Midwives' experience of respectful maternity care (RMC) globally: A meta-synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Respectful maternity care (RMC) emphasizes the social and relational elements of maternity care and is a crucial part of initiatives to improve service accessibility and quality. Women's perceptions have influenced much of what we know about RMC and contempt in the labor ward. In order to understand midwives' perspectives of RMC, this meta-synthesis focused on them. METHOD: For this inquiry, the databases PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched to find studies on midwives' perceptions of RMC written between 2011 and April 20th 2023. The included articles were to English language restriction. The results of the included research were examined using thematic analysis. Using the inclusion criteria, 84 potentially relevant articles were carefully reviewed, and only 22 were ultimately selected for synthesis. The quality of the qualitative study was assessed using the CASP, a tool for quality evaluation and PRISMA guidelines were followed. Using the MAXQDA program, the cited quotes and the original authors' interpretations were combined. RESULT: There were 22 studies total, thematic synthesis was determined to be appropriate for a total of 22 research studies. Following are the topics which we summarized our analysis: in six major themes: Midwives' conceptualizations of RMC, Midwives commitment to woman's rights, The value and impact of RMC to midwives, Midwife's perception of disrespectful care, Challenges in providing respectful maternity care, and Midwives' recommendations for optimal RMC practice. CONCLUSION: In addition to specific focus on promoting cooperation, policies to enhance health systems and strategic consideration of the midwifery profession's future are required.

Computational analysis of efficient organic solar cell-based retinal prosthesis using plasmonic gold nanoparticles.

Introduction: Photovoltaic restoration of vision, especially in conjunction with the use of silicon photodiodes, has gained attention for use in patients affected by blindness due to retinal layer disease. Although the use of silicon photodiodes offers miniaturization of the implant unit and increase in the stimulation channel, the implant unit may suffer from the fracture of these brittle photodiodes when mechanical pressure exerted. Methods: We present an organic solar cell (OSC)-based retinal prosthesis in which spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are embedded into the active layer to increase the efficiency of the bioelectric interface. Results: We demonstrate computationally that a modeled OSC incorporating spherical AuNPs has three times higher efficiency than that of a bare OSC presented before for retinal prostheses. Our AuNP based OSC was able to activate the neuron at the minimum light intensity of 0.26 mW/mm2, which is lower than that of the bare OSC. Discussion: The use of AuNPs in OSC allows device miniaturization or lowering of the light exposure required for neural activation using a photovoltaic retinal prosthesis, which can generally be applied in a broad range of neural prostheses.

Retinal Tissue Engineering: Regenerative and Drug Delivery Approaches.

In recent decades, the improvement of photoreceptor-cell transplantation has been used as an effective therapeutic approach to treat retinal degenerative diseases. In this review, the effect of different factors on the differentiation process and stem cells toward photoreceptors along with cell viability, morphology, migration, adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation efficiency is discussed. Scientists are researching to better recognize the reasons for retinal degeneration, as well as discovering novel therapeutic methods to restore lost vision. In this field, several procedures and treatments in the implantation of stem cells-derived retinal cells have been explored for clinical trials. However, the number of these clinical trials is too small to draw sound decisions about whether stem-cell therapies can offer a cure for retinal diseases. Nevertheless, future research directions have started for patients affected by retinal degeneration and promising findings have been obtained.

Hydrothermal and thermal-alkali pretreatments of wheat straw: Co-digestion, substrate solubilization, biogas yield and kinetic study.

Agro-waste having lignocellulosic biomass is considered most effective (heating value 16 MJ/kg) for energy production through anaerobic digestion (AD). However, recalcitrant lignocellulosic fraction in agro-waste obstructs its biotransformation and is a rate-limiting step of the process. This study investigated the effects of hydrothermal and thermal-alkaline pretreatment on anaerobic co-digestion of wheat straw (WS). The hydrothermal pretreatment of WS revealed that 60 min was the best pretreatment time to achieve the highest substrate solubilization. It was employed for thermal-alkali pretreatment at variable temperatures and NaOH doses. Thermal-alkali pretreatment at 125°C-7% NaOH shows the highest (34%) biogas yield of 662 mL/gVS, followed by 646 mL/gVS biogas yield at 150°C-1% NaOH assay (31% higher) over control. Although the 125°C-7% NaOH assay achieved the highest biogas yield, the 150°C-1% NaOH assay was found more feasible considering the cost of a 6% higher chemical used in the earlier assay. The thermal-alkali pretreatment was observed to reduce the formation of recalcitrant compounds (HMF, Furfural) and increase the buffering capacity of the slurry over hydrothermal pretreatment. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the various pretreatment and AD operational parameters was carried out to study their in-depth correlation. Moreover, a kinetic study of the experimental data was performed to observe the biodegradation trend and compare it with the Modified Gompertz (MG) and First Order (FO) models.

Review on Approved and Inprogress COVID-19 Vaccines.

The last generation of Coronavirus named COVID-19 is responsible for the recent worldwide outbreak. Concerning the widespread and quick predominance, there is a critical requirement for designing appropriate vaccines to surmount this grave problem. Correspondingly, in this revision, COVID-19 vaccines (which are being developed until March 29th, 2021) are classified into specific and non-specific categories. Specific vaccines comprise genetic-based vaccines (mRNA, DNA), vector-based, protein/recombinant protein vaccines, inactivated viruses, live-attenuated vaccines, and novel strategies including microneedle arrays (MNAs), and nanoparticles vaccines. Moreover, specific vaccines such as BCG, MRR, and a few other vaccines are considered Non-specific. What is more, according to the significance of Bioinformatic sciences in the cutting-edge vaccine design and rapid outbreak of COVID-19, herein, Bioinformatic principles including reverse vaccinology, epitopes prediction/selection and, their further applications in the design of vaccines are discussed. Last but not least, safety, challenges, advantages, and future prospects of COVID-19 vaccines are highlighted.

Critical insights into anaerobic co-digestion of wheat straw with food waste and cattle manure: Synergistic effects on biogas yield and kinetic modeling.

In this study, four batch assays were performed to ensure the synergic effects of co-digestion and find out the best inoculums to substrate ratio (ISR), carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N), and total solid (TS) percentage in sequence. The co-digestion of three feedstocks had a 20% higher biogas yield (416 mL/gVS added) than mono-digestion with 21% volatile solids (VS) degradation. The ISR of 2 leads to the highest biogas yield (431 mL/gVS added) and VS removal (30.3%) over other ISRs (0.5, 1.0, 2.5) studied. The lower ISR (<2) tended to have lower pH due to insufficient anaerobes inside the digester. The C:N 35 (with ISR 2) yielded 17.4% higher biogas (443.5 mL/gVS added) than mono-digestion and was the highest among the C:N ratios studied with 36.6% VS removal. The VFA, alkalinity, and pH in C:N 35 assay were more stable than in other C:N assays. In the fourth batch assay, varying TS% (5, 7.5, 10, 12.5) were used with optimized ISR (2) and C:N (35). Higher TS% (10 and 12.5) had some lag phase but later achieved higher biogas production. The 12.5% TS assay achieved 80% higher biogas yield (679 mL/gVS added) over mono-digestion, i.e., highest among the TS% studied, with 48% VS removal. In conclusion, co-digestion of mixed feedstocks with ISR 2, C:N 35, and TS 12.5% could degrade almost half of the substrate available for biodegradation. Further biodegradation may require pretreatment of the recalcitrant WS. Modified Gompertz, first-order, transference, and logistic models were used for kinetic study and curve fitting of experimental data. For the optimized batch assays, the estimated specific rate constants were 0.08, 0.12, 0.083, and 0.084. The data fits well in all the models, with the coefficient of discrimination (R2) ranging from 0.882 to 0.999.

Novel insight on ferric ions addition to mitigate recalcitrant formation during thermal-alkali hydrolysis to enhance biomethanation.

Thermal-chemical pre-treatment has proven to facilitate the solubilization of organics and improvement in biogas generation from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). However, the production of recalcitrant is inevitable when OFMSW is pretreated at high temperatures and alkali dosage. This study develops a strategy to use Fe3+ to reduce the formation of recalcitrant compounds, i.e., 5-HydroxyMethyl Furfural (5-HMF), furfurals, and humic acids (HA) during thermal-alkali pre-treatment. It was postulated that the formation of the recalcitrant compound during pre-treatment can be reduced by Fe3+ dosing to oxidize intermediates of Maillard reactions. A decrease in 5-HMF (45-49%) and furfurals (54-66%) was observed during Fe3+ (optimum dose: 10 mg/L) mediated thermal-alkali pre-treatment owing to the Lewis acid behavior of FeCl3. The Fe3+ mediated assays show a substantial improvement in VS removal (28%) and biogas yield, i.e., 31% (292 mL/gVSadded) in 150 °C + 3 g/L NaOH, 34% (316 mL/gVSadded) in 175 °C + 3 g/L NaOH, and 36% (205 mL/gVSadded) in 200 °C + 3 g/L NaOH assays, over their respective controls (no Fe3+ dosing). The reducing property of Fe3+ rendered a low ORP (-345 mV) in the system than control, which is beneficial to the anaerobic microbiome. Electrical conductivity (EC) also shows a three-fold increase in Fe3+ mediated assays over control, promoting direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) amongst microbes involved in the electrical syntrophy. The score plot and loading plots from principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the results obtained by supplementing 10 mg/L Fe3+ at 150, 175, and 200 °C were significantly different. The correlation of the operational parameters was also mutually correlated. This work provides a techno-economically and environmentally feasible option to mitigate the formation of recalcitrant compounds and enhance biogas production in downstream AD by improving the degradability of pretreated substrate.

Prevention of peritoneal adhesions formation by core-shell electrospun ibuprofen-loaded PEG/silk fibrous membrane.

Adhesion bands are pathological fibrous tissues that create in the middle of tissues and organs, often reasons of intestinal obstruction, and female infertility. Here, we explored the anti-adhesive and inflammatory capacities of PEG/silk and Ibuprofen-loaded PEG/Silk core-shell nanofibrous membranes, respectively. The ibuprofen-loaded Silk Fibroin-Poly ethylene Glycol (SF-PEG) core-shell membrane was fabricated by electrospinning and considered in terms of morphology, surface wettability, drug release, and degradation. To reveal the membrane capability for adhesion bands inhibition, the membrane was stitched among the abdominal partition and peritoneum and then evaluated using two scoring adhesion systems. According to results, the fibrous membrane hindered cell proliferation, and the scoring systems and pathology showed that in a rat model, Ibuprofen-loaded PEG/Silk core-shell membrane caused a lightening in post-operative adhesion bands and the low-grade inflammatory reaction in animal models. Collectively, we fabricated new ibuprofen-loaded PEG/SF membranes with anti-adhesion and anti-inflammation properties. Moreover, this core-shell electrospun fibrous membrane has not even now been used to prevent peritendinous adhesion generation.

Temporal changes in extra-axial brain hematoma's signal intensity in magnetic resonance images of trauma patients: A preliminary, technical study.

INTRODUCTION: Dating the exact or estimated time of trauma is an important issue facing forensic medicine. Several clinical and radiological methods were used to achieve this purpose. In the recent study, we aimed to track the changes in the signal intensity of the extra-axial brain hematoma using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) conventional sequences as well as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, all patients with blunt head trauma were involved. After proper management., stabilization, and resuscitation, the participants were assessed using conventional sequences of MRI and DWI twenty-four hours, forty-eight hours, and three weeks after the injury. Temporal changes of signal intensity were compared by Wilcoxon ranged test. RESULTS: Sixteen patients sustaining blunt head trauma were included in this study. The study showed that during the time, diffusion restriction could be seen in an extraaxial hematoma. At the first 24 hours, the signal of hematoma was void in 87.5% of DWI and 100% of ADC. On the second day, they were hypo-signal in 75% of DWI and 100% 0f ADCs, and after three weeks, 100% of cases were hyper-signal in DWI and hypo-signal ADCs. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study has shown that the DWI can be used to detect and track the extra-axial hematoma. The signal intensity was void during the first twentyfour hours, although it became hypo-signal after 48 hours. Of note, the diffusion restriction is noted after three weeks.

Effect of different concentrations of substrate in microbial fuel cells toward bioenergy recovery and simultaneous wastewater treatment.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCS) is a promising and expanding technology able to eliminate various pollutants of wastewater while converting its chemical energy into power energy using biocatalysts. The potential application of double-chamber microbial fuel cell (DC-MFC) for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and generated power from wastewater in the different conditions is investigated. DC-MFC is operated with anaerobic sludge as an active biocatalyst in an anode section, an aerobic cathode section and a Nafion117 membrane as a separator. The performance of the bioreactor is determined with different concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD) loadings in the MFC process, in terms of COD removal, power generation and columbic efficiencies. The results illustrated that COD removal efficiency increased at the high concentrations of organic matter. So that at COD concentration of 2000.0 mg/L the highest COD removal efficiency (84%) was obtained. But with increasing substrate initial concentration to 10000.0 mg/L the efficiency decreased to 79%. The important outputs of the system like the highest voltage, maximum generated power, current density, and energy efficiency with the 100,000 mg/L COD are 447 mV, 50.7 mW/m2, 570.0 mA/m2, and 18.6%, respectively. The optical density levels increased due to bacterial growth while pH severely decreased in the anode chamber when using high-concentration substrates in the MFC.

Are photocatalytic processes effective for removal of airborne viruses from indoor air? A narrative review.

A wide variety of methods have been applied in indoor air to reduce the microbial load and reduce the transmission rate of acute respiratory diseases to personnel in healthcare sittings. In recent months, with the occurrence of COVID-19 pandemic, the role of portable ventilation systems in reducing the load of virus in indoor air has received much attention. The present study delineates a comprehensive up-to-date overview of the available photocatalysis technologies that have been applied for inactivating and removing airborne viruses. The detection methods for identifying viral particles in air and the main mechanisms involving in virus inactivation during photocatalysis are described and discussed. The photocatalytic processes could effectively decrease the load of viruses in indoor air. However, a constant viral model may not be generalizable to other airborne viruses. In photocatalytic processes, temperature and humidity play a distinct role in the inactivation of viruses through changing photocatalytic rate. The main mechanisms for inactivation of airborne viruses in the photocatalytic processes included chemical oxidation by the reactive oxygen species (ROS), the toxicity of metal ions released from metal-containing photocatalysts, and morphological damage of viruses.

Alcohol consumption epidemic and its complications during the COVID-19 pandemic in Khuzestan Province, Iran; 2020.

Background: After unprecedented demand for ethanol in the pandemic, profiteers used methanol for making illegal alcoholic drink. Material and methods: Final judgements passed by criminal divisions of common courts of law in cases where death or grievous bodily harm was caused by injuries to the facial and cerebral parts of the skull resulting solely from punches to the facial area of the skull. Assessment of individual cases within each group to determine similarities and differences. Comparative analysis of both groups. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study investigated the effects of methanol poisoning on 400 patients who referred to hospitals affiliated with Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences from March 20 to September 20, 2020. Results: Ninety-eight-point five percent of patients had consumed alcohol for social reasons and only 0.3% had used it as a measure to avoid COVID-19. Eighty-seven percent of the patients used homemade alcohol bought from peddlers. The most common clinical symptom was gastrointestinal disorders (64.8%) and the most common complications were vision problems (12.3%). Ten-point-six percent (42 patients) of the patients died. The most important factors affecting mortality risk were dyspnea, neuropathic problems, abnormal radiological findings, dialysis, abnormal blood pressure, vision problems and dizziness. Conclusions: Informing the public about the risks of using homemade alcoholic beverages is essential if the associated disability and mortality has to be avoided.

Electrodisinfection of bacteria-laden in surface water using modified Ti electrode by antimony-and nickel-doped tin oxide composite.

Providing clean and safe drinking water by point of use (POU) disinfection methods has become a critical issue, especially in crises and epidemics. In this study, antimony-and nickel-doped tin oxide electrode (Ni-Sb-SnO2) was employed as an electrode for electro-catalytic disinfection of surface water. The synthetized electrodes were characterized using scanning electron microscope, linear sweep voltammetry and X-Ray diffraction techniques. The results revealed that the highest electrochemical disinfection efficiency was achieved by the Ni-Sb-SnO2 electrode under weak acidic conditions and its performance decreased with increasing pH towards alkaline environment. Based on the results, total coliform (TC) and fecal coliform (FC) were completely removed at current density of 0.67 mA cm-2. Moreover, the electrochemical disinfection of microorganisms showed that the process efficiency was directly proportional to increasing time and at 0.6 C cm-2 of charge passed, 3-log removal of the both indicators occurred after 15 min. The highest removal efficiency of TC and FC was also achieved at 8 mmol of NaCl concentration at <10 min of detention time. The results of this study depicted that the Ti/Ni-Sb-SnO2 electrode provides higher disinfection efficiency for the removal of TC and FC compared with Ti and SS/PbO2 electrodes. Moreover, the proposed system was able to completely eliminate heterotrophic, Streptococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aerogenes indicators under optimal conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that the proposed electrochemical system can be efficiency applied as a POU disinfection system for disinfection of water contaminated with microbial indicators, especially for crises and epidemics.

The Effect of the Teach-Back Method on Knowledge, Performance, Readmission, and Quality of Life in Heart Failure Patients.

BACKGROUND: Among chronic diseases, heart failure has always been a serious challenge imposing high costs on health systems and societies. Therefore, nurses should adopt new educational strategies to improve self-care behaviors and reduce the readmissions in heart failure patients. This study aimed to determine the effect of the teach-back method on knowledge, performance, readmission, and quality of life in these patients. METHODS: This clinical trial was conducted in patients with heart failure (n = 70) hospitalized in the internal wards of the Baqiyatallah al-Azam Medical Center in Tehran (2019). Routine discharge educations were provided in control patients. Self-care topics were taught to the intervention groups by the teach-back method. A cardiac self-care questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and practice of patients immediately after intervention and three months after patient discharge. Also, SF-36 was presented to each patient. Readmission(s) and quality of life were followed up by telephone interviews three months after patient discharge. Repeated measures analysis of variance and related post-hoc tests were performed for within-group comparisons before, immediately after, and 3 months after teach-back education. Wilks' lambda multivariate tests were conducted for simultaneous comparison of quality of life subscales between intervention and control groups. Also, logistic regressions were after controlling for baseline measures and confounders. RESULTS: Findings showed significant improvement in the patients' knowledge and performance immediately after teach-back education, though this effect was slow in the long term after discharge. Also, the frequency of readmissions decreased and the quality of life (except physical function) increased in the patients through teach-back education. By controlling for the pretest effect, the posttest scores for the relevant components of the quality of life suggested improvement in both intervention and control patients. This improvement in the quality of life was confirmed by controlling for baseline measurements using binary logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Teach-back education improved patients' knowledge and performance, readmission frequency, and quality of life.

The potency of hsa-miR-9-1 overexpression in photoreceptor differentiation of conjunctiva mesenchymal stem cells on a 3D nanofibrous scaffold.

MiRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are ordinarily involved in modulating mRNAs and stem cell differentiation. 3D nanofibrous scaffolds have an important role in the differentiation of stem cells due to their similarity to the extracellular matrix (ECM). In the present study, we tried to introduce a new approach to guiding the differentiation of conjunctiva mesenchymal stem cells (CJMSCs) into photoreceptor-like cells by hsa-miR-9-1 delivery on both 2D and 3D substrates. First, the CJMSCs were transduced by a lentiviral vector carrying miR-9 (pCDH + hsa-miR-9-1) and then cell transduction efficacy verified by using fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry, and qPCR analyses. Silk Fibroin-poly-L-lactic acid (SF-PLLA) scaffold was fabricated by the electrospinning technique while the scaffold characteristics including morphology, chemical properties, and biocompatibility were evaluated by SEM, FTIR, and MTT assays, respectively. Then, the miR-9-CJMSCs were seeded on both TCPS and the scaffold; photoreceptor gene and protein expressions were evaluated by RT-qPCR and immunostaining after 14 and 21 days of transduction. More than 80% of CJMSCs were transduced and miR-9 expression was significantly higher in miR-9-CJMSCs compared with empty vector (EV)-CJMSCs. SEM and FTIR confirmed the fabrication of the SF/PLLA hybrid structure. RT-qPCR and immunostaining analyses showed that the specific photoreceptor genes and proteins were expressed in miR-9 transduced CJMSCs. Mir-9 induced CJMSCs into photoreceptor-like cells in a time-dependent manneron on both TCPS and nanofibrous scaffold.We have proved that hsa-miR-9-1 has the potency to guide the photoreceptor differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and promote retinal regeneration.

Sampling and detection of corona viruses in air: A mini review.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a strain of coronaviruses that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In these days, the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus through the air has become a controversial topic among scientists. Various organizations provide standard methods for monitoring biological agents in the air. Nevertheless, there has been no standard recommended method for sampling and determination of viruses in air. This manuscript aimed at reviewing published papers for sampling and detection of corona viruses, especially SARS-Cov-2 as a global health concern. It was found that SARS-Cov 2 was present in some air samples that were collected from patient's rooms in hospitals. This result warrants its airborne transmission potential. However, due to the fact that in the most reviewed studies, sampling was performed in the patient's room, it seems difficult to discriminate whether it is airborne or is transmitted through respiratory droplets. Moreover, some other disrupting factors such as patient distance from the sampler, using protective or oxygen masks by patients, patient activities, coughing and sneezing during sampling time, air movement, air conditioning, sampler type, sampling conditions, storage and transferring conditions, can affect the results. About the sampling methods, most of the used samplers such as PTFE filters, gelatin filers and cyclones showed suitable performance for trapping SARS-Co and MERS-Cov viruses followed by PCR analysis.

Placenta mesenchymal stem cells differentiation toward neuronal-like cells on nanofibrous scaffold.

Introduction: Transplantation of stem cells with a nanofibrous scaffold is a promising approach for spinal cord injury therapy. The aim of this work was to differentiate neural-like cells from placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDMSCs) using suitable induction reagents in three (3D) and two dimensional (2D) culture systems. Methods: After isolation and characterization of PDMSCs, the cells were cultivated on poly-L-lactide acid (PLLA)/poly caprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous scaffold and treated with a neuronal medium for 7 days. Electron microscopy, qPCR, and immunostaining were used to examine the differentiation of PDMSCs (on scaffold and tissue culture polystyrene [TCPS]) and the expression rate of neuronal markers (beta-tubulin, nestin, GFAP, and MAP-2). Results: qPCR analysis showed that beta-tubulin (1.672 fold; P ≤ 0.0001), nestin (11.145 fold; P ≤ 0.0001), and GFAP (80.171; P ≤ 0.0001) gene expressions were higher on scaffolds compared with TCPS. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that nestin and beta-tubulin proteins were recognized in the PDMSCs differentiated on TCPS and scaffold after 7 days in the neuroinductive differentiation medium. Conclusion: Taken together, these results delegated that PDMSCs differentiated on PLLA/PCL scaffolds are more likely to differentiate towards diversity lineages of neural cells. It proposed that PDMSCs have cell subpopulations that have the capability to be differentiated into neurogenic cells.

MicroRNA-7 promotes neural differentiation of trabecular meshwork mesenchymal stem cell on nanofibrous scaffold.

The purpose of this study was to investigate miR-7 overexpression effects on neural differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) culture systems. We upregulated miR-7 through lentiviral vector in trabecular meshwork MSCs (TMMSCs) and polymers of poly l-lactic acid/polycaprolactone fibrous scaffold were fabricated by electrospinning and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Neural markers expression was evaluated through quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) and immunostaining. The results showed that the high percentage of cell transduction (84.9%) and miR-7 expression (folds: 677.93 and 556.4) was detected in TMMSCs-miR-7(+). SEM and FTIR established the fabrication of the hybrid scaffold. q-PCR analysis showed that on days 14 and 21 of transduction, the expression level of Nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) genes were significantly higher in the scaffold (3D) compared with tissue culture polystyrene (2D) culture. The expression of microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) and GFAP genes in TMMSCs-miR-7(+) cells were significantly higher than those miR-7(-) cells after 21 days of cell culture. Also, MAP-2 and Nestin proteins were detected in TMMSCs-miR-7(+) cells. Our results demonstrate that miR-7 is involved in neural differentiation of TMMSCs and scaffold can improve differentiate into glial and neural progenitor cells. These findings provided some information for future use of microRNAs and scaffold in tissue engineering and cell therapy for neurological diseases.

In vitro differentiation of conjunctiva mesenchymal stem cells into insulin producing cells on natural and synthetic electrospun scaffolds.

Polymers are used in tissue engineering as a scaffold. In this study the differentiation capability of conjunctiva mesenchymal stem cells (CJMSCs) on natural and synthetic nanofibrous electrospun scaffolds into insulin producing cells (IPCs) were studied. Natural Silk fibroin and synthetic PLLA polymers were used to fabricate electrospun scaffolds. These scaffolds are characterized by SEM and CJMSCs were differentiated into IPCs on these scaffolds. The differentiation efficiency was measured by analysis the expression of specific pancreatic markers by RT-qPCR and insulin release capacity via ELISA. Microscopy analysis showed the fabrication of uniform nanofibers and the formation of the islet-like clusters at the end of differentiation period. Significant differences in expression of Pdx-1 and glucagon were observed in PLLA scaffold compared to Silk scaffold (Fold: 1.625 and 1.434, respectively; P-value ≤ 0.0001 for both). Furthermore, insulin secretion at high glucose concentration was significantly higher in cells differentiated on PLLA scaffold than those cultured on Silk scaffold (P-value: 0.012). The scaffolds can enhance the differentiation of IPCs from CJMSCs. In this way, PLLA synthetic scaffold was more efficient than Silk natural scaffold. We conclude that the nanofibrous scaffolds reported herein could be used as a potential supportive matrix for islet tissue engineering.