Inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection by Sambucus ebulus extract in vitro.

Background: The emergence of drug-resistant strains of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been increasingly reported. Therefore, attempts to discover new antiviral agents in particular from natural compounds are required. In this study, we evaluated the possible inhibitory effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Sambucus ebulus (S. ebulus ) against HSV-1. Methods: S. ebulus extract was produced by maceration method. MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity effects of the S. ebulus extract; also, antiviral effects were measured both by test TCID50 and quantitative real-time PCR methods. To study the inhibitory impact of S. ebulus extract on the expression of HSV-1 antigens, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was also performed. All analyses were performed using the GraphPad Prism software v. 7.0. Results: In the postexposure assay of HSV-1 with S. ebulus extract at the highest nontoxic concentration (75 µg/mL), S. ebulus extract led to 2.6 log10 TCID50 reduction in infectious virus titer. At the highest nontoxic concentration, the S. ebulus extract led to inhibition rates of 91.2%, based on the quantitative real-time PCR assay results (p<0.001). Also, in the immunofluorescence assay, a significant reduction was observed in fluorescence emission intensity in HSV-1-infected cell treated with S. ebulus extract compared to the control group. Conclusion: S. ebulus extract is a novel and effective natural compound in reducing HSV-1 titer and future studies should be conducted to discover the complete mechanism of antiviral effect of this natural compound.

Enhancing immune responses by a novel multi-epitope ROP8 DNA vaccine plus interleukin-12 plasmid as a genetic adjuvant against acute Toxoplasma gondii infection in BALB/c mice.

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis is a widespread zoonotic infection, caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan. The infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, although in persons with impaired immune system may lead to severe and progressive complications. Constant attempts of scientists have made valuable findings in the development of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) candidate vaccines. However, an effective vaccine has not been successfully developed yet. In the current study, we tested the co-delivery of a novel multi-epitope pcROP8 DNA vaccine with a plasmid encoding IL-12 (pcIL-12) to assess the immune responses in BALB/c mice against acute T. gondii infection. METHODS: BALB/c mice were immunized on days 0, 21, and 42. The immune responses of both vaccinated and control groups were evaluated using cytokine and antibody measurements, lymphocyte proliferation assay, and survival time. RESULTS: The findings demonstrated that immunization with multi-epitope pcROP8 significantly enhanced the level of anti-T. gondii antibodies, TH1-type cellular immune responses, lymphocyte proliferation, and prolonged survival time, compared to control groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the use of pcIL-12 as a genetic adjuvant led to enhancements of the above-mentioned immune responses in BALB/c mice (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The co-administration of pcIL-12 with multi-epitope pcROP8 vaccine, could successfully enhance the level of protection. Thus, this immunization regimen may represent an effective vaccine strategy against acute T. gondii infection.

Psychological distress among Iranian health-care providers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Novel corona virus, named COVID-19, has spread rapidly to other countries like Italy, Iran and South Korea and affected all people, especially health-care providers. Therefore, due to the rapid spread of the disease in Iran, the aim of the present study was to explore psychological distress experienced by Iranian health-care providers in the first few weeks of the corona virus outbreak. METHODS: The present qualitative study was conducted on 18 Iranian health-care providers exposed to COVID - 19 using a content analysis method. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants and continued until data saturation was reached. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and then the qualitative data were analyzed through direct content analysis. RESULTS: By analyzing 236 primary codes, two main categories were extracted from the experiences of health-care providers during corona virus outbreak. The first category included Occupational demands with three sub-categories: nature of illness, Organizational demands and social demands. The second category was Supportive resources included personal support and social support. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study found that there were some barriers and challenges to medical personnel exposed to COVID-19 that caused psychological distress. Some of these problems related to the nature of illness, others related to social and organizational demands and some of supportive resources buffer the relationship between occupational demands and psychological distress.

Hydrogen production via supercritical water gasification of bagasse using Ni-Cu/γ-Al2O3 nano-catalysts.

Biomass gasification in supercritical water media is a promising method for the production of hydrogen. In this research, Cu-promoted Ni/γ-Al2O3 nano-catalysts were prepared with 2.5-30 wt% Ni and 0.6-7.5 wt% Cu loadings via the microemulsion method. Nano-catalysts were characterized by inductively coupled plasma (ICP), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) technique, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), H2 chemisorption and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) technique, as well as Carbon-Hydrogen-Nitrogen-Sulfur (CHNS) analysis was carried out for elemental analysis of bagasse. Nano-catalysts were assessed in a batch micro-reactor under 400°C and 240 bar. The microemulsion method decreased the catalyst average particle size and increased the percentage dispersion and reduction of the catalysts. The total gas yield increased with an increase in Ni and Cu loadings up to 20 wt% Ni and 5 wt% Cu and then started to decrease. Using the microemulsion technique for the preparation of Ni-Cu/γ-Al2O3 nano-catalyst, increased the hydrogen yield to 11.76 (mmol of H2/g of bagasse), CO yield to 2.67 (mmol of CO/g of bagasse) and light gaseous hydrocarbons to 0.6 (mmol of light gaseous hydrocarbons/g of bagasse). Promotion of Ni/γ-Al2O3 with copper increased the mole fraction of hydrogen in the final gasification products to 58.1 mol%.

Transition and stability of copolymer adsorption morphologies on the surface of carbon nanotubes and implications on their dispersion.

In this study, the adsorption morphologies as well as stability and transitions of a commercial dispersant copolymer (BYK 9076) on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were studied using Fourier transform infrared and UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and electron microscopy techniques. The results show that the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in ethanol does not increase continuously with increasing copolymer/CNT ratio, which is correlated with the adsorption morphologies of the copolymer on the CNT surface. At a ratio of copolymer/CNT below 0.5, the morphology is random, shifting to a hemimicelle structure at a ratio from 0.5 to 1.0 while at ratios above 1.0, a cylindrical pattern is seen. The hemimicelle morphology is able to prevent the agglomeration of CNTs when the CNT concentration increases to 8.7 mg/mL, while cylindrical morphology is more efficient and stable to provide dispersion of CNTs at higher concentrations of CNTs.

What is the impact of Endodontic Irrigant Solutions on the Viability of Stem Cells from Apical Papilla in an in-vitro setting: A Systematic Review.

Background: The success of regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) is significantly influenced by the choice of endodontic irrigant solution. However, the impact of these solutions on the viability of stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP), a critical component of the REP, remains a subject of ongoing debate. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of various endodontic irrigant solutions on the viability of stem cells from the apical papilla in an in vitro setting. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using databases such as PubMed/Medline, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, gray literature, and reference lists up to August 2023. The search was limited to in vitro studies investigating the impact of endodontic irrigant solutions on SCAP viability. The risk of bias in these studies was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute's checklist. Results: Of the 131 articles retrieved, 14 were selected for review. The effects of eighteen different root canal irrigants, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, sodium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine, and citric acid, on the viability of SCAPs were evaluated. The risk-of-bias analysis showed a high risk in sample randomization and size justification but a low risk in other areas. Discussion: The effects of endodontic irrigant solutions on the viability of SCAPs are concentration dependent. Concentrations higher than 1.5% sodium hypochlorite, 2 % chlorhexidine, 10 % citric acid, and 2.5 % EDTA significantly reduced cell viability. However, additional research is necessary to determine the effect of these irrigants on tissue regeneration.

Machine learning-guided morphological property prediction of 2D electrospun scaffolds: the effect of polymer chemical composition and processing parameters.

Among various methods for fabricating polymeric tissue engineering scaffolds, electrospinning stands out as a relatively simple technique widely utilized in research. Numerous studies have delved into understanding how electrospinning processing parameters and specific polymeric solutions affect the physical features of the resulting scaffolds. However, owing to the complexity of these interactions, no definitive approaches have emerged. This study introduces the use of Simplified Molecular Input Line Entry System (SMILES) encoding method to represent materials, coupled with machine learning algorithms, to model the relationships between material properties, electrospinning parameters and scaffolds' physical properties. Here, the scaffolds' fiber diameter and conductivity have been predicted for the first time using this approach. In the classification task, the voting classifier predicted the fibers diameter with a balanced accuracy score of 0.9478. In the regression task, a neural network regressor was architected to learn the relations between parameters and predict the fibers diameter with R2 = 0.723. In the case of fibers conductivity, regressor and classifier models were used for prediction, but the performance fluctuated due to the inadequate information in the published data and the collected dataset. Finally, the model prediction accuracy was validated by experimental electrospinning of a biocompatible polymer (i.e., polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol/polypyrrole). Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images were used to measure fiber diameter. These results demonstrated the efficacy of the proposed model in predicting the polymer nanofiber diameter and reducing the parameter space prior to the scoping exercises. This data-driven model can be readily extended to the electrospinning of various biopolymers.

Fast deswelling of nanocomposite polymer hydrogels via magnetic field-induced heating for emerging FO desalination.

Freshwater shortage is one of the most pressing global issues. Forward osmosis (FO) desalination technology is emerging for freshwater production from saline water, which is potentially more energy-efficient than the current reverse osmosis process. However, the lack of a suitable draw solute is the major hurdle for commercial implementation of the FO desalination technology. We have previously reported that thermoresponsive hydrogels can be used as the draw agent for a FO process, and this new hydrogel-driven FO process holds promise for further development for practical application. In the present work, magnetic field-induced heating is explored for the purpose of developing a more effective way to recover water from swollen hydrogel draw agents. The composite hydrogel particles are prepared by copolymerization of sodium acrylate and N-isopropylacrylamide in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3, <50 nm). The results indicate that the magnetic heating is an effective and rapid method for dewatering of hydrogels by generating the heat more uniformly throughout the draw agent particles, and thus, a dense skin layer commonly formed via conventional heating from the outside of the particle is minimized. The FO dewatering performance is affected by the loading of magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic field intensity. Significantly enhanced liquid water recovery (53%) is achieved under magnetic heating, as opposed to only around 7% liquid water recovery obtained via convection heating. Our study shows that the magnetic heating is an attractive alternative stimulus for the extraction of highly desirable liquid water from the draw agent in the polymer hydrogel-driven forward osmosis process.

The Frequency of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in COVID-19 Patients: A Case-Control Study in Tehran, Capital of Iran.

The present study was done to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in patients with COVID-19 in health care centers (Imam Reza and Golestan hospitals), Tehran, capital of Iran. By designing a matched case-control study, 200 fecal samples were collected for each of the COVID-19 patients and healthy individuals. Nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from all participants for the diagnosis of COVID-19. RNA extraction was performed, and then real time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay was applied to detect viral RNA. Considering the lung complications, 25%> lung complications was detected in 49 patients, 25-49% in 42 patients, and 50%≤ in 109 patients. Fecal samples were examined using different parasitological techniques. After nested-PCR, sequencing was applied to identify Cryptosporidium spp. and microsporidia spp. A relatively lower prevalence of IPIs was detected among control group (7.5%), than in COVID-19 patients (13%), though not significant (P=0.13). The most prevalent parasite among patients was Blastocystis sp. (6%). Also, 13.76% of IPIs were detected in inpatients with more than 50% lung complication. As well, a remarkably significant difference in IPIs was observed among diarrheic COVID-19 patients, in comparison with nondiarrheic patients (P < 0.00001). Moreover, the isolated sequences in the present study belonged to C. parvum subtype IIa and Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes D and Peru 8. In conclusion, more epidemiological and clinical research studies are needed to better understand the status and interaction of IPI in COVID-19 in Iran and other countries.

Finding Integrative Medication for Neuroblastoma and Glioblastoma through Zebrafish as A Model of Organism.

As far as malignant tumors of the central nervous system are concerned, glioblastoma (GB) and neuroblastoma (NB) are the most prevalent, aggressive, and fatal forms in adult and pediatric populations, respectively. NB is the most prominent childhood extracranial compact neoplasm in pediatrics when the embryo develops from undifferentiated neural crest cells. Regarding malignant primary brain tumors, GB is the most lethal and difficult to treat. Currently, there are few effective treatments available for either condition. Research using zebrafish is relatively new in the field of animal cancer studies, and the first results show promise. In particular, integrated genomic investigations of NB and GB have revealed the potential of the zebrafish model in elucidating the roles of specific genetic changes in the development of this fatal childhood malignancy. Hence, this study examines the possibility of zebrafish as a model organism for discovering integrative medicines for these types of cancer. This model is an excellent animal model for study due to its transparency, ease of genetic modification, ethics and financial benefits, and preservation of the primary brain areas andbloodbrain barrier (BBB). This review provides recent developments in the zebrafish model of NB and GB to illustrate the benefits of using them in cancer studies as a model of the organism. This approach provides novel insights into delivering individualized treatment and enhancing outcomes for people coping with central nervous system malignancies.

Frequency, subtypes distribution, and risk factors of Blastocystis spp. in COVID-19 patients in Tehran, capital of Iran: A case-control study.

Background: Recent theories on the possible interactions between the intestinal parasites and COVID-19 have stated that these co-infections may cause immune imbalance and further complications in the affected patients. Until now, there is no data about Blastocystis subtypes as an intestinal parasite in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, the present work was done to evaluate the molecular prevalence of Blastocystis spp. and related risk factors in Iranian patients with COVID-19. Method: Stool samples were gathered from 200 COVID-19 patients and 200 control, being matched regarding age, gender and residence. Then, stool samples were surveyed by parasitological methods, including direct slide smear and formalin-ether concentration. In the following, PCR and sequencing were used to detect Blastocystis spp. and their subtypes. Results: The frequency of Blastocystis spp. in patients with COVID-19 (7.5%; 15/200 by molecular method vs. 6%; 12/200 by microscopy method) was slightly higher than in individuals without COVID-19 (4.5%; 9/200 by molecular method vs. 4%; 8/200 by microscopy method), this difference was not statistically significant (P value = 0.57 for molecular method vs. P value = 0.81 for microscopy method). Regarding associated factors for Blastocystis spp., we found significant differences regarding the residence (rural), loose and watery stool with diarrhea, and duration of treatment (6 weeks <) in the COVID-19 group. Blastocystis ST3 was the most common subtype in the patients with COVID-19 and control group. Conclusions: Based on this results, health education, improved sanitation and good personal hygiene are highly recommended to prevent Blastocystis in COVID-19 patients.

Psychological impacts of the COVID-19 on health care providers.

BACKGROUND: Psychological distress, functional impairment, reduced quality of life, and subjective well-being were the most common negative psychological effects during the COVID-19 outbreak. The present study was to investigate the impact of job stress, hospital resources, and fear of infection on job burnout of medical staff in Iran during the Covid-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 223 hospital staff from several public and private hospitals in Tehran and Mazandaran provinces, selected through convenience sampling. The questionnaire included the validated "Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)", "job stress scale (Parker and DeCotiis, 1983)", and the questions about "hospital resources", and "fear of infection" developed by the researcher wereused to collect data. Data were analyzed by correlation and regression methods using SPSS software. RESULTS: The results revealed that there was a significant difference in the scores on the burnout scale, in the dimension of emotional exhaustion, but the differences were not significant in the dimensions of depersonalization and self-accomplishment. Also, job stress and fear of infection significantly correlated with job burnout in the dimensions of emotional exhaustion and personal-accomplishment. However, the correlation between the adequacy of hospital resources and job burnout in these two dimensions was not significant. None of the three variables of the study showed a significant correlation with the dimension of depersonalization. CONCLUSION: It is essential to consider the package of psychological interventions which, primarily includes finding the sources of stress to resolve them through stress management programs, based on education and training in stress coping and management strategies.

Investigation of antileishmanial activities of CaO nanoparticles on L. tropica and L. infantum parasites, in vitro.

Stibogluconate sodium and meglumine antimoniate are the main antimonials utilised as the primary treatment option for leishmaniasis. However, have a number of side effects that limit their use. Development of nanoparticles (NPs) use in biological research and remarkable antimicrobial effects and unique optical and structural properties of CaO NPs have motivated this study to evaluated the effect of different times/dilutions of CaO NPs on Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum. To evaluate the antileishmanial activity of CaO NPs, the cytotoxic effect of CaO NPs against L. tropica and L. infantum amastigotes, promastigotes, as well as macrophages, was evaluated using counting and MTT assay after adding different concentrations of CaO nanoparticles (800-6.25 µg/ml) to the parasite culture. The possible apoptosis by CaO NPs were evaluated via flow cytometry assay. The XRD-pattern related to CaO nanoparticles indicating the cubic phase structures. According the effects of nanoparticle on promastigotes the IC50 values of CaO nanoparticles within 72 h were 19.81 µg/ml for L. tropica and 22.57 µg/ml for L. infantum. The percentage of the normal, apoptotic, and necrotic cells was estimated to be 82.6%, 14.81%, and 2.69% for L. tropica, and 73.6%, 23.89%, and 2.58% for L. infantum, respectively. Our results showed acceptable in vitro activity level of CaO NPs against L. tropica and L. infantum promastigotes as well as intracellular amastigotes. CaO NPs were more effective against L. infantum compared to L. tropica in vitro study.

In vitro and in vivo study on antiprotozoal activity of calcium oxide (CaO) and magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles on promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania major.

BACKGROUND: Currently, anti-leishmanial drugs have been developed. However, the available compounds have several side effects such as drug resistance and toxicity that cause some limitation for use. The development of nanoparticles (NPs) use in biological research and the proven effectiveness of CaONPs and MgONPs on bacteria and fungi, along with the lack of information about its antileishmanial effects, have motivated this study. CaO and MgONPs possess considerable antibacterial effects because of their alkalinity and active oxygen species. This study has taken into account the impacts of these two NPs on the L. major in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: To evaluate the antileishmanial activity of NPs, the cytotoxic effect of CaONPs, MgONPs, and MgOCaONPs against L. major amastigotes, promastigotes, as well as macrophages, was evaluated using counting or MTT assay. The possible apoptosis of L. major by CaONPs, MgONPs, and MgOCaONPs was evaluated via flow cytometry assay. For in vivo study, BALB/c mice were allocated to five groups and the lesions of infected mice with L. major promastigotes were treated with a 200 µg/mL concentration CaONPs, MgONPs, and MgOCaONPs, then the mice underwent a 4-week follow-up to examine the wound diameter and survival rates. RESULTS: The XRD-pattern related to CaONPs and MgONPs indicating the cubic phase and Rocksalt cubic structures. According the effects of nanoparticle on promastigotes the IC50 values of CaONPs, MgONPs, and MgOCaONPs within 72 h were 7.9 ug/mL, 10.3 ug/mL, and 8.0 ug/mL respectively. CaONPs, MgONPs, and MgOCaONPs induced apoptosis in about 7.8%, 53.57%, and 12.8% of promastigotes. All mice presented lesions. MgONPs was the most effective in reducing the size of the lesions. CONCLUSION: According to the results of the present research, MgONPs and CaONPs showed good in vitro and in vivo effects on L. major promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes especially MgONPs, and also it seems that MgONPs are applicable in Leishmania infection treatment due to their potential antileishmanial effects.

The effect of verapamil on in vitro susceptibility of promastigote and amastigote stages of Leishmania tropica to meglumine antimoniate.

Pentavalent antimonials are the standard treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with low efficacy and resistance is emerging. CL is increased significantly in respect to incidence rate and expanding to new foci. In the present study, the effect of verapamil on in vitro susceptibility of promastigote and amastigote stages of Leishmania tropica to meglumine antimoniate (MA, Glucantime) was evaluated using colorimetric assay (MTT) and in a macrophage model, respectively. Verapamil, as a calcium channel blocker, affects drug uptake by preventing of drug efflux from the cells. In promastigote form, several concentrations of MA with or without verapamil showed significant decrease (P < 0.05) in optical density. The overall mean IC50 value with combination of MA plus verapamil (IC50 = 116.03 µg/ml) was significantly less than MA (IC50 = 225.14 µg/ml) alone (P < 0.05) for promastigote stage. Similarly, the amastigote stage was more susceptible to treatment with MA plus verapamil to that of MA alone (P < 0.05). Analysis of overall effect of different concentrations of MA alone, compared with combination of MA plus verapamil by mean infection rate of amastigotes in each macrophage showed a significant difference (P < 0.05).These findings indicated some degree of synergistic effects between MA and verapamil on in vitro susceptibility of L. tropica to MA. Further works are required to evaluate this synergistic effect on animal model or volunteer human subjects.

Global prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. in rodents, birds, and water supplies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Animals such as rodents and birds may play a key role in the distribution of Blastocystis sp., either as introducers of the parasite into the water or as receptors of an infection already established in the water. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence and subtype distributions of Blastocystis sp. in rodents, birds, and water supplies at a global scale through a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. The standard protocol of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statements were applied. Eligible prevalence studies on Blastocystis sp. in rodents, birds, and water supplies, published between 1 January 2000 and 20 January 2022 were collected using a systematic literature search in online databases (Scopus and Web of Science) and search engines (PubMed and Google Scholar). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were followed. The point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model. The variances between studies (heterogeneity) were computed by I2 index. In total, 20 articles (24 datasets) for birds, 18 articles (18 datasets) for rodents, and 10 articles (12 datasets) for water supply were included for the final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of Blastocystis sp. in birds, rodents, and water was estimated to be 29% (95% CI 12-47%), 18% (95% CI 12-23%), and 10% (95% CI 6%-15%), respectively. Considering the subtypes, Blastocystis sp. with subtypes ST7 in birds, ST4 in rodents, and ST1 in water supplies were the highest reported subtypes. The present results highlight the role of birds, rodents, and water as a reservoir for human-infected Blastocystis sp. Therefore, this global estimate could be beneficial for preventive and control measures.

Polyethersulfone/MWCNT nanocomposite scaffold for endometrial cell culture: preparation, characterization, andin vitroinvestigation.

Endometrial cell culture is a method for investigating physiological or pathological conditions or simulatingin vivoconditions for embryo culture. The natural function of the endometrium depends on a polarized epithelium and 3D stromal compartments. The polymer-based scaffolds of simple polyethersulfone (PES), laser scratched PES (PES-LS), and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) composited PES (PES-MWCNT) were prepared and used for bovine endometrial cells (bECs) culture. For better investigation of the relationship between physical structure and cell growth behavior, the surface morphologies of the scaffolds were evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques. Three synthesized membranes (PES, PES-LS, and PES-MWCNT) were evaluated for the cell morphology, viability and, doubling time. Results showed acceptable physical and chemical fabrication of the polymers with no significant differences in the proportions of live cells to primary cultured cells, dead to live cells, and the cell doubling time among groups during the experiment (P > 0.05). Total cell count (live and dead cells) was significantly different on Day 2 among types of polymers. The results showed the comparable potential of the PES-MWCNT membrane for the bECs culture.

The Drug Release Kinetics and Anticancer Activity of the GO/PVA-Curcumin Nanostructures: The Effects of the Preparation Method and the GO Amount.

The Graphene Oxide (GO) incorporated polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate (PVA-SA) composites with curcumin were prepared by the solvent casting and electro-spinning techniques. The GO was incorporated into PVA-SA nano-fiber and film matrixes, and the performance of these nano-composites as drug carriers was investigated. The effects of production method (film or mat) and GO amount on the water absorption properties and delivery of curcumin behaviors were investigated. The swelling and releasing were studied at the specific interval times in deionized water and phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7.4), respectively. The release kinetics was evaluated to find a suitable mechanism of the release. Finally, the anticancer activity of composite nano-fibers on the cancer cells was investigated. The XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed nanocomposites structures, and the successful incorporation was shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that addition of the GO to PVA/SA decreased swelling ratio of the films (up to 31%) and increased the swelling ratio of the mats (up to 37.5%). However, for both film and mat, increasing of the GO amount reduced the curcumin release. Drug release decreasing up to 22.5% was observed for film, while a very high release decreasing up to about 70% was seen for mat. Also, both film and mat structures showed significant anti-cancer activity on MCF-7 cells. The lower cell viability was about 40 and 30% for film and mat, respectively. The kinetics evaluations suggested a Korsmeyer-Peppas model and Fickian controlled drug release.

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and Campylobacter spp. among children with gastrointestinal disorders in Tehran, Iran.

Co-infection of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) and Campylobacter spp. are public health problem in both developing and developed countries. This study was conducted to determine prevalence of IPIs and Campylobacter spp. among children with gastrointestinal disorders in Tehran. In this descriptive cross-sectional survey, 283 fresh stool samples were collected from all individuals and examined by standard parasitological methods including direct slide smear, formalin-ether concentration, trichrome staining, modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining, and chromotrope 2R staining techniques were used for detection of intestinal protozoa and helminths. Furthermore, culture and multiplex-PCR were also used to identify the species of Campylobacter. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. IPIs were detected microscopically in 22.26% of the total study population, with a higher prevalence in Giardia duodenalis (7.06%) and Blastocystis hominis (7.06%). Campylobacter were detected molecularly in 14.8% (95.2% of C. jejuni vs. 4.8% of C. coli) of the total study populations; of these, 3.5% had co-existence with IPIs colonized patients. Our results showed a relatively high prevalence of IPIs and Campylobacter in children with diarrhea. Further research is needed to better understand their co-infection and ensure future advances in clinical trials, testing, and development of therapeutic approaches for these pathogens.

Psychological Distress Model Among Iranian Pre-Hospital Personnel in Disasters: A Grounded Theory Study.

Objective: Pre-hospital personnels (PHPs) who work in disasters under extreme pressure, uncertainty, and complex situations are victims of disasters themselves, and there is a link between experiencing such incidents and mental health problems. Because most studies focus on the injured and less on the psychological issues of PHPs, the present study aimed to develop a model to provide relief for PHPs in disasters from a psychological perspective. Methods: A grounded theory methodology recommended by Corbin and Strauss (2015) was employed. PHPs (n = 24) participated in a semi-structured interview between July 2018 to May 2020. Results: In the analysis of the pre-hospital staff interviews, three main themes were extracted, namely, providing relief with struggle (complexity of incident scenes, command-organizational and occupational challenges), psychological distress (psychological regression and psychological empowerment), and consequences (resilience and job burnout). Seven categories and 22 subcategories were explored from our data via the grounded theory approach Conclusions: The PHPs managed psychological distress with two approaches: psychological self-empowerment and regression, which resulted in resilience and burnout, respectively. Due to the lack of enough support, the resilience of the PHPs was short-term, turned into burnout over time, and affected the structural factors again as a cycle.