A newly developed snack effective for enhancing bone volume

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The incidence of primary osteoporosis is higher in Japan than in USA and European countries. Recently, the importance of preventive medicine has been gradually recognized in the field of orthopaedic surgery with a concept that peak bone mass should be increased in childhood as much as possible for the prevention of osteoporosis. Under such background, we have developed a new bean snack with an aim to improve bone volume loss. In this study, we examined the effects of a newly developed snack on bone volume and density in osteoporosis model mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Orchiectomy (ORX) and ovariectomy (OVX) were performed for C57BL/6J mice of twelve-week-old (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbar, ME, USA) were used in this experiment. We prepared and given three types of powder diet <it>e.g.</it>: normal calcium diet (NCD, Ca: 0.9%, Clea Japan Co., Tokyo, Japan), low calcium diet (LCD, Ca: 0.63%, Clea Japan Co.,) and special diet (SCD, Ca: 0.9%). Eighteen weeks after surgery, all the animals were sacrified and prepared for histomorphometric analysis to quantify bone density and bone mineral content.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>As a result of histomorphometric examination, SCD was revealed to enhance bone volume irrespective of age and sex. The bone density was increased significantly in osteoporosis model mice fed the newly developmental snack as compared with the control mice. The bone mineral content was also enhanced significantly. These phenomena were revealed in both sexes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is shown that the newly developed bean snack is highly effective for the improvement of bone volume loss irrespective of sex. We demonstrated that newly developmental snack supplements may be a useful preventive measure for Japanese whose bone mineral density values are less than the ideal condition.</p

Mutations in NSUN2 Cause Autosomal- Recessive Intellectual Disability

With a prevalence between 1 and 3%, hereditary forms of intellectual disability (ID) are among the most important problems in health care. Particularly, autosomal-recessive forms of the disorder have a very heterogeneous molecular basis, and genes with an increased number of disease-causing mutations are not common. Here, we report on three different mutations (two nonsense mutations, c.679C>T [p.Gln227∗] and c.1114C>T [p.Gln372∗], as well as one splicing mutation, g.6622224A>C [p.Ile179Argfs∗192]) that cause a loss of the tRNA-methyltransferase-encoding NSUN2 main transcript in homozygotes. We identified the mutations by sequencing exons and exon-intron boundaries within the genomic region where the linkage intervals of three independent consanguineous families of Iranian and Kurdish origin overlapped with the previously described MRT5 locus. In order to gain further evidence concerning the effect of a loss of NSUN2 on memory and learning, we constructed a Drosophila model by deleting the NSUN2 ortholog, CG6133, and investigated the mutants by using molecular and behavioral approaches. When the Drosophila melanogaster NSUN2 ortholog was deleted, severe short-term-memory (STM) deficits were observed; STM could be rescued by re-expression of the wild-type protein in the nervous system. The humans homozygous for NSUN2 mutations showed an overlapping phenotype consisting of moderate to severe ID and facial dysmorphism (which includes a long face, characteristic eyebrows, a long nose, and a small chin), suggesting that mutations in this gene might even induce a syndromic form of ID. Moreover, our observations from the Drosophila model point toward an evolutionarily conserved role of RNA methylation in normal cognitive development

A Comparative Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Laboratory Findings of COVID-19 between Intensive Care Unit and Non-Intensive Care Unit Pediatric Patients: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Observational Study from Iranian Network for Research in Viral

Introduction: To date, little is known about the clinical features of pediatric COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).&nbsp;Objective: Herein, we aimed to describe the differences in demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, clinical presentations, and outcomes of Iranian pediatric COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU versus those in non-ICU settings.&nbsp;Methods: This multicenter investigation involved 15 general and pediatrics hospitals and included cases with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection based on positive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) admitted to these centers between March and May 2020, during the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.&nbsp;Results: Overall, 166 patients were included, 61 (36.7%) of whom required ICU admission. The highest number of admitted cases to ICU were in the age group of 1–5 years old. Malignancy and heart diseases were the most frequent underlying conditions. Dyspnea was the major symptom for ICU-admitted patients. There were significant decreases in PH, HCO3 and base excess, as well as increases in creatinine, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and potassium levels between ICU-admitted and non-ICU patients. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), shock, and acute cardiac injury were the most common features among ICU-admitted patients. The mortality rate in the ICU-admitted patients was substantially higher than non-ICU cases (45.9% vs. 1.9%, respectively; p&lt;0.001).&nbsp;Conclusions: Underlying diseases were the major risk factors for the increased ICU admissions and mortality rates in pediatric COVID-19 patients. There were few paraclinical parameters that could differentiate between pediatrics in terms of prognosis and serious outcomes of COVID-19. Healthcare providers should consider children as a high-risk group, especially those with underlying medical conditions

Three-dimensional soft tissue analysis of the face following micro-implant-supported maxillary skeletal expansion

Abstract Background Skeletal maxillary expander (MSE) is one of the more recent expander designs being utilized for skeletal expansion by splitting the midpalatal sutures applying forces through palatal micro-implants. Its effects on the soft tissue remain a question asked by both patients and clinicians. The aim of this study was to analyze and quantify soft tissue facial changes induced by MSE. Methods 3D facial images (3dMD) were used to capture face scans of 25 patients generating 3D soft tissue meshes before expansion (T0), right after expansion (T1), and 1 year in retention (T2). MATLAB was then used, utilizing non-rigid iterative closest point algorithm, to align all samples in vertex correspondence and generate averages. Surface mapping of each average, along with its variance, allows for quantification of changes between the three pools of samples in 3D space. Results The generated 3D p-maps between T0 and T1 demonstrate that statistically significant changes (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) are localized in the circummaxillary area (paranasal, lips, and both cheeks). Vector map shows a mean displacement of 1.5 mm in the paranasal area. The right cheek showing a mean displacement magnitude of 2.5 mm while the left cheek has a mean of 2.9 mm. Direction of vectors are latero-anterior with more dominant anterior direction. Conclusions There are significant changes in paranasal, upper lip, and at both cheeks following expansion using MSE with greater magnitude at the cheeks area. Those changes do not relapse after 1 year (p < 0.05)

Quality and Effectiveness of Virtual Education From the Viewpoint of Rehabilitation Professors and Students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: The emergence of COVID-19 and its prevalence in the global community had various economic, social, emotional, psychological, and educational impacts. The closure of schools and universities in the country because of the outbreak of COVID-19 has led to the emergence of e-Learning in education at all levels. Given the importance of virtual education during the pandemic and the need to improve its quality at schools and universities, this study aims to explore the quality, efficacy, and understanding of the strengths and drawbacks of virtual education from the perspectives of professors and students at Ahvaz Jondishapur University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In the domains of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and audiology, the current descriptive-analytical study was done with 17 professors and 210 undergraduate and postgraduate (master’s degree) students. The data was collected using the Persian version of the Watkins e-learning standard questionnaire and was analyzed via the SPSS software, v. 26. Results: From the professors’ perspective, the quality and effectiveness of virtual education based on different components of the questionnaire did not differ significantly and all dimensions were considered effective. However, the students considered the dimensions of technology access and online skills and relationships as strengths and faced challenges in the importance of success. Discussion: Considering the identified strengths and challenges, it seems that policymakers in the field of education should pay special attention to providing the necessary conditions and facilities to improve the quality of learners’ virtual education

Anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of Ziziphus Jujube on cervical and breast cancer cells

Objectives: Ziziphus Jujube (Jujube) plant has exhibited numerous medicinal and pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study was carried out to investigate its anti-cancer and pro-apoptotic abilities in human cervical and breast cancer cells in vitro. Materials and Methods: The cervical OV2008 and breast MCF-7 cancer cells were incubated with different concentrations of Jujube aqueous extraction (0-3 mg/ml) for various times (0-72 h). Cell viability was assessed by Trypan Blue and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of two apoptosis-related genes in treated cells evaluated by quantitative Real Time -PCR analysis. Results: Jujube significantly inhibited cancer cell viability in a dose- and time- dependent manner. Herb-induced apoptosis was associated with enhanced expression of Bax and decreased Bcl2 gene leading eventually to a time-dependent six fold increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Conclusions: These results indicated that Jujube may be a natural potential and promising agent to prevent or treat human cancers

Evaluation of cyclosporine A eye penetration after administration of liposomal or conventional forms in animal model

Abstract A lot of researches have investigated the effects of topical cyclosporine A on the eye surface layers’ diseases. By now the main limitation in cyclosporine application is the low permeation of the drug into the posterior segments of the eye. The aim of present study was to formulate high permeable dosage form can be beneficial in the topical treatment of the uveitis. To reach higher corneal drug absorption and drug concentration in the posterior segments of the eye, 3 nanoliposomal formulations containing 0.5 mg/ml cyclosporine A were prepared. Liposomal formulations and the commercial product (Restasis®) were instilled in the right and left eyes of the rabbits, respectively. The rabbits were killed in the 3, 7, 14 and 28 days of study and the aqueous humor and vitreous were extracted. Mean size of liposomal formulation number 1, number 2 and number 3 were 107.2 ± 0.7, 129.3±0.9 and 144.8±1.8 nm and their zeta potential were -5.0±1.7, -5.5±2.3 and 44.6±6.2 mV, respectively. Results of ocular analysis showed that the liposomal formulations could increase the concentration of the drug in the aqueous and vitreous like Restasis®. But, in contrast with what has been expected the findings of this study implicate nanoliposomal formulations prepared could not make a significant difference in concentration of the drug in aqueous and vitreous humor compared to Restasis® (anionic microemulsion). In conclusion, we can state that liposomes with the same composition as our formulations are not more efficient than microemulsion for cyclosporine as ophthalmic drug delivery

Relationship between conversational repair strategies and cognitive-linguistic skills in children with moderate hearing loss in Ahvaz, Southern Iran

Background and Aim: Conversational repair skills are essential for establishing mutually successful verbal communication. Cognitive and linguistic disorders can have negative effects on these skills. Children with hearing loss have special cognitive and linguistic issues. This study was performed to contribute to the paucity of data on conversational repair strategies used by hearing impaired children.Methods: The participants included 58 children with moderate hearing loss (38 boys and 20 girls) aged 6 to 7 from Ahvaz city. A cross-sectional study design was used. Frequency of using different types of repair strategies in ten repair situations was calculated. Scores of intelligence, memory, word finding, lexical richness, and mean length of sentences was obtained through cognitive-linguistic tests. Data was analyzed employing an independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and logistic regression.Results: A direct correlation was observed between clarification strategy and communicative social intelligence (p=0.045). A direct correlation was observed between applying different types of conversational repair strategies and linguistic abilities in children with moderate hearing loss (p<0.05).Conclusion: Children with moderate hearing loss (age: 6-7 years) use repetition more than any other strategy to repair conversation. One unit increase in word finding ability or in mean length of sentence predicts one unit increase in the degree of using repetition strategy

Comparing Environmental Barriers to Social Participation Between Visually, Auditory Impaired Primary School Children and Normal Peers in Shiraz City (2015)

Background: Participation is an important component in a child’s growth, which is not just affected by child’s functional abilities, skills, interests and family culture; but also affected by the physical, social and institutional environment. Hearing and visual impairment in children may cause growth delay including cognitive, mobility and communication skills. The aim of this study was to compare the environmental barriers to social participation from parent perception in primary-school children with hearing/visual impairment and normal ones in Shiraz City (2015). Methods: This was a cross-sectional and comparative study. Convenience sampling was used and 75 children with visual, hearing impairment and normal ones (25 in each group) were selected from 4 areas of Shiraz Schools. Demographic data and environmental factors of Craig Hospital questionnaire were used. The findings were analyzed by using SPSS 21 software with One-way ANOVA and post hoc tests at a significant level less than 0.05. Results: The results did not show statistically significant difference in the environmental barriers to participation from parent perception among three groups of normal children, children with hearing/ visual impairment (P=0.12). Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between three groups of children in terms of the physical and structural barriers subscales (P=0.341), attitudes and support (P=0.424), services and help (P=0.115), work and school (P=0.221). However, there is a significant difference between the 3 groups in Policy barriers subscales (P=0.003). Conclusion: No differences in environmental barriers to participation between normal children and those with hearing/visual impairments can be resulted from excessive families’ support to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Therefore, serious challenges may not be created for independent participation of children to reveal the existing barriers