of 173 refractive surgery candidates were assessed. Data of front and back corneal elevation maps, keratometric data, decentration indices, and corneal astigmatism obtained by Pentacam HR system and angle κ obtained by Orbscan IIz were extracted. Maximum elevation (or depression) for each of the 4 quadrants was recorded. Correlations of elevation values with angle κ, Pentacam decentration indices, keratometry, and astigmatism were examined by Pearson correlation coefficient. 148 age- and sex-matched cases with keratoconus grade 1 were selected as a positive control group, and Pentacam variables were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Overall, data from 173 eyes of 173 normal refractive surgery candidates and 148 eyes of 148 patients with keratoconus were recorded and analyzed. In normal refractive surgery candidates, the mean of angle κ was 5.32 ± 1.36 (SD) degrees. Angle κ had a positive correlation with front and back temporal elevations based on a best-fit sphere (BFS) ( r = 0.339, P = .001; r = 0.300, P < .001, respectively). Front and back keratometric astigmatisms were positively correlated with front and back nasal and temporal elevations ( r ≥ 0.543, P < .001) and negatively correlated with superior and inferior elevations ( r ≤ -0.547, P < .001). These associations no longer existed when using best-fit toric ellipse (BFTE) for calculating elevation data. The thinnest point to vertex decentration was significantly associated with the back temporal elevation (based on the BFTE) in both normal ( r = 0.311, P < .001) and keratoconus ( r = 0.190, P = .021) eyes. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that elevation maps obtained by the Pentacam system using BFS might be affected by both the large angle κ and corneal astigmatism, confounding the preoperative assessment of refractive surgery candidates. Using BFTE as a reference for calculating elevation data should eliminate most diagnostic issues and thus is encouraged in this context.

Single-use porous polymer thin-film device: A reliable sampler for analysis of drugs in small volumes of biofluids.

The response to the demand for biomedical testing on small volumes of biofluids has led to a range of new microsampling devices and related techniques. Simple cost-effective sampling devices are available, but most do not incorporate sample clean-up and necessitate extensive sample processing by the analyst. To address both cleanup and analyte stability, a porous polymeric thin film made of methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) coated (5 × 18 mm2) on a stainless steel substrate was used for the extraction of seven tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) from plasma spots, with analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Essential factors such as sample volume, extraction time, matrix effects, and the desorption process were investigated. The optimized method is comprised of a quick 3-min extraction from 10 µL of plasma, a wash (10 s in 1 mL of 1% aqueous triethylamine (TEA) to remove plasma matrix interferences, and 2-min desorption (200 µL of ACN with 0.1% formic acid (FA)). For the purpose of sample archiving, thin film devices containing extracted TCAs were stored for 30 days at room temperature and showed a consistent analyte recovery. Inter-device reproducibility was evaluated without internal standard (%RSD 8.2-19.3%), and using two methods of introducing a single deuterated internal standard (imipramine-D3) either prior to (%RSDs 5.6-13.9%) or after (%RSDs 4.9-10.2%) sample loading to the device. Although the intention of this study was to introduce a single use device for rapid and easy analysis, reusability showed the feasibility of 15 consecutive extractions using same device without any performance loss. The optimized method revealed excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) in the range of 1-1000 ng mL-1, with good intra- and inter-day accuracy (81.4-118%) and precision (≤12%) in human plasma.

Phenolics diversity among wild populations of Salvia multicaulis: as a precious source for antimicrobial and antioxidant applications.

The genus Salvia L. belongs to the Lamiaceae family including several known species rich in natural compounds that are extensively used in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Salvia multicaulis populations contain a broad diversity of flavonoids and phenolic acids. The present study aimed to explore biological and pharmacological effects including antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of nineteen S. multicaulis populations (SMPs) grown in Iran for the first time. High content of rosmarinic acid (RA) in SMP12 (Gazan) (5.65 ± 0.33 mg/g DW) caused high antimicrobial activity against two bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli) and the fungus Candida albicans, while methanolic extract of SMP1 (Taleghan) showed high antioxidant activity due to high content of salvianolic acid A (SAA) and quercetin (0.53 ± 0.04 and 0.49 ± 0.12 mg/g DW, respectively). Altogether these results can be considered for further commercial exploitations to meet the demands of the food and pharmaceutical industries.[Formula: see text].

Micro-gel thin film molecularly imprinted polymer coating for extraction of organophosphorus pesticides from water and beverage samples.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have become an important class of materials for selective and efficient adsorption of target analytes. Despite versatility of MIPs for fabrication in numerous formats, these materials have been primarily reported as solid phase extraction packing materials. An effective thin film MIP prepared on stainless steel substrate is reported here for high throughput enrichment of organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) from water and beverage samples followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. The key factors controlling performance as well as best practices for optimized fabrication of thin film MIPs are presented. A pseudo-phase diagram is introduced to evaluate and predict the effect of the ratio of porogen (solvent, 1-octanol) volume to relative crosslinker mass on the desired polymer features (i.e., porosity, surface area, capacity, and selectivity). At low porogen ratios, a macroporous polymer with insignificant selectivity is formed, whereas at high porogen ratios a micro-gel polymer with superior selectivity towards targets is obtained. The porosity and morphology determined with nitrogen adsorption and scanning electron microscopy were attributed to specific regions in the pseudo-phase diagram. Other factors influencing selectivity and stability of the polymer, such as type of the template and its ratios with monomer (methacrylic acid) and crosslinker (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) were optimized. The prepared thin film MIPs were characterized using adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics, and evaluated for matrix effects (high humic acid content) and cross-reactivity in presence of other pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The optimized method provided limits of quantitation (LOQs) ranged from 0.002 to 0.02 ng mL-1 in water and from 0.095 to 0.48 ng g-1 in apple juice. Regarding inter-device variability (CV∼10% without normalization), excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99), satisfactory accuracies (90-110%) and precisions (<15%) were obtained.

Triterpenic and phenolic acids production changed in Salvia officinalis via in vitro and in vivo polyploidization: A consequence of altered genes expression.

The induction of polyploidy is an efficient technique for creating a diversity of genetic, phenotypic, and phytochemical novelties in plant taxa. Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) is a well-known medicinal plant rich of valuable bioactive molecules such as triterpenic and phenolic acids. In the present study, the effect of in vitro and in vivo polyploidization on morphological characteristics, anatomical structures, phytochemical traits, and expression level of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of major triterpenic acids (ursolic, betulinic, and oleanolic acids) of the plant was studied. The sterile seeds treated with different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2%) of colchicine for 24 and 48 h were considered for polyploidy induction. Flow cytometry and chromosome counting were used to confirm the ploidy level of diploid (2n = 2x = 14, 2C DNA = 1.10 pg) and tetraploid (2n = 4x = 28, 2C DNA = 2.12 pg) plants after seven months. The highest polyploidy induction was obtained by applying 0.1% (w/v) colchicine for 48 h with an efficiency of 19.05% in vitro tetraploidy. Polyploids showed differences in leaf shape and color, leaf and stem thickness, trichrome density, root length, plant height, and number of leaves compared to diploid plants. There was also a significant decrease in rosmarinic acid content in polyploid (plants) as compared to diploid plants. Although a significant decrease in ursolic acid content was observed in polyploids, betulinic acid content associated with the expression levels of genes encoding enzymes being active in triterpene biosynthesis such as squalene epoxidase (SQE) and lupeol synthase (LUS). The expression of SQE and LUS was significantly increased in in vitro tertaploids (2.9-fold) and in vivo mixoploids (2.4-fold). The results confirm the idea that induced polyploidy can randomly alter breeding traits of plants as well as the content of bioactive compounds.

Single-use porous thin film extraction with gas chromatography atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry for high-throughput analysis of 16 PAHs.

The need for high throughput, reliable analytical methods for environmental analysis has driven our development of novel sampling technologies that can be used in microextraction devices and integrated into chromatographic systems for fast analysis. Here we report a new method of water analysis for 16 EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that relies on a tailor made porous polymeric film for extraction with analysis by gas chromatography with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS). The extraction device is user friendly, single-use and gives exhaustive extraction from a relatively small volume (20 mL). The films show good stability, with excellent analytical performance. Critical factors affecting the extraction efficiency such as desorption solvent, desorption time, extraction agitation, and extraction time were studied and optimized. These thin films are cost effective and efficient for single use analysis, but carry-over studies showed that the films can be reused at least 10 times without extensive washing and with no loss in performance. The 16 PAHs were measured with excellent limits of detection ranging from 1 pg mL-1 for BaA to 100 pg mL-1 for Flu and linearity (R2 > 0.997) over the 1-50,000 pg mL-1 concentration range. This high throughput method (1-h extractions, which can be completed simultaneously) showed good reproducibility (<20%) with recoveries in the range of 19.0-40.6% and concentration factors varying between 37.9 and 81.1. Analysis of real seawater and river water samples using matrix-matched calibration in synthetic seawater and river water showed only small matrix effects maintaining high sensitivity (LODs:1-100 pg mL-1), demonstrating that the films are suitable for analysis of real samples without the need for standard addition.

Effect of surgical treatment on the quality of life in patients with non-traumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head / Efeito do tratamento cirúrgico sobre a qualidade de vida em pacientes com necrose avascular não traumática da cabeça femoral

ABSTRACT Objective: Avascular necrosis of the hip is a common debilitating disease during the fourth and fifth decades of life. This study attempted to evaluate quality of life in patients with avascular necrosis of the hip joint before and after surgery. Methods: In this study, 40 patients with avascular necrosis of the hip who underwent total hip arthroplasty, bipolar surgery, or cord compression were examined during 2006-2013. Harris Hip Score was used to assess the hip joint function and quality of life before and after surgery. The mean scores and standard deviation were used to describe data for quantitative variables, while frequency percentage was used to describe qualitative variables. Data were analyzed through SPSS v.19 and paired t-test. p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: This study involved 40 subjects with a mean age of 32 ± 7.38 years, ranging from 21 to 45 years old. The mean Harris Hip Score for patients before and after surgery were 20.36 and 96.15, respectively, showing a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). The average patient activity scores before and after surgery (8.9 and 44.2, respectively), non-deformity (1.6 and 3.9), and movement (3.6 and 4.9) indicated significant differences (p < 0.001). Furthermore, 80% of patients felt no hip joint pain six months after surgery, while 92.5% patients did not use any assistive device to walk. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that surgery substantially contributed to relieving pain and improving hip function in patients with osteonecrosis of the hip joint in the short term.

RESUMO Objetivo: A necrose avascular do quadril é uma doença debilitante comum durante a quarta e quinta décadas de vida. O presente estudo tentou avaliar a qualidade de vida em pacientes com necrose avascular da articulação do quadril antes e após a cirurgia. Métodos: Entre 2006 e 2013, o estudo avaliou 40 pacientes com necrose avascular do quadril que foram submetidos a artroplastia total do quadril, cirurgia bipolar ou descompressão do núcleo. O Harris Hip Score foi empregado para avaliar a função da articulação do quadril e a qualidade de vida antes e após a cirurgia. Os escores médios e o desvio padrão foram usados para descrever dados para variáveis quantitativas, enquanto a porcentagem de frequência foi usada para descrever variáveis qualitativas. Além disso, os dados foram analisados com o SPSS v.19 e o teste t pareado; p < 0,05 foi considerado significativo. Resultados: Este estudo envolveu 40 indivíduos com média de 32 ± 7,38 anos, variação de 21 a 45. Os escores médios no Harris Hip Score para pacientes antes e após a cirurgia foram 20,36 e 96,15, respectivamente, apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significante (p < 0,001). Diferenças significativas (p < 0,001) foram observadas na atividade média do paciente antes e após a cirurgia (8,9 e 44,2, respectivamente), sem deformidade (1,6 e 3,9) e movimento (3,6 e 4,9). Além disso, 80% dos pacientes não sentiram dor nas articulações do quadril seis meses após a cirurgia, enquanto 92,5% dos pacientes não usaram dispositivo auxiliar para deambulação. Conclusões: Os resultados do presente estudo demonstraram que a cirurgia contribui substancialmente para aliviar a dor e melhorar em curto prazo a função do quadril em pacientes com osteonecrose da articulação do quadril.

Effect of surgical treatment on the quality of life in patients with non-traumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head.

OBJECTIVE: Avascular necrosis of the hip is a common debilitating disease during the fourth and fifth decades of life. This study attempted to evaluate quality of life in patients with avascular necrosis of the hip joint before and after surgery. METHODS: In this study, 40 patients with avascular necrosis of the hip who underwent total hip arthroplasty, bipolar surgery, or cord compression were examined during 2006-2013. Harris Hip Score was used to assess the hip joint function and quality of life before and after surgery. The mean scores and standard deviation were used to describe data for quantitative variables, while frequency percentage was used to describe qualitative variables. Data were analyzed through SPSS v.19 and paired t-test. p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: This study involved 40 subjects with a mean age of 32 ± 7.38 years, ranging from 21 to 45 years old. The mean Harris Hip Score for patients before and after surgery were 20.36 and 96.15, respectively, showing a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). The average patient activity scores before and after surgery (8.9 and 44.2, respectively), non-deformity (1.6 and 3.9), and movement (3.6 and 4.9) indicated significant differences (p < 0.001). Furthermore, 80% of patients felt no hip joint pain six months after surgery, while 92.5% patients did not use any assistive device to walk. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrated that surgery substantially contributed to relieving pain and improving hip function in patients with osteonecrosis of the hip joint in the short term.

OBJETIVO: A necrose avascular do quadril é uma doença debilitante comum durante a quarta e quinta décadas de vida. O presente estudo tentou avaliar a qualidade de vida em pacientes com necrose avascular da articulação do quadril antes e após a cirurgia. MÉTODOS: Entre 2006 e 2013, o estudo avaliou 40 pacientes com necrose avascular do quadril que foram submetidos a artroplastia total do quadril, cirurgia bipolar ou descompressão do núcleo. O Harris Hip Score foi empregado para avaliar a função da articulação do quadril e a qualidade de vida antes e após a cirurgia. Os escores médios e o desvio padrão foram utilizados para descrever dados para variáveis quantitativas, enquanto a porcentagem de frequência foi usada para descrever variáveis qualitativas. Além disso, os dados foram analisados usando SPSS v.19 e o teste-t pareado. p < 0,05 foi considerado significativo. RESULTADOS: Este estudo envolveu 40 indivíduos com idade média de 32 ± 7,38 anos, variando de 21 a 45 anos. Os escores médios no Harris Hip Score para pacientes antes e após a cirurgia foram 20,36 e 96,15, respectivamente, apresentando diferença estatisticamente significante (p < 0,001). Diferenças significativas (p < 0,001) foram observadas na atividade média do paciente antes e após a cirurgia (8,9 e 44,2, respectivamente), sem deformidade (1,6 e 3,9) e movimento (3,6 e 4,9). Além disso, 80% dos pacientes não sentiram dor nas articulações do quadril 6 meses após a cirurgia, enquanto 92,5% dos pacientes não usaram nenhum dispositivo auxiliar para deambulação. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados do presente estudo demonstraram que a cirurgia contribui substancialmente para aliviar a dor e melhorar a função do quadril em pacientes com osteonecrose da articulação do quadril a curto prazo.

A global investigation of gene deletion strains that affect premature stop codon bypass in yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Protein biosynthesis is an orderly process that requires a balance between rate and accuracy. To produce a functional product, the fidelity of this process has to be maintained from start to finish. In order to systematically identify genes that affect stop codon bypass, three expression plasmids, pUKC817, pUKC818 and pUKC819, were integrated into the yeast non-essential loss-of-function gene array (5000 strains). These plasmids contain three different premature stop codons (UAA, UGA and UAG, respectively) within the LacZ expression cassette. A fourth plasmid, pUKC815 that carries the native LacZ gene was used as a control. Transformed strains were subjected to large-scale ß-galactosidase lift assay analysis to evaluate production of ß-galactosidase for each gene deletion strain. In this way 84 potential candidate genes that affect stop codon bypass were identified. Three candidate genes, OLA1, BSC2, and YNL040W, were further investigated, and were found to be important for cytoplasmic protein biosynthesis.

An immunological comparison between lipidated and non-lipidated multivalent HIV-1 peptides representing Gp120 and Gag hypervariable regions.

Despite the extensive efforts towards development of an effective HIV vaccine, major challenges surrounding vaccine design still exist. We have previously developed a unique multivalent HIV-1 candidate vaccine representing hypervariable Gp120 and Gag regions. This candidate vaccine was able to induce a broad cell-mediated immune response in HLA-A2.1 mice and non-human primates against HIV-1 subtypes A-F. Herein, the reactivity of each hypervariable peptide mixture within our candidate peptide vaccine was further characterized to optimize the final vaccine formulation for the future clinical studies. The binding of each hypervariable region to sera from HIV-infected individuals demonstrated a strong reactivity between the antibodies and hypervariable regions. In addition, 15 groups of mice were immunized with adjuvant alone or each individual peptide mixture (lipidated or non-lipidated) to evaluate the ability of each variable region to induce humoral and cellular immune responses against HIV-1. A reactive HIV-1 specific immune response was detected among the immunized groups; however, mice receiving the Gag hypervariable regions demonstrated the highest frequency of cell-mediated immune responses.

Characterization of a branched lipopeptide candidate vaccine against influenza A/Puerto Rico 8/34 which is recognized by human B and T-cell immune responses.

The use of synthetic peptides as immunogens represents an exciting alternative to traditional vaccines. However, to date most of these synthetic peptides are not highly immunogenic. The lack of immunogenicity might be addressed by conjugation between T or B cell epitopes with universal or immunodominant T-helper epitopes. The construction of lipidated peptides, branched peptides, or designs combining both of these elements might enhance the immunogenicity, as they might target Toll-Like Receptors and/or mimic the 3-dimensional structure of epitopes within the native protein. Herein, a recognized peptide immunogen based on the hemagglutinin protein of A/Puerto Rico/8/34 was chosen as a backbone and modified to evaluate if the construction of branched peptides, lipidation, the addition of cysteine residues, or mutations could indeed alter epitope reactivity. Screening the different designs with various antibody binding and cellular assays revealed that combining a branched design with the addition of lipid moieties greatly enhanced the immunoreactivity.

Reliability and validity of the persian version of distress tolerance scale.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of Simons and Gaher's Distress Tolerance scale(DTS) by administering it to nicotine dependent students of Tehran University. METHOD: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 317 nicotine dependent students of Tehran University who were selected, using available sampling method, completed DTS, Coping with Stress- Revised(CS-R), Positive and Negative Affect Scales(PANAS) and Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence(FTND). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic methods and correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The alpha coefficients for Tolerance, Absorption, Appraisal and Regulation subscales were 0.75, 0.77, 0.70 and 0.75, respectively. The test-retest correlation coefficients with two months interval for Tolerance, Absorption, Appraisal and Regulation subscales and the total scale were 0.71, 0.69, 0.77, 0,73 and 0.79, respectively; all of which were statistically significant (p<0.001). The correlation coefficient of DTS with problem-focused, emotional-focused, less useful and insufficient coping with stress were found to be: 0.213, -0.278, -0.337 and -0.196. In addition, the correlation coefficient of DTS with positive emotion, negative emotion and smoking-dependency were 0.543, -0.224 and -0.653 which were also significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The DTS is valid and reliable and suitable to use for assessing distress tolerance.

Rapid detection of anti-hepatitis A virus neutralizing antibodies in a microplate enzyme immunoassay.

The slow growth of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in cell culture is one of the primary pitfalls in the development of sensitive and rapid methods for the detection and quantification of HAV and associated neutralizing antibodies. Currently, in vitro assays frequently require 8 days or more to detect and quantify the presence of HAV neutralizing antibodies. This study describes a rapid immunoassay that allowed the detection of anti-HAV neutralizing antibodies in only 3 days. This microplate-based enzymic assay may be applicable in virological diagnostics, in evaluating the immunogenicity of HAV vaccines and in quantifying neutralizing antibodies during the course of HAV infection.