Chitosan Nanogel Design on Gymnema sylvestre Essential Oils to Inhibit Growth of Candida albicans Biofilm and Investigation of Gene Expression ALS1, ALS3

Chitosan (CS) is a polycation with a pka of about 6.3 with a charge density dependent on pH and the %DA-value which can interact with polyanions to form complex and gels. Nanoparticles (CNPs) in addition can increase the antifungal potential of bioactive compounds like essential oils by increasing cellular interactions between them and the fungal as a result of the very small size that enhances cellular uptake. In this study, was set to investigate the encapsulation of the Gymnema sylvestre essential oils (G.EOs) using Chitosan and Myrestic acid made Nanogel in order to enhance its antifungal activity and stability to the oil against C. albicans strain (ATCC 10231). To procedure this, the self-assembled process of Chitosan and Myrestic acid Nanogel (CS-MA) through the 1- ethyl - 3- (3 dimethyl aminoprophyl) carbodiimide (EDC) was designed. Its physicochemical properties were determined by Fourier Transforms Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and microscopic methods by Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) at 18.7 to 37.5 µg/ml and 2.3 to 4.6 µg/ml and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) at 75 µg/ml and 5.38 µg/ml using by broth micro dilution (BMD) method for G. sylvestre oils (G.EOs) and oil-loaded Nanogels (G.OLNPs) were measurement. The susceptibility of C. albicans biofilm to fractions was examined by 2,3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[8phenylamino) carbonyl] - 2H - tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT) quantitatively.The concentration of G.OLNPs required to inhibit 50 % biofilm formation was 4.68 µg/ml, while that to remove 90 % biofilm growth was 18.07 µg/ml. In addition, it was observed that cell uptake of G.OLNPs was much higher compared with free G.EOs. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was performed to determine the effect of sub-MIC concentrations of G.EOs and G.OLNPs on expression of the biofilm–related gene ALS1 / ALS3, and indicated the G.OLNPs down-regulated the expression of hypha-specific gene ALS3. Furthermore, the data strongly suggested that G.OLNPs more effective suppressed C. albicans planktonic cells and reduction biofilm biomass

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Review Article

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by the mean pulmonary artery pressure of more than 25 mmHg and pulmonary artery wedge pressure of less than 15 mmHg evidenced by right-heart catheterization. In the classification of PAH, some subgroups are defined as primary or secondary PAH based on the underlying etiologies of the disease. Early episodes of PAH have been reported to occur at younger ages and in women in idiopathic or familial forms with the survival rate of 1-3 years. According to recent registries, the affected patients are older and have better survival rates. Some of the key elements in the pathophysiology of PAH include intima and media proliferation, vascular remodeling, and blood coagulation, which could increase the defiance of pulmonary vascularity, so that the cellular and molecular pathways would be able to induce PAH through specific mechanisms. Although no pathognomonic signs and symptoms have been reported in the literature, the most prominent manifestations of PAH are associated with disorders such as heart failure. Currently, PAH is known as a severe and occasionally life-threatening multifactorial clinical condition. Considering endothelial dysfunction, vasoconstriction, inflammatory reactions, and platelet aggregation as the main pathophysiological arms of the disease, specific treatment approaches have been proposed to inhibit these manifestations. These methods result in the effective treatment response, as well as the proper early and late outcomes of PAH. Due to the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases and the associated progressive life-threatening conditions, such as heart failure and PAH in the Iranian population, identification of the etiological, pathophysiological, diagnostic, and novel therapeutic approaches for PAH is essential to the proper management of this clinical condition

The Relationships Between Self-compassion, Positive and Negative Affect, and Marital Quality in Infertile Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objectives: Infertility presents extensive psychological effects on infertile couple’s marital life, especially in women during infertility treatment. Studying the essential psychological factors and their correlations on a large scale could rehabilitate the mental health of infertile women and facilitate the stressful process of infertility treatment. This systematic review aimed to study the literature and relationships among self-compassion, positive and negative affect, and marital quality in infertile women. Methods: To examine the considered association, a comprehensive literature search was performed to identify relevant articles in English and Persian published from 2000 to May 2020 and indexed in Pubmed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, Jstore, Cochrane Library, Medline, SID, Irandoc, Civilica, and Magiran. The study eligibility criteria included only infertile couples/women who were clinically diagnosed with infertility. The measurement tools used by studies consisted of at least one of the following: Self-Compassion Scale (SCS); Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS); Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), and infertility-related questionnaires. The search strategy of this review was per PICO (Population, Intervention, Control, and Outcomes) and included the terms Self-Compassion (SC), Positive and Negative Affect (PANA), and Marital Quality (MQ) in infertile women. To identify further eligible studies, the bibliographies of primary articles were manually searched to meet the inclusion criteria. The quality of studies was graded by GRADE from the Cochrane handbook. The studies were investigated concerning design, risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication. Results: SC could play a mediating role in the relationship with PANA, and MQ in infertile women undergoing infertility treatment. Discussion: This systematic review highlighted the importance of addressing psychological characteristics which can affect the biopsychological health of infertile women undergoing infertility treatment

Comparison of the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion focused therapy on quality of life among female adolescents with high-risk behaviors

Introduction: Many factors, such as the lack of necessary skills, contribute to the emergence of high-risk behaviors in students. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and compassion focused therapy (CFT) on the quality of life among adolescents with high-risk behaviors.   Materials & Methods: The present extended experimental study was conducted on 45 female students studying humanities at the 10th grade of high school in the academic year of 2016-2017 using a pretest-posttest control group design.The study population was selected by single-stage cluster sampling technique, and then randomly assigned into three groups of ACT (n=15), CFT (n=15), and control (n=15). The two intervention groups were subjected to eight 90-minute interventional sessions. Data collection tools included the Adolescent Risk-Taking Questionnaire and Quality of Life Questionnaire SF-36. The three groups filled out the research instruments before the implementation of the intervention and after the end of the eight interventional sessions in forms of pretest and posttest, respectively. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 16) using multivariate analysis of covariance, independent t-test, and modified Bonferroni test.   Results: The results indicated that both treatments were equally effective in the quality of life (P<0.01). The ACT group had the mean life of quality of 33.87 and 52.3 before and after the implementation of ACT, respectively. Furthermore, regarding the CFT group, the mean quality of life was obtained as 33.5 and 44.56 prior to and following the CFT intervention, respectively. However, no significant increase was observed in the control group in terms of this variable. The results also indicted the higher efficacy of ACT and CFT in the mental and physical health dimensions of the quality of life as compared to the control group (P<0.01).   Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the combined application of ACT and CFT can have a significant impact on the quality of life among the female adolescents with high-risk behaviors and improve their well-being

Relationship between diet diversity score and breast cancer risk

Background: The average age of women with breast cancer in Iran is at least 10 years lower in comparison to developed countries and the incidence of the disease in Iranian women is on a rise. According to studies, diets that are diverse in food groups can play a role in protecting against chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Diet diversity score is an indicator used to measure diversity between and within food groups. This study aimed to assess the relationship between diet diversity score and breast cancer risk. Methods: This case-control study was carried out from April 2014 to February 2015 at Shohada Hospital in Tajrish, Tehran. Demographic and anthropometric data of 298 participants including 149 breast cancer cases and 149 apparently healthy women were collected. A valid food frequency questionnaire containing 168 food items was completed to assess usual dietary intake through face to face interviews. Energy was calculated using Nutritionist 4 software (First Databank Inc., Hearst Corp., San Bruno, CA, USA) and diet diversity score was calculated using five food group scoring. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were obtained using logistic regression test to evaluate the association between breast cancer risk and diet diversity score tertiles. Results: There was no significant difference in weight, height, body mass index between the two groups, but physical activity level and daily energy intake showed a significant difference (P<0.001). After adjusting for the effect of confounding variables including energy, body mass index, physical activity, menopause status, family history of breast cancer, contraceptive use, number of pregnancy, age of menarche and smoking, the risk for developing breast cancer was 86% lower in those in the highest tertile of diet diversity score compared to those in the first tertile (OR=0.14, 95% CI=0.06-0.31). An inverse and significant association was found between breast cancer risk and diversity scores of fruits and milk groups (P<0.001). Conclusion: Higher diet diversity score is associated with reduced risk of breast cancer

Correlation between Diet Quality and Metabolic Syndrome

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing with an alarming rate world wide. Since diet components' studies that focus on MetS have produced largely inconsistent results, assessing the whole diet than single nutrients on health can be more practical. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between diet quality and MetS components. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total of 152 participants aged 20-55 years recruited from the endocrinology center of Tehran University of medical sciences. Dietary intake assessed by food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to calculate healthy eating index 2010 (HEI-2010). Body mass index (BMI), weight, height, waist circumference, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), triglycerides (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and blood pressure were measured. Results: In this study HEI mean score was 55.26. Based on HEI-2010 values, diet quality was good in 0.7% of participants, needed improvement in 55.9%, and was poor in 43.4% of cases. Diet quality (HEI) was significantly and linearly related with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, TG, and BMI (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to this study, low diet quality can be related to MetS components

Linkage of Multiple Sclerosis and Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Population-Based Survey in Isfahan, Iran

Background. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) are autoimmune demyelinating disorders of Central and Peripheral Nervous system, respectively. The coexistence of these two syndromes in an individual's life span is rare. Objectives. To inspect throughout Isfahan MS society (IMSS) records for MS cases who had history of documented GBS whether before the onset of MS or after it. Methods. This retrospective survey was carried out by analyzing the clinical records of 3,522 MS patients who were registered with IMSS, from April 2003 to July 2010. Eligible cases were requested to attend to IMSS for final clinical/paraclinical examinations. Results. Among 3,522 (2,716 women and 806 men) MS subjects, we could identify seven patients (six females and one male) with documented diagnosis of GBS. Six patients (five women and one man) had developed MS within 6.5±7.0 (range: 1–16) years after being diagnosed with GBS and one (a woman) had developed GBS three years after the diagnosis of MS. Conclusion. It seems that the development of MS in individuals with history of GBS is more than a simple incidental event