Electrospun Nanofibrous Biocomposite of Royal Jelly/Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol (RJ/CS/PVA) Gel as a Biological Dressing for P. aeruginosa-Infected Burn Wound.

Burn wounds are vulnerable to various infections due to damage to the tissue and changes in immune responses. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a critical bacterium that can cause burn wound infections, which can be life-threatening and delay wound healing. Therefore, it is essential to develop an efficient strategy to prevent the spread of infection in burn wounds. The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of electrospun nanofibers of royal jelly on a chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol polymer scaffold in repairing burn wounds infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To achieve this, the researchers analyzed the morphology and physicochemical properties of the synthesized nanofibers using SEM, FTIR, BET, and TGA analyses. They also examined the antibacterial properties of the nanofibers using agar diffusion and spread plate techniques. In addition, hemolysis tests were carried out to assess biocompatibility. Finally, the ability of the nanofibers to repair burn wounds infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated using a laboratory mouse model. The study results showed that the synthesized nanofibers had desirable morphology and physicochemical properties and significant antibacterial effects in both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Also, loading RJ into the polymer scaffold significantly reduced erythrocyte lysis. The wound healing and contraction rates were significantly higher than the control groups, and tissue repair, re-epithelialization, and collagen synthesis occurred faster, preventing the spread of infection to deeper tissue areas. Based on these findings, the synthesized system has the potential to serve as a suitable substitute for some invasive treatments and chemical drugs to improve chronic wounds and manage infection control in burn injuries.

Estimating short-term and long-term survival in rectal cancer patients using cure model.

Background: A large number of rectal cancer patients are cured after treatment. In such cases, cure models are used for survival analysis. This study aims to investigate factors that affect survival in rectal cancer using the Cox mixture cure model. Methods: Following a retrospective design, medical documents and pathological findings of newly diagnosed rectal cancer cases hospitalized at Imam Hossein Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from 2005 to 2013 were reviewed. The patients were followed up with until May 2018. The Cox mixture cure model was used. Data analysis was carried out using Statistical Analysis System (SAS) version 9.4. The statistical significance level was considered to be 0.05. Results: Four hundred nine patients were included in this study. The mean of disease-free survival was 87.08 ± 3.2 months. The hazard of the event for the patients who were drug abusers was 2.37 (95% CI: 1.30-4.31) times more than the other cases (P = 0.005). The odds ratio of the event for patients of stage III was 3.04 (95% CI: 1.51-6.12) times more than the cases of stage I (P = 0.002), and for the patients of stage IV, it was 12.42 (95% CI: 4.17-37.01) times more than patients of stage I (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this cure model indicate that the tumor stage, tumor grade, and history of drug abuse are the risk factors for the survival of patients with rectal cancer. These results can attract the attention of doctors and patients who want to be aware of their physical status and prognosis.

Radiofrequency ablation of parathyroid adenomas causing primary hyperparathyroidism: A report of 27 patients.

PURPOSE: To study treatment outcome of parathyroid adenomas using ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with a single adenoma of the parathyroid gland were included in the study. Using color Doppler ultrasonography, the lesion and its characteristics were determined, and dextrose was injected to dissect the gland from the surrounding structures. The ablation process was done with 6-12 watts of power. RESULTS: No complications were seen in any of the subjects. A significant reduction was seen in serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium levels after treatment. PTH levels showed a median decrease of 13.8%, and a median decrease of 8.2% was seen in serum calcium levels (p < 0.001). Phosphorus levels did not change significantly after treatment. In 1-month follow-up of patients, the lesion size had decreased considerably. In long-term follow-up, 11 of 20 patients having subsequent imaging had indistinguishable lesions. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that RFA of parathyroid adenomas caused a significant reduction in biomedical indicators of disease and resulted in a significant reduction or disappearance of the lesion in the majority of the patients while having no considerable complications.

Relationship between Primigravid women's awareness, attitude, fear of childbirth, and mode of delivery preference.

INTRODUCTION: Fear of childbirth is the main factor, which has decreased the tendency toward selecting natural birth. The immoderate increase in the number of C-sections has increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The present study investigates the relationship between awareness, attitude, fear of childbirth, and mode of delivery preference in Primigravid women referring to healthcare centers in Khorramabad, Iran. METHOD: In this descriptive-analytic study, 179 nulliparous pregnant women with the gestational age of> 2,0 weeks who visited selected healthcare centers in Khorramabad for routine pregnancy care in 2020 were selected in two stages and studied. The data were collected via the childbirth attitude questionnaire (CAQ), awareness, attitude, demographic characteristics, current pregnancy characteristics, midwifery history, and history of infertility treatment questionnaires. The data were analyzed via the Chi-squared test. RESULTS: The participants had a mean gestational age of 33.73 ± 4.71 weeks. There was a significant different between the level of awareness, and mode of delivery preference (p = 0.005). The majority of the participants (57.5%) had a moderate level of awareness about the mode of delivery. There was a significant different between the level of, attitude, and mode of delivery preference (p = 0.001).) Most of the participants (71.5%) had a negative attitude towards the mode of delivery. There was also a significant different between fear of childbirth and mode of delivery preference (p < 0.001), and most of the participants (71.5%) showed fear of childbirth. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, the majority of participants had afraid of childbirth, moderate awareness of mode of delivery, and negative attitudes. So, the healthcare providers should pay special attention to the fear of childbirth and the relevant factors during pregnancy.