The Effect of G-ORS Along With Rice Soup in the Treatment of Acute Diarrhea in Children: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The world health organization guidelines for treatment of diarrhea in children emphasize on continued feeding together with prescription of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and supplementary zinc therapy. However, conflicting viewpoints exist regarding the optimal diet and dietary ingredients for children with diarrhea. Moreover, few studies have investigated the effect of rice soup along with ORS in the treatment of this disease. Objectives: This study aimed to explore effects of simultaneous taking of glucose oral rehydration solution (G-ORS) and rice soup in the treatment of acute diarrhea in 8 to 24-month-old children. Patients and Methods: This single-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted in the pediatric ward of 22nd of Bahman hospital, Gonabad, Iran between June 2013 and February 2014. Forty children aged 8-24 months with acute diarrhea were randomly assigned into an intervention group (G-ORS plus rice soup group) comprising 20 babies and a control group (G-ORS) of 20 children based on balanced blocking randomization. The variables under investigation were diarrhea duration, patient hospitalization, need for intravenous (IV) fluids and stool output frequency. Data was analyzed using independent samples t and chi-square test. Results: At the end of study, the time for treating acute watery diarrhea in the intervention and control groups were 21.10 ± 8.81 and 34.55 ± 5.82 hours (P < 0.001) and hospital stay were 34.05 ± 6.62 and 40.20 ± 6.32 hours (P = 0.005). Moreover, stool output frequency were 4.20 ± 0.95 and 8.00 ± 1.37 (P < 0.001) in the first 24 hours, and 2.18 ± 0.60 and 2.80 ± 0.76 (P = 0.03) in the second 24 hours of treatment in intervention and control groups, respectively. Conclusions: Rice soup regimen was highly effective and inexpensive in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children. Thus, in addition to the common treatment by G-ORS, rice soup can be consumed simultaneously with G-ORS

Impact of Knowledge and Attitude on Saudis’ Physical Activity Practice and Inactivity Barriers: A Questionnaire-based Study

BACKGROUND: Community participation in physical activity is considered a major public health preference of WHO. Saudi Arabia in the last decades faced many tremendous economic changes leading to adoption of western dietary habits associated with sedentary lifestyle. AIM: We aimed to study the relationship between both physical activity knowledge and attitude of community to the practice of individuals. METHODS: We used a questionnaire consists of a mixture of closed-ended questions. Participants were recruited through direct meetings in local markets, schools, and workplaces. Seven hundred and sixty six individuals agreed to participate. RESULTS: Overall correct answers to questions about importance of physical activity were 76.58%. The predominance of participants’ attitude was to establish public places for physical activity in each neighborhood (92.1%). Participants acknowledged that they exercise to improve their health (47.5%). Participants mainly perform light exercises (47.2%) on basis of 1–3 times weekly (48.9%). About 90.8% of participants admitted that they like to increase duration of their physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Overall physical activity practice of participants’ needs encourage overcoming obstacles that prevent individuals from practicing especially lack of time

synthesis biological evaluation and molecular docking studies of new amides of 4 chlorothiocolchicine as anticancer agents

Abstract Colchicine belongs to a large group of microtubule polymerization inhibitors. Although the anti-cancer activity of colchicine and its derivatives has been established, none of them has found commercial application in cancer treatment due to side effects. Therefore, we designed and synthesized a series of six triple-modified 4-chlorothiocolchicine analogues with amide moieties and one urea derivative. These novel derivatives were tested against several different cancer cell lines (A549, MCF-7, LoVo, LoVo/DX) and primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells and they showed activity in the nanomolar range. The obtained IC50 values for novel derivatives were lower than those obtained for unmodified colchicine and common anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin and cisplatin. Further studies of colchicine and selected analogues were undertaken to indicate that they induced apoptotic cell death in ALL-5 cells. We also performed in silico studies to predict binding modes of the 4-chlorothiocolchicine derivatives to different β tubulin isotypes. The results indicate that select triple-modified 4-chlorothiocolchicine derivatives represent highly promising novel cancer chemotherapeutics

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies of new amides of 4-bromothiocolchicine as anticancer agents

Abstract Colchicine is the major alkaloid isolated from the plant Colchicum autumnale, which shows strong therapeutic effects towards different types of cancer. However, due to the toxicity of colchicine towards normal cells its application is limited. To address this issue we synthesized a series of seven triple-modified 4-bromothiocolchicine analogues with amide moieties. These novel derivatives were active in the nanomolar range against several different cancer cell lines and primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells, specifically compounds: 5 – 9 against primary ALL-5 (IC50 = 5.3 – 14 nM), 5, 7– 9 against A549 (IC50 = 10 nM), 5, 7 – 9 against MCF-7 (IC50 = 11 nM), 5 – 9 against LoVo (IC50 = 7 – 12 nM), and 5, 7 – 9 against LoVo/DX (IC50 = 48 – 87 nM). These IC50 values were lower than those obtained for unmodified colchicine and common anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin and cisplatin. Further studies revealed that colchicine and selected analogues induced characteristics of apoptotic cell death but manifested their effects in different phases of the cell cycle in MCF-7 versus ALL-5 cells. Specifically, while colchicine and the studied derivatives arrested MCF-7 cells in mitosis, very little mitotically arrested ALL-5 cells were observed, suggesting effects were manifest instead in interphase. We also developed an in silico model of the mode of binding of these compounds to their primary target, β-tubulin. We conducted a correlation analysis (linear regression) between the calculated binding energies of colchicine derivatives and their anti-proliferative activity, and determined that the obtained correlation coefficients strongly depend on the type of cells used

Do spinal cord-injured individuals with stronger sense of coherence use different psychological defense styles?

Objectives: Although the importance of sense of coherence (SOC) and psychological defense mechanisms (PDMs) in the process of coping has been demonstrated, it has not yet been clarified whether individuals with stronger SOC use specific PDMs.Study design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Iran. Methods: Demographic and injury-related variables including injury level, time since injury, American Spinal Cord Association (ASIA) Scale and Spinal cord independence measure-III were collected among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). SOC was assessed by the Short-form Sense of Coherence Scale. PDMs were identified using 40-version of the Defense Style Questionnaire. Results: Neurotic defense style was the most commonly used style especially. The overall most commonly used PDM was 'rationalization', which was used by 95. Individuals with stronger SOC used more mature style (P=0.001, r=0.52), particularly 'humor' and 'suppression' mechanisms (P<0.0001 and 0.024, respectively). There was a negative correlation between stronger SOC and the use of immature defenses including passive aggression (P=0.001, r=-0.51), acting out (P=0.001, r=-0.48), isolation (P=0.009, r=-0.50), autistic fantasy (P=0.010, r=-0.30) and somatization (P<0.0001, r=-0.62). Married individuals had significantly stronger SOC (P=0.01). Age, gender, age at the time of injury incidence, time since injury, ASIA score and cause of injury were not determinants of SOC. Conclusion: In this study, PDMs, which are more probable to be used by individuals with stronger SOC, have been identified. Mature defenses including 'humor' and 'suppression' are used by stronger SOC more often, whereas immature mechanisms are less likely to be used. © 2016 International Spinal Cord Society

Оценка насыщения кислородом как показателя для интубации трахеи у пациентов с COVID-19: проспективное когортное исследование

   Background. Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of clinical criteria for tracheal intubation in critically ill patients with respiratory failure became more noteworthy, especially in resource limitations. The objective was to evaluate the importance of hemoglobin oxygen saturation as a criterion for tracheal intubation in patients with COVID-19.   Materials and methods. This is a multi-center, prospective, observational cohort study. We included 117 patients with COVID-19 who needed respiratory support between March to June 2021. Patients were intubated by the protocol of each institution participating in the study and the anesthesiologist’s clinical judgement. Signs of respiratory failure, methods of respiratory support and patient outcome were recorded.   Results. Among 117 studied cases, 100 patients had hemoglobin oxygen saturation of 60–90 % in whom 58 were intubated. During hospitalization, 56 intubated patients and 14 non-intubated patients died (96.6 % Vs. 33.3 %).   Conclusion. Arterial blood hemoglobin oxygen saturation of 60–90 could not be the correct key to unlock the problem of intubation decision in patients with COVID-19. Therefore, hemoglobin oxygen saturation should not be solely regarded as an indication for intubation in COVID-19.    Введение. С началом пандемии COVID-19 возросла значимость клинических критериев для интубации трахеи у тяжелобольных пациентов с дыхательной недостаточностью, особенно в условиях ограниченных ресурсов.   Цель – оценить важность показателя насыщения гемоглобина кислородом как критерия для интубации трахеи у пациентов с COVID-19.   Материалы и методы. Многоцентровое проспективное обсервационное когортное исследование, включившее 117 пациентов с COVID-19, которые нуждались в респираторной поддержке в период с марта по июнь 2021 г. Пациенты были интубированы в соответствии с протоколом каждого участвовавшего в исследовании учреждения и клиническим заключением анестезиолога. Регистрировали признаки дыхательной недостаточности, методы респираторной поддержки и результаты лечения пациентов.   Результаты. Из 117 случаев у 100 пациентов насыщение гемоглобина кислородом составило 60–90 %, 58 из них были интубированы. Во время госпитализации 56 интубированных пациентов и 14 неинтубированных пациентов умерли (96,6 % против 33,3 %).   Заключение. Насыщение гемоглобина артериальной крови кислородом в пределах 60–90 % не может быть ключом к решению проблемы интубации у пациентов с COVID-19 и, следовательно, само по себе не может быть подходящим критерием для принятия решения об интубации

Demand-side behavior in the smart grid environment

Recent developments in traditional power systems which involve emerging smart technologies and widely employing of communication will convert the present electricity grids into the smart grids. The future smart and efficient power systems will treat completely different compare with the existing power systems. This paper discusses the effect of emerging smart grids on the consumer's behavior. It investigates the responses of different types of consumers to the spot electricity price and the price elasticity of demand in the smart grid environment. Smart technologies could bring all of the consumers with any level of demand to the market actively, and results in increasing the efficiency of the market in a fully competitive electricity market. This paper also describes the effect of Demand Response (DR) on some electricity market issues like short-term load and price forecasting, generation expansion, and imperfect competition, in the smart grid environment. The qualitative discussions show that by emerging the smart grids the market efficiency, costumer's benefits, and Demand Response of the power system are improved and the ability of strategic players to exert market power will be reduced

Electronic Structure of Tetrahedral, S = 2, [Fe(EP iPr2)2N2], e = S, Se, Complexes: Investigation by High-Frequency and -Field Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, 57Fe Mössbauer Spectroscopy, and Quantum Chemical Studies

In this work, we assessed the electronic structures of two pseudotetrahedral complexes of FeII, [Fe{(SPiPr2)2N}2] (1) and [Fe{(SePiPr2)2N}2] (2), using high-frequency and -field EPR (HFEPR) and field-dependent 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopies. This investigation revealed S = 2 ground states characterized by moderate, negative zero-field splitting (zfs) parameters D. The crystal-field (CF) theory analysis of the spin Hamiltonian (sH) and hyperfine structure parameters revealed that the orbital ground states of 1 and 2 have a predominant dx2-y2 character, which is admixed with dz2 (∼10%). Although replacing the S-containing ligands of 1 by their Se-containing analogues in 2 leads to a smaller |D| value, our theoretical analysis, which relied on extensive ab initio CASSCF calculations, suggests that the ligand spin-orbit coupling (SOC) plays a marginal role in determining the magnetic anisotropy of these compounds. Instead, the dx2-y2β → dxyβ excitations yield a large negative contribution, which dominates the zfs of both 1 and 2, while the different energies of the dx2-y2β → dxzβ transitions are the predominant factor responsible for the difference in zfs between 1 and 2. The electronic structures of these compounds are contrasted with those of other [FeS4] sites, including reduced rubredoxin by considering a D2-type distortion of the [Fe(E-X)4] cores, where E = S, Se; X = C, P. Our combined CASSCF/DFT calculations indicate that while the character of the orbital ground state and the quintet excited states&apos; contribution to the zfs of 1 and 2 are modulated by the magnitude of the D2 distortion, this structural change does not impact the contribution of the excited triplet states. © 2021 American Chemical Society

Antiproliferative Activity and Molecular Docking of Novel Double-Modified Colchicine Derivatives

Microtubules are tubulin polymer structures, which are indispensable for cell growth and division. Its constituent protein &#946;-tubulin has been a common drug target for various diseases including cancer. Colchicine has been used to treat gout, but it has also been an investigational anticancer agent with a known antimitotic effect on cells. However, the use of colchicine as well as many of its derivatives in long-term treatment is hampered by their high toxicity. To create more potent anticancer agents, three novel double-modified colchicine derivatives have been obtained by structural modifications in C-4 and C-10 positions. The binding affinities of these derivatives of colchicine with respect to eight different isotypes of human &#946;-tubulin have been calculated using docking methods. In vitro cytotoxicity has been evaluated against four human tumor cell lines (A549, MCF-7, LoVo and LoVo/DX). Computer simulations predicted the binding modes of these compounds and hence the key residues involved in the interactions between tubulin and the colchicine derivatives. Two of the obtained derivatives, 4-bromothiocolchicine and 4-iodothiocolchicine, were shown to be active against three of the investigated cancer cell lines (A549, MCF-7, LoVo) with potency at nanomolar concentrations and a higher relative affinity to tumor cells over normal cells

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Triple-Modified Colchicine Derivatives as Potent Tubulin-Targeting Anticancer Agents

Specific modifications of colchicine followed by synthesis of its analogues have been tested in vitro with the objective of lowering colchicine toxicity. Our previous studies have clearly shown the anticancer potential of double-modified colchicine derivatives in C-7 and C-10 positions. Here, a series of novel triple-modified colchicine derivatives is reported. They have been obtained following a four-step strategy. In vitro cytotoxicity of these compounds has been evaluated against four human tumor cell lines (A549, MCF-7, LoVo, and LoVo/DX). Additionally, the mode of binding of the synthesized compounds was evaluated in silico using molecular docking to a 3D structure of &#946;-tubulin based on crystallographic data from the Protein Data Bank and homology methodology. Binding free energy estimates, binding poses, and MlogP values of the compounds were obtained. All triple-modified colchicine derivatives were shown to be active at nanomolar concentrations against three of the investigated cancer cell lines (A549, MCF-7, LoVo). Four of them also showed higher potency against tumor cells over normal cells as confirmed by their high selectivity index values. A vast majority of the synthesized derivatives exhibited several times higher cytotoxicity than colchicine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin