Effect of replacement of Caspian Sea gammarus meal by partial kilka fish meal on growth performance, feed conversion ratio and survival of juveniles of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The effects of using different of gammarus meal levels (0, 5, 10 and 20%) instead of kilk fish meal as a protein source on growth performance, feed conversion ratio and survival of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fingerlings were studied over 8 weeks. Rainbow trout fingerlings (mean body weight 5.48 ± 0.32g) were reared in a completely randomized design with three replications in the same conditions. Based on the results, no significant difference was observed in the final length and weight and specific growth rate among treatments. Increase of gammarus meal in diet led to increase of feed conversion ratio and decrease of survival, but the difference was not significant among treatments. Commercial analysis showed that the cost price of feed increased with increase of gammarus meal in diet, significantly. Thus, results of our study showed that adding up to 10% of gammarus meal instead of kilka fish meal in rainbow trout fingerlings diet is suitable, considering gammarus abundance in the shores of south Caspian Sea and lack of significance in difference on growth, feed conversion ratio and survival

Relationship between Parenting Styles and Internet safety of Children among Male and Female Students of Dezful

Background and Objective:In recent decades, the use of new information and communication technologies around the world has grown rapidly. The proliferation of personal computers, mobile phones or Android phones, and the easy access to the Internet provided by telephone operators have changed the lives of millions of people. These changes have directly and indirectly affected people's behaviors and habits, and even their cognitive and mental characteristics. As the use of the Internet by children and adolescents increases, there are concerns about their online safety. Providing a safe environment requires an in-depth understanding of the types of risks of the online environment, as well as effective solutions to reduce these risks. The issue of cyberspace abuses and the irreparable damage that this environment can do to personality and social image is a matter of consideration, the prevention of which is most of all the responsibility of the educational organizations, and particularly the family. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental supervisory styles and internet safety of children among male and female students of high school. Methods: Descriptive correlational (structural equation modeling) method was used at this study. All the second grade students of high school in Dezful and their parents in the academic year of 2017-2018 were statistical population of this study. According to the sample size, 375 people were selected based on Krejcie and Morgan's tables. Stratified sampling method and random cluster sampling were used for sampling. Two standard questionnaires of determining parental supervisory styles and a researcher-made questionnaire of checking the internet safety of children on a Likert scale were used to collect data. Frequency distribution, mean, Pearson correlation coefficient, regression and structural equation model test were used to analyze the data. Findings: The results showed that there is a significant difference between the parenting styles and the level of internet safety of children. Parents' cordial behavior with their children and their proper control give more confidence among family members. The child who feels such a climate feels safe in expressing his Internet needs, the things that are encountered in using the internet, as well as the questions and problems encountered when using the internet will be more comfortable to discuss these issues with parent. Conclusion: The results show that the highest Internet security of children is observed in the authoritarian regulatory style, followed by the authoritarian style and the negligent style; while the lowest internet security is observed in the non-interfering style. The results also showed that there was a significant relationship between parental supervision style and parental Internet security. Parents' sincere behavior and their proper control provide more trust among family members. The child who feels this atmosphere feel more secure and comfortable to express their needs about the Internet, the events that occur in using the Internet, and the questions and problems that they have while using the Internet. Parents with a friendly style and proper control have taken the necessary precautions to use the Internet safely and avoid serious risks. They have clearly set their own rules and expectations for children to use the Internet. And children are aware that they must respect these rules and expectations in order to be loved by their parents. In fact, this group of parents are not far behind their children in issues such as Internet literacy and media literacy, and they know and practice the etiquette of dealing with their children when they use the Internet.   ===================================================================================== COPYRIGHTS  ©2020 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.  ====================================================================================

Nonmedical Treatments of Vocal Fold Nodules: A Systematic Review

Objectives: The aim of the present systematic review was to investigate the nonmedical treatments of vocal fold nodules (VFNs). Study Design: The present study is a systematic review. Methods: The following electronic databases were searched from inception until August 2016: PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Ovid, ISI (Web of Sciences), Cochrane, PsychINFO, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar. Reference lists of included articles were evaluated for additional data. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines were used to carry out and report the review. The methodological quality of the articles included was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a narrative synthesis of the evidence was performed to summarize the evidence. Results: Out of 2,099 records identified, 21 articles met the inclusion criteria and thus were included in the review. The studies investigated in the present review were different in terms of study design, participant characteristics, types of assessments and treatments, and treatment delivery. However, nonmedical treatments of VFNs were found to be successful in improving vocal quality, decreasing VFN sizes, and resolving these nodules. Conclusions: The results of the present review could provide primary evidence related to the effectiveness of nonmedical treatment of VFNs. Yet further studies with a high level of evidence, a rigorous methodological quality, and long-term follow-up evaluations are required to make stronger claims. © 2018 The Voice Foundatio

Effect of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.) syrup on olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 infection: A pilot controlled clinical trial

Objective: The effect of lavender syrup on COVID-19-induced olfactory dysfunction (OD) has been assessed in this study. Materials and Methods: This pilot clinical trial was conducted in Gonbad-E-Kavoos (Golestan province, Iran). Twenty-three outpatients with COVID-19 and OD in lavender group took 9 ml of lavender syrup/bid for 3 weeks along with the standard COVID-19 treatments and 20 patients in control group took only standard COVID-19 treatments. The severity of OD was assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS). Data analysis was performed by Friedman and Mann-Whitney tests using SPSS software. Results: The mean± standard deviation of age was 36.6±9.1, and 42.6±10.4 years (p=0.05), and the duration of symptoms was 7.4±3.5, and 7.5±3.4 days (p=0.98) in the lavender and control group, respectively. The VAS score for OD decreased from 6.8±3.04 to 0.26±0.86 in the lavender group and from 5.3±3.4 to 1±2.61 in the control group. Although, VAS for OD was significantly decreased in both groups (p<0.001), the amount of VAS decrease was 6.6±2.9 scores in the lavender group, and 4.3±4 in the control group (p=0.03). No side effects were observed in the lavender group. Conclusion: The present study showed that lavender syrup is an effective treatment for COVID-19-induced OD. It is suggested to conduct further studies with larger sample size. © 2022 Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Frequency distribution of HPV18 based on the detection of E6 oncoprotein gene in cervix cancer samples

Background: Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most important risk factors for developing cervix cancer. Since cell culture and serological methods have no diagnostic value for the detection of this virus and its variants, the importance of molecular methods such as PCR in the early and definite diagnosis of such virus becomes evident. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of HPV18 based on detecting E6 gene in paraffin block samples using the PCR method. Materials and Methods: In this study, 69 out of 150 cervix samples of precancerous and cancerous lesions were collected during 2007-2012. DNA was extracted from paraffin blocks using the phenol/chloroform method. Two L1 and E6 consensus primers were used to evaluate the HPV and 18 HPV, respectively. Results: Among 69 patients with cervix cancer, 53 (76.8) cases were HPV-positive and 16 (23.19) HPV-negative. Twelve out of 53 (17.39) HPV-positive cases were HPV18- positive. Moreover, 6 cases were diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II, III and 6 with squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion: Results of the study confirm the previous reports concerning the relationship between HPV and cervix cancer. Considering the efficiency of DNA extraction and PCR protocol, we can use the test in pathology labs with simple and inexpensive facilities

Human endometrial stem cell neurogenesis in response to NGF and bFGF

The potential of cell therapy is promising in nerve regeneration, but is limited by ethical considerations about the proper and technically safe source of stem cells. We report the successful differentiation of human EnSCs (endometrial stem cells) as a rich source of renewable and safe progenitors into high-efficiency cholinergic neurons. The extracellular signals of NGF (nerve growth factor) and bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor) could induce cholinergic neuron differentiation. ChAT (choline acetyltransferase), MAP2 (microtubule associated protein 2) and NF-l (neurofilament L) increased after administration of bFGF and NGF to the EnSC cultures. trkC and FGFR2 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 2), which belong to the NGF and bFGF receptors respectively, were determined in populations of EnSCs. NGF, bFGF and their combination differentially influenced human EnSCs high efficiency differentiation. By inducing cholinergic neurons from EnSCs in a chemically defined medium, we could produce human neural cells without resorting to primary culture of neurons. This in vitro method provides an unlimited source of human neural cells and facilitates clinical applications of EnSCs for neurological diseases. © The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2012 International Federation for Cell Biology

Household contact investigation for the detection of active tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis: A comprehensive evaluation in two high-burden provinces in Iran

Background: Systematic evaluation of household contacts of persons with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in low- and middle-income countries is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). This study recruited adult household contacts of diagnosed TB patients in two high burden provinces of Iran to estimate the prevalence and incidence of active disease and latent TB infection (LTBI) among individuals exposed to TB cases. Methods: We conducted a cohort study among adults in household contact with a pulmonary TB index case. All subjects were assessed for active disease through evaluation of symptoms. Tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON®-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) were used to define LTBI. These tests were performed at the time of the index TB case diagnosis and repeated if the previous result was negative, at three-, 12-, and 18-months post recruitment. In addition, interferon-γ-induced protein-10 (IP-10) concentrations were measured in QFT-Plus supernatants for all participants three months after diagnosing the index case. Results: A total of 451 individuals who had close contact with 95 active TB patients were enrolled in this study. Five (1.1) contacts were diagnosed with active TB and 285 (63.2) were identified with LTBI during our study. The incidence rate of LTBI among adult household contacts of TB index cases was 0.44 per person per year. Conclusion: The overall rate of LTBI was high. Systematic screening of all household contacts of pulmonary TB should be expanded in Iran to make the timely achievement of the global end TB strategy feasible. © 2022 The Author

Letter to the editor: efficacy of different methods of combination regimen administrations including dexamethasone, intravenous immunoglobulin, and interferon-beta to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients: a structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES: There is little information about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) management for critically ill patients. Most of these patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to excessive inflammatory response and the ensuing cytokine storm. Anti-inflammatory drugs including corticosteroids can be used to effectively reduce the effect of this cytokine storm and lung damage. However, corticosteroids can have side effects, so simultaneous administration of immunoglobulin (IV-IG) and interferon-beta can help manage treatment using corticosteroids. Therefore, we designed a trial to test our hypothesis that early administration of dexamethasone in combination with IV-IG and interferon-beta can reduce the effect of the cytokine storm in critically ill patients COVID-19. TRIAL DESIGN: A phase two multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) with three parallel arms (1:1:1 ratio). PARTICIPANTS: They will be hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 who have positive RT-PCR test and have blood oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) less than 90 and respiratory rate higher than 24 per minute or have involvement of more than 50 of their lung when viewed using computed tomography (CT)-scan. The age range of patients will be 18-70 years old. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: the need for intubation; allergy, intolerance, or contraindication to any study drug including dexamethasone, IV-IG, and interferon-beta; pregnancy or lactation; known HIV positive or active hepatitis B or C. The study will be conducted in several hospitals of the Golestan province, Iran. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: The study subjects will be randomly allocated to three treatment arms: two experimental groups (two arms: Intervention 1 and Intervention 2) and one Control Group, which will be matched for age and sex using frequency matching method. Each eligible patient in the control arm will receive the standard treatment for COVID-19 based on WHO guidelines and the Ministry of the Health and Medical Education (MOHME) of Iran. Each patient in the Intervention Group 1 will receive the standard treatment for COVID-19 and dexamethasone, at the first 24 hours' time of admission. The intervention begins with the administration of dexamethasone based on the SpO2 levels. If the level of SpO2 does not improve after 24 hours, IV-IG (400 mg/kg once daily for 5 days) and interferon-beta (7 doses every other day) will be prescribed along with dexamethasone administration. In Intervention Group 2, the administration of dexamethasone will be started within the first 24 hours' time of admission and will be continued for 48-72 hours and then the SpO2 level will be checked. Then, if the level of SpO2 has not improved after that time, IV-IG and interferon-beta will be prescribed as the same dosage as Group 1. If the percentages of the SpO2 level are between 85 and 90/ 80 and 85/ 75 and 80/ less than 75, the dosages will be 4 mg every 12 hours/ 4 mg every 8 hours/ 8 mg every 12 hours/ 8 mg every 8 hours, respectively. According to the WHO recommendation, all participants will have the best available supportive care with full monitoring. MAIN OUTCOMES: Primary: An increase in the SpO2 level to reach more than 90 in each case, which will be assessed by the oximeter. Secondary: The duration of hospital stays; intubation status and the percentage of patients who are free of mechanical ventilation; the mortality rates during hospitalization and one month after the admission time. RANDOMISATION: Participants will be allocated into either control or intervention groups with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio using a computer random number generator to generate a table of random numbers for simple randomization. BLINDING (MASKING): The project's principal investigator (PI) is unblinded. However, the PI will not analyse the data and interpret the results. An unblinded researcher (a pharmacist) will cover the drug's bottles with aluminium foil and prepare them interventions and control drugs in a syringe with a code so that patients are blinded. This person will have no patients contact. The staff and nurses, caring for the patients, will be unblinded for each study group due to the nature of this study. The staff that take outcome measurements will be blinded. The laboratory technicians will also be blinded as well as the statistical team. These study statisticians will have access to coded data and will analyse the data labelled as group X, group Y, and group Z. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMISED (SAMPLE SIZE): The target sample size will be 105 critically ill COVID-19 patients, who will be allocated randomly to the three trial arms with 35 patients in each group. TRIAL STATUS: Recruitment is ongoing. The study began on April 18 2020 and will be completed June 19 2020. This summary describes protocol version 1; April 2 2020. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://www.irct.ir/. Identifier: IRCT20120225009124N4 version 1; Registration date: April 2 2020. FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting the dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol. The full protocol has been reported in accordance with the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Clinical Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines