Comparison of gabapentin and ketotifen in treatment of uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients

Objectives: Uremic pruritus is a common problem in hemodialysis patients. Several treatments have been used for decreasing itching in these patients. Gabapentin and ketotifen are two drugs used for treating uremic patients.The aim of this study was to compare gabapentin and ketotifen in treatment of uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients. Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 52 hemodialysis patients with uremic pruritus referred to 5azarTeaching Hospital in Gorgan in 2013 were studied. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups of 26 subjects (groups G and K). In group G, patients treated with gabapentin capsules 100 mg daily for 2 weeks, and in Group K, patients treated with ketotifen 1 mg twice daily for 2 weeks. Before and at the end of study, pruritus severity was determined based on Shiratori›s severity scores. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS-21 statistical software. Results: There was no significant different between two groups in the age and sex. After two weeks of treatment, severity of pruritus was significantly reduced in both groups (88.4 in group G vs. 76.9 in group K). Gabapentin compared with ketotifen had a better effect on improving itching in the age group of 30-60 years and in males. 5 patients (19.2) in both groups suffered from drowsiness and dizziness, but no serious side effects were observed. Conclusions: The results showed that gabapentin and ketotifen significantly improved pruritus in hemodialysis patients, and no significant difference was observed between two groups. © 2016, Professional Medical Publications. All rights reserved

Estimated of CPCP violation in B0B^0 meson decays into D∗+D^{*+} and D−D^- mesons

The decay $B^0\rightarrow D^{*+}D^-$ is favorable mode for studying $CP$ violation in the interference between mixing and decay for $B^0$ and $\bar{B}^0$ mesons. The latest analysis of the $CP$ parameters has been performed by the LHCb collaboration values of $S_{D^*D}=-0.861\pm0.077\pm0.019$, $C_{D^*D}=-0.059\pm0.092\pm0.020$, $\triangle S_{D^*D}=0.019\pm0.075\pm0.012$, $\triangle C_{D^*D}=-0.031\pm0.092\pm0.016$, and $\mathcal{A}_{D^*D}^{CP}=0.008\pm0.014\pm0.006\pm0.003$. We have been estimated the parameters $S_{D^*D}$ and $C_{D^*D}$ of the $B^0\rightarrow D^{*+}D^-$ decay as $-0.709\pm0.024$ and $-0.051\pm0.004$. In the following, we have obtained the values of $\triangle S_{D^*D}=0.054\pm0.003$ and $\triangle C_{D^*D}=0.020\pm0.001$ and direct $CP$ violation of $0.008\pm0.001$. Also, we have calculated the branching ratio of $B^0\rightarrow D^{*+}D^-$ decay. The values obtained in this work are comparable with the corresponding experimental values

Impact of creatinine clearance on helicobacter pylori eradication rate in patients with peptic ulcer disease

Introduction. Gastrointestinal complaints are common in patients with kidney failure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of creatinine clearance on Helicobacter pylori (HP) eradication rate in patients with peptic ulcer disease. Materials and Methods. In this clinical trial, 132 patients with a range of kidney function (normal to end-stage renal disease) and peptic ulcer disease with HP infection were enrolled and divided into 5 groups by their creatinine clearance. For all patients, a 14-day standard regimen of triple therapy for peptic ulcer was started with omeprazole, 20 mg; clarithromycin, 500 mg; and amoxicillin, 1 g; twice per day. After 6 weeks, HP eradication rate were evaluated and compared between the groups with urea breath test. Results. The mean age of the participants was 44.84 ± 12.20 years and 68 (51.5%) were women. The five groups were not significantly different in terms of age, sex distribution, or body mass index. The results of urea breath test at 6 weeks were positive in 23 patients (17.4%). There was no significant difference in HP eradication rate (negative urea breath test) between the five groups. Conclusions. This study showed no association between the success rate of eradication of HP infection and kidney function. © 2015, Iranian Society of Nephrology. All rights reserved

Report of the clinical features of patients with leptospirosis in Golestan, Iran, 2011-2015: Based on information available at the provincial health center

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with a global distribution that is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of Leptospira. It has a global spread, but it is more common in warm and tropical regions. In developing countries such as Iran, it is considered as a work-related illness and occurs mostly in farmers, ranchers, slaughterhouse workers, butchers, and fishermen in the warm seasons of the year. The aim of this study was to report the information available at the provincial health center about the clinical features of patients with leptospirosis in Golestan province, Iran, from 2011 to 2015.METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed all patients with leptospirosis in Golestan provincial health center from 2011 to 2015. All information was collected by a self-designed checklist that its reliability was approved by three infectious specialists. In case of defective files, patients were contacted. The collected data were analyzed by an epidemiologist via SPSS software.RESULTS: In this study, during the years of 2011 to 2015, 75 cases of leptospirosis were recorded. 50 cases (66.6%) were men and 25 (33.3%) were women. The most common complaint of patients at referral was fever (70 cases, 93.33%). The most complained problem after fever (93.33%) was musculoskeletal pain and jaundice reported 57.33% and 54.66%, respectively.CONCLUSION: It is important to pay attention to this disease in farmers and villagers, especially in agricultural seasons. Due to the high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of leptospirosis, early diagnosis based on common symptoms is important. Healthcare centers in each area are required to recognize common diseases to reduce irreversible complications

A review on high stiffness aluminium-based composites and bimetallics

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) [grant number R33232

Formation of strength platform in cast Al–Si–Mg–Cu alloys

Over the past several decades, it was generally believed that the strength of the industrially widely used cast Al–Si–Mg–Cu alloys enhanced monotonously with increasing Cu content. However, in this study using cast Al9Si0.5MgxCu (x = 0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.85,1.0,1.25, in wt.%) alloys under T6 heat-treated condition, it was found that the hardness and yield strength of the heat-treated alloys showed a platform in the composition range from 0.4 wt.% to 0.85 wt.% Cu, while still increased with increasing Cu content before and after the platform. With increasing Cu content, the β-Mg2Si intermetallic phase decreased and disappeared at 0.85 wt.% Cu, while the Q–Al5Cu2Mg8Si6 and θ–Al2Cu intermetallic phases increased in the as-cast alloys. After heat treatment, the micron-scale intermetallic phases were dissolved into the Al matrix and precipitated as the nanoscale β″, Q′ and θ′ strengthening phases. With increasing Cu content, the β″ precipitate decreased and vanished at 0.85 wt.% Cu, while the Q′ and θ′ precipitates increased in the heat-treated alloys. The trade-off of the phases induces the platform in the strength of the heat-treated alloys, and further increase of the Cu content in this undetected trapped platform range is not favorited industrially as it only decreases ductility.Innovate U

Nanoscale Zr-containing precipitates; a solution for significant improvement of high-temperature strength in Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys

Jaguar Range Rove

Assessment of Kidney Injury Molecule-1 in Acute Kidney Injury in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Study in Northeast Iran from 2019 to 2020

Background: Drugs cause approximately 20%-40% of acute kidney injuries (AKI). Amikacin (AMK) is one of the common medications used as empiric therapy for severe infections, such as sepsis in neonates. One of the newly recommended biomarkers in AKI is Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1). In this study, we evaluated the use of KIM-1 for diagnosing tubular injury in neonates treated with Amikacin in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of our educational hospital in Gorgan, Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the NICU of the two educational hospitals affiliated to the Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. There were two groups of patients, namely neonates treated with Amikacin plus Ampicillin (group A; n=45) and neonates treated with Ampicillin plus Cefotaxime (group B; n=45). Demographic characteristics were recorded. Blood and urine samples were collected in both groups. The urinary secretion of KIM-1 was determined using an ELISA kit.Results: The total number of patients in both groups was 45, 26 (57.8%) of whom were male, and 19 (42.2%) cases were female. The mean age was obtained at 5.25±1.47 days in group A and 5.15±1.5 days in group B. None of our patients had AKI. There was no difference between leukocyte count and platelets on the first and seventh day. There was a significant difference among K, Na, urine specific gravity, C-reactive protein, Cr, and BUN on the seventh day, compared to the first day. The difference between urinary levels of KIM-1 in the two groups was not statistically significant.Conclusion: We have not found a significant relationship between urinary KIM-1 and AKI in our patients

Report of the clinical features of patients with leptospirosis in Golestan, Iran, 2011-2015: Based on information available at the provincial health center

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with a global distribution that is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of Leptospira. It has a global spread, but it is more common in warm and tropical regions. In developing countries such as Iran, it is considered as a work-related illness and occurs mostly in farmers, ranchers, slaughterhouse workers, butchers, and fishermen in the warm seasons of the year. The aim of this study was to report the information available at the provincial health center about the clinical features of patients with leptospirosis in Golestan province, Iran, from 2011 to 2015. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed all patients with leptospirosis in Golestan provincial health center from 2011 to 2015. All information was collected by a self-designed checklist that its reliability was approved by three infectious specialists. In case of defective files, patients were contacted. The collected data were analyzed by an epidemiologist via SPSS software. RESULTS: In this study, during the years of 2011 to 2015, 75 cases of leptospirosis were recorded. 50 cases (66.6%) were men and 25 (33.3%) were women. The most common complaint of patients at referral was fever (70 cases, 93.33%). The most complained problem after fever (93.33%) was musculoskeletal pain and jaundice reported 57.33% and 54.66%, respectively. CONCLUSION: It is important to pay attention to this disease in farmers and villagers, especially in agricultural seasons. Due to the high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of leptospirosis, early diagnosis based on common symptoms is important. Healthcare centers in each area are required to recognize common diseases to reduce irreversible complication