Birth weight concerning obesity and diabetes gene expression in healthy infants; a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Since obesity and diabetes are prevalent worldwide, identifying the factors affecting these two conditions can effectively alter them. We decided to investigate the expression of obesity and diabetes genes in infants with birth weights lower than 2500 g in comparison with infants with normal birth weights. METHODS: 215 healthy infants between the ages of 5-6 months were used in the current case-control research, which was conducted at health and treatment facilities in Kermanshah. Infants who were healthy were chosen for the research after their weight and height were measured and compared to the WHO diagram to ensure that they were well-grown and in good health. There were 137 infants in the control group and 78 infants in the case group. All newborns had 5 cc of blood drawn intravenously. To assess the expression of the genes MC4R, MTNR1B, PTEN, ACACB, PPAR-γ, PPAR-α, NRXN3, NTRK2, PCSK1, A2BP1, TMEM18, LXR, BDNF, TCF7L2, FTO and CPT1A, blood samples were gathered in EDTA-coated vials. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman analyses were used to examine the data. RESULTS: A significant inverse correlation between birth weight and obesity and diabetes genes, including MTNR1B, NTRK2, PCSK1, and PTEN genes (r= -0.221, -0.235, -0.246, and - 0.418, respectively). In addition, the LBW infant's expression level was significantly up-regulated than the normal-weight infants (P = 0.001, 0.007, 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively). The expression level of the PPAR-a gene had a significantly positive correlation with birth weight (r = 0.19, P = 0.005). The expression level of the PPAR-a gene in the normal-weight infants was significantly up-regulated than the LBW infants (P = 0.049). CONCLUSION: The expression levels of MTNR1B, NTRK2, PCSK1, and PTEN genes were up-regulated in the LBW infants; however, the expression level of PPAR-a gene was significantly down-regulated in the LBW infants compared to the infants with normal birth weight.

The current novel drug delivery system (natural and chemical composites) in dental infections for antibiotics resistance: a narrative review.

A mouth infection can also affect the teeth, the mouth tissues, and any other areas involved in the mouth. Biofilms formed by bacteria are the primary cause of mouth infections and other infectious diseases caused by bacteria. The most common dental problem is an infection or disease within the mouth. The term chronic infection is sometimes used to describe this type of problem. There is also the possibility that these discomforts may occur due to the presence of bacteria in plaque, which is responsible for causing inflammation throughout the body as a result of bacterial infection in the mouth. In many cases, antibiotics serve as a first-line treatment for mouth infections, especially those caused by bacteria, most commonly treated by antibiotics. It is common for antibiotics to be used orally, and they are absorbed into the body through their metabolism in the liver and kidneys. Antibiotic resistance, which is primarily caused by misuse and overuse of antibiotics, is also one of the most significant public health crises of the 21st century. With the help of new drug delivery systems, antibacterial resistance can be decreased in humans to maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics when they are used more frequently. By directly delivering antibiotics to damaged tissues and reducing undesirable side effects when administered systemically, antibiotic delivery systems enhance the efficiency of antibiotics in specific zones. Furthermore, several new delivery systems are being explored in an attempt to improve pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, reduce bacterial resistance, and decrease dose times. As a result, antibiotics were delivered to tissues and biological fluids using an innovative delivery system. Research on some of the most prevalent dental diseases provides updates on antibiotic delivery systems that reduce antibiotic resistance. This review overviews oral infectious diseases, antibiotics effects, and the different delivery systems of these therapeutic approaches.

Assessment of procrastination in providing nursing care among Iranian nursing staff.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate procrastination in nursing care providing. DESIGN: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 125 nurses in ICUs, PICUs, NICUs, and surgery wards, who were selected by census sampling in Iran. METHODS: The data were collected using the Procrastination Scale, which consisted of 25 items relating to 3 factors. Data were analyzed using statistics, Chi-square, Friedman test, analysis of variance, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. RESULTS: Overall, 37% of the participants showed very high or high procrastination. Most of the procrastination was observed in the "Task aversion" (44.2%). ANOVA indicated that the mean total procrastination score had a significant relationship with age (p = 0.013), work experience (p = 0.006), and marital status (p = 0.02). Nurses with permanent employment (p = 0.014) and lower education (p = 0.009) and women (p = 0.023) were much more likely to procrastinate the provision of care. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to adopt appropriate management strategies and take adequate measures to reduce procrastination, considering the existence of procrastination among nurses and its adverse impact on the quality of care.

Evaluation of Care Providers' Attitude toward Perinatal Palliative Care and its Challenges in the Selected Teaching Hospitals of Tehran in 2019.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to determine the attitudes of care providers including obstetricians, paediatricians and midwives working in perinatal, obstetric and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wards of the selected teaching hospitals in Tehran in 2019. In addition, the challenges of providing palliative care from the perspective of these individuals have been examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this descriptive study, the research population was selected through convenience sampling based on the inclusion criteria. To assess care providers' attitude toward the perinatal palliative care and the challenges of its implementation, in addition to the questionnaire of demographic characteristics, a researcher-made questionnaire was also used. RESULTS: Most of the care providers (90.5%) believed that parents should be involved in decision-making to select the treatment type. Most of the care providers (90%) believed that the lack of prepared infrastructures is one of the major challenges in providing these types of care. CONCLUSION: Care providers have almost positive attitudes toward the various dimensions of providing perinatal palliative care, but it has not been properly implemented yet due to the insufficient knowledge of this type of care, the lack of required infrastructures (appropriate conditions in NICUs to provide this type of care, the sufficient number of staff and experts in this field), as well as the health authorities' neglecting this type of care.

Brucellar arthritis and sacroiliitis: an 8-year retrospective comparative analysis of demographic, clinical, and paraclinical features.

Introduction: Brucellosis is a common global zoonotic disease with a wide range of complex and nonspecific clinical manifestations that may lead to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Osteoarticular involvement is the most common complaint in brucellosis. Objective: This present study aims to describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics and treatment of brucellosis patients with arthritis and sacroiliitis. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study was performed on patients presenting to a teaching hospital in Kermanshah, Iran with a diagnosis of brucellosis from 2011 to 2019. The demographic and clinical characteristics, complications, laboratory findings, and treatment were recorded during the study period. Then, the difference in the collected data was investigated between brucellosis patients with and without arthritis or sacroiliitis. Results: Of 425 patients studied, 130 (30.58%) had osteoarticular involvement. Among them, 41 (9.64%) and 58 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with arthritis and sacroiliitis, respectively. There were no significant demographic differences between patients with and without brucellar arthritis or sacroiliitis (p > 0.05). The patients with Brucella arthritis had a significantly higher frequency of arthralgia and radiculopathy (p ⩽ 0.05). Sacroiliitis was significantly more common in patients with arthralgia, neck pain, and low back pain, positive flexion-abduction-external rotation (FABER) test, radiculopathy, and vertebral tenderness compared to patients without sacroiliitis (p ⩽ 0.05), while fever and headache were significantly more common in patients without sacroiliitis (p ⩽ 0.05). The median Wright and 2-Mercapto Ethanol titers were higher in brucellosis patients with arthritis or sacroiliitis versus patients without arthritis or sacroiliitis, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). Synovial fluid had been analyzed in 20 cases. The mean white blood cell count, glucose, and protein level were 3461 ± 2.70 cells/mm3, 58.54 ± 31.43 mg/dL, and 8.6 ± 11.85 g/dL, respectively. In 80% of the subjects, neutrophil cells were predominant. There were no significant laboratory differences between patients with and without brucellar arthritis or sacroiliitis, except for a higher median platelet count in patients with arthritis and higher median levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in patients with sacroiliitis. Most cases of arthritis and sacroiliitis were diagnosed with ultrasound (31.8%) and FABER test (79.3%), respectively. Conclusion: Arthritis and sacroiliitis were the two most important and common manifestations of brucellar osteoarthritis with a frequency of 9.64% and 13.6%, respectively. Any complaints of low back pain and radiculopathy as well as the presence of spondylitis in patients should raise suspicion of sacroiliitis. High levels of AST and ALP and a high platelet count may be associated with brucellar sacroiliitis and arthritis, respectively. The use of imaging methods such as MRI and bone scan seems necessary for the diagnosis of sacroiliitis.

Molecular Evaluation of Ex3 VNTR Polymorphism of the DRD4 Gene in Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Objective: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that affect social and communication skills. These diseases are characterized by severe communication and social skills disabilities and limited and repetitive activities. The prevalence of these disorders appears to be steadily increasing. It is proposed that the genes involved in the dopamine pathway may play an essential role in the development of autism. In this study, we investigated the possible association between Ex3 VNTR polymorphism of the DRD4 gene and autism spectrum disorders in the Iranian population. Materials & Methods: In this case-control study, 97 children with autism and 103 healthy individuals from a northwestern area of Iran as the case and control groups, respectively. After genomic xtraction from peripheral blood samples by the proteinase K method, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to determine the polymorphism genotypes. The data were then coded and analyzed using SPSS version 22 software. Results: The study results showed that the allele frequencies differed in the two groups, some of them being statistically significant. The most common allele in both the ASD and the control group was the 700 bp allele, and its frequency was significantly different in the two groups and was more common in the ASD group (p-value=0.0018). The other allele with a statistically different frequency was the 800 bp allele which was less frequent in the ASD group (p-value=0.0017). Conclusion: These results suggest a potential association between Ex3 VNTR polymorphism of the DRD4 gene and autism spectrum disorder in the Iranian population. This necessitates further studies for the evaluation of the DRD4 gene.

The use of oral and enteral tube-fed arginine supplementation in pressure injury care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: Pressure injuries (PIs) are one of the most common complications related to immobility, especially in hospitalized patients, which lead to increased morbidity, infection and overall decreased quality of life. Arginine supplementation may prevent the development of PIs. This study has summarized the findings of studies on the effect of arginine supplementation on PI healing. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: This study was conducted on online electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Embase to identify relevant clinical trial studies up to September 2020. The pooled effect size of arginine supplement effects on PI was evaluated with standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis with 196 patients. PIs were significantly improved with Arginine supplementation (SMD: -0.6; CI 95%: -0.9 to -0.3, I2 : 72.5%, p = .001). Subgroup analysis showed that administering Arginine supplement more than 15 g/day had more beneficial effects on the healing of PIs (SMD: -2.8; CI 95%: -4.08 to -1.52, I2 : 54.7%, p = .138). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the administration of Arginine supplement in patients with PIs can accelerate the healing of this type of ulcer. Arginine is a supplement, and primary treatment is still needed to optimize PI healing. Therefore, arginine supplementation in addition to primary treatment seems to be an appropriate approach for the healing of PIs. Further well-designed studies are necessary to prevent the development of PIs compared to their primary treatment.