Millifluidic-assisted ionic gelation technique for encapsulation of probiotics in double-layered polysaccharide structure

A unique double-layered vehicle was fabricated for the first time based on a millifluidic/direct gelation to encapsulate probiotics. Free probiotic bacteria are usually very sensitive to severe gastrointestinal conditions and maintaining their survival when passing through the digestive tract is essential. The effects of alginate concentration (20–30 g/L), flow rates of alginate (0.8–1.2 mL/min), and W/O emulsion (0.5–0.7 mL/min) on encapsulation efficiency (EE), size, and sphericity of core–shell millicapsules were optimized for encapsulation of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum. The optimized calcium-alginate millicapsule was spherical (0.97 ± 0.01 SF), with an average diameter of 4.49 ± 0.19 mm, and encapsulation efficiency of 98.17 ± 0.5 %. Two strains were encapsulated separately in W/O emulsion as a core of the millicapsule. After coating with chitosan, the encapsulation yield of the bacteria, survival rates under simulated gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, and viability during storage were determined. Survival efficiency of B. animalis subsp. lactis and L. plantarum after millifluidic encapsulation were found to be 92.33 and 90.81 %, respectively. Cell viability of encapsulated probiotics after passing through the GI system was improved (7.5 log CFU mL−1 for both strains). Although the viability of the encapsulated probiotics stored at −18 °C for five months significantly decreased (p<0.05), the number of live cells was approximately in accordance with the standard definition of long-term probiotic survival (6 log CFU/g). This work provides a pathway for the construction of an innovative delivery system with high efficiency and protective effects for probiotics

Effects of radioiodine therapy on fertility indicators among men with differentiated thyroid cancer: A cohort study

Background: Following thyroidectomy, radioiodine therapy is the standard management of differentiated thyroid cancer. The effects of such treatment on testicular function remained a concern for cases and clinicians. Objective: We aimed to observe changes in fertility indicators in men treated with ablation. Materials and Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 18 men with differentiated thyroid cancer from June to December 2020 underwent thyroidectomy plus radioiodine therapy. Participants were grouped based on iodine dose (8 men with 30 mCi vs. 10 men with ≥ 150 mCi). Baseline values (VB) of the follicular stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and sperm analyses were measured 3 wk before iodine ablation and repeated 3 (V3) and 12 (V12) months later. They were analyzed once as a whole and once based on their groups via ANOVA and Friedman’s tests where appropriate. Results: The mean age of participants was 35.61 ± 9.74 yr. Follicular stimulating hormone levels showed a significant trend among all participants (VB: 12.51 ± 1.72, V3: 13.54 ± 1.41, and V12: 13.10 ± 1.67 IU/mL; p &lt; 0.001). Luteinizing hormone showed a similar pattern (VB: 4.98 ± 1.27, V3: 5.65 ± 1.29, and V12: 5.21 ± 0.95 IU/mL; p &lt; 0.001). Testosterone levels did not differ significantly from baseline. Sperm count decreased at the first checkpoint and returned to normal after 12 months (VB: 38.22 ± 19.40, V3: 32.05 ± 17.96, and V12: 36.66 ± 18.81 million/mL; p &lt; 0.001). Sperm motility and morphology did not change significantly. Conclusion: Our research showed that even less than 5 GBq irradiation could induce a transient testicular dysfunction in the first 3 months of therapy, but it was mostly reversible after 12 months. Key words: Follicle-stimulating hormone, Iodine-131, Male infertility, Semen analyses

Evaluation of the Reliability and Validity of the Persian Version of Urticaria Control Test (UCT)

The urticaria control test (UCT) is a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for chronic urticaria (CU) patients. As a Persian version of the UCT was not available, the present research aimed to develop such a version, to test its reliability and validity as well as to evaluate urticaria control among Persian-speaking patients. This research was conducted at the Urticaria Centre of Reference and Excellence (UCARE) of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. In a first step, a linguistically validated Persian version of the UCT was developed through a structured forward and backward translation process and subsequent cognitive debriefing interviews. In a second step, the Persian version of the UCT was completed by 100 well-characterized CU patients together with two anchor instruments, the Chronic Urticaria Quality of life Questionnaire (CU-Q2oL) and the urticaria activity score (UAS), to obtain information on its internal consistency reliability and convergent validity. The Persian version of the UCT was found to have acceptable internal consistency reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.68. In addition, the results obtained with the Persian UCT correlated with the CU-Q2oL total score (-0.48, p<0.001) and the UAS (-0.404, p< 0.001), suggesting convergent validity. Virtually all patients had poorly controlled CU (UCT<12). A Persian version of the UCT is now available and may help to improve the assessment and monitoring of disease control in Persian-speaking CU patients and to optimize treatment decisions

Head and Neck Cancers in North-East Iran: A 25 year Survey

Introduction Cancers are among the worst noncommunicable diseases around the world. Head and neck cancers are ranked as the fifth most common cancers worldwide. As there are different distributions of risk factors around the world, the incidence of these cancers varies from one place to another. Materials and Methods: We conducted a descriptive analytic cross-sectional study, based on census-based records from the private oncology clinic in Mashhad, Iran. Data from 1,075 patients with head and neck cancers were analyzed from 1986 to 2010. We categorized the duration of study into five periods: 1986–1990, 1991–1995, 1996–2000, 2001–2005, and 2006–2010. Head and neck cancers refers to cancers originating from seven sites in the head and neck including the nasal cavity, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, salivary glands, paranasal sinuses, and thyroid. Results: Data of 1,075 patients were analyzed. 66.2% were male. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) age at the time of diagnosis was 55.37±15.55 years. The most frequent type of head and neck cancer was larynx cancer (36%), followed by pharynx (28.5%), oral (17.5%), thyroid (6.8%), sinus (6.4%), salivary gland (4.10%), and nasal cancer (0.70%). although larynx cancer was the most frequent cancer over the whole study duration, there was a significant (P=0.04) difference in the relative frequency of these cancers across the five time periods. There was a significant difference in mean age between cancer categories (

Performance Evaluation of Titanium Dioxide Nanocomposite Membrane in Removal of Lead from Aqueous Solutions

Among the methods used to remove heavy metals are membrane processes that, with less use of chemicals, are able to quickly produce high-quality penetration. In this study, a nanocomposite membrane with the ability to separate lead was used. The black titanium dioxide nanoparticle was synthesized using the pyrolysis method. Adsorption experiments were performed using a nanofiltration unit. The results of lead adsorption isotherms showed that the lead adsorption process using the membrane follows the Langmuir model with a correlation coefficient of 0.995. The results of the study of lead metal adsorption kinetics showed that the process of adsorption of lead by the adsorbent follows the quasi-second order kinetics so that the correlation coefficient of the second-order quasi-model is equal to 0.999 which is compared with the quasi-correlation coefficient. The maximum and minimum fluxes between different membranes were related to 0.1 mg/l of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in terms of time and pressure for 50 and 600 minutes and pressures of 45 and 145 bar, with increasing the initial concentration of pollutants, the percentage of adsorption decreases. This can be due to the delay in balancing the adsorbent and the contaminant

Anxiety and Uterine Artery Doppler Flow in A Population of Pregnant Women of High Risk Down Syndrome Fetus: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Fetal exposure to maternal anxiety is associated with low birth weight and maternal stress may be led to constriction of uterine arteries. This study compared the relation of anxiety and uterine artery doppler flow indices in pregnant women with the high and low-risk of Down syndrome. Materials and methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant women in the second trimester that were classified as having a high or low risk according to their prenatal aneuploidy screening outcome. The high risk group underwent amniocentesis. Anxiety was initially assessed using the Spielberger State-Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and uterine artery blood flow indices were evaluated 2 times for the both groups. For the high-risk group first: immediately before amniocentesis and second: after two weeks follow up, when receiving the karyotype results and for the low-risk group in the first admission and two weeks later. Results: Totally, 375 pregnant women participated in our study that sorted into 2 risk populations based on the aneuploidy screening test, low-risk=176 and high-risk women=199. The high-risk group for Down syndrome amniocentesis showed abnormal results in the 23 cases (23/199). The mean state (P=0.003) and trait (P=0.033) of the Anxiety Inventory scores were significantly different between the groups. Baseline uterine artery indices were no significant difference between the groups. Baseline Uterine artery indices in the high-risk group was significantly different with follow-up (in both positive-amniocentesis and negative amniocentesis sub-groups) indices. Also, there was a weak and significant correlation in the uterine resistance index and STAI scores (P=0.008, r=0.137) during the follow-up period. Conclusion: All pregnant women experienced high level anxiety, especially in the high-risk group that may reduce after confirmation of prenatal aneuploidy screening test and also affects the Doppler indices. For all pregnant women; Stress management and emotional support training is recommended before and during pregnancy

Correlation of US-7 and US-9 Scores with Disease Activity Score using 28 Joint Counts (DAS28) in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: The attentive management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has attracted particular attention. The German 7-joint Ultrasound (US-7) is the first scoring system that combines bone erosions and soft tissue lesions in a single composite scoring system. This study aimed to assess the correlation between US-7 and Disease Activity Score Using 28 Joint Counts (DAS28) in clinically active RA patients. The efficacy of a novel ultrasound score-based system, the US-9 score (joints assessed with US-7 plus knees), was also compared with the standard US-7 score.Methods: All the RA patients referred to the outpatient rheumatology clinic of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, during 2019-2020 were included. 28 joints were clinically examined to calculate DAS28. Nine joints were assessed comprising the German US-7 plus knees using grayscale ultrasonography (GSUS) and power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS). Retrieved data were analyzed by SPSS software, version 22. The Spearman Correlation test was used to find the correlation between DAS28 and ultrasonographic findings. The statistical significance level was set at P<0.05. Results: This study was composed of thirty-five RA patients with a mean age of 49.1±12.0 years. US-7 synovitis scores in GSUS and PDUS were significantly correlated with DAS28 (P=0.02, r=0.38 and P=0.003, r=0.48, respectively). US-9 synovitis scores in GSUS and PDUS were also significantly correlated with DAS28 (P=0.003, r=0.49 and P=0.006, r=0.45, respectively). The synovitis score measured by GSUS was significantly correlated with the GSUS knee synovial score (P=0.01, r=0.42).Conclusion: Ultrasound assessment of large joints such as knees can be an effective approach to determining RA severity. However, it can be proposed that adding more involved joints into the sonographic assessment does not necessarily provide a better clinical correlation

Lipid-modifying effect of vitamin D fortified products: A systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objectives: Various fortification strategies have been proposed to account to treat or prevent vitamin D deficiency. However, the optimum fortification approach, and the effect of these on health is not widely understood. There have been controversial reports regarding the effect of vitamin D fortification on the lipid profile. The aim of present review is the evaluation of administration of vitamin D fortified products on lipid profile.Methods: We used databases including PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, Scopus and Cochrane Library. A search was conducted until 2020 Randomized controlled trials that have assessed the relationship between consumption of vitamin D fortified products and serum lipid profile were included. The relationship between fortification dose, dairy or non-dairy fortification as well as duration of intervention and plasma lipid profiles evaluated in separate sub-groups.Results: Among serum lipids including total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low density lipoprotein(LDL) and high density lipoprotein(HDL), fortification of vitamin D was reported to have a significant effect on reducing total cholesterol (pooled estimate: -0.089 mmol/L, 95%CI: -0.134 to -0.044, p<0.001). Its effect on other lipid profiles were not significant (LDL pooled estimate:-0.115 mmol/L, 95%CI:-0.238 to 0.008; HDL pooled estimate:0.024 mmol/L, 95%CI:-0.024 to 0.071; TG pooled estimate:-0.176mmol/L, 95%CI:-0.499 to 0.148).Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that vitamin D fortification could significantly reduce TC both in long and short term interventions and in different products. However this reduction, whilst statistically significant, may not be clinically important. The effect of fortification on other lipid profile components vary depending on dose and duration

Tobacco Use and Associated Factors in Medical Students

Background Many studies indicate that one of the leading preventable causes of premature death, disease and disability around the world is Tobacco use. Unfortunately, adolescents and young adults of colleges are often targeted of marketing by the tobacco industry. The aim of this study was to assess the relative frequency of tobacco use and associated factors in medical students. Methods This cross-sectional study has done among medical students in 2014 - 2015. Totally, 284 students from 4 levels (basic, extern, intern and residents) were selected by random sampling from each category. We used a checklist for collecting demographic information that was distributed among participants by a trained interviewer. SPSS-11.5 software was used for data analysis andsignificance level was considered < 0.05. Results Among 284 medical students, 17 (6%) smoked cigarette and 3 (1.05%) used illicit substance. All of the users were male, 15 (88%) of which were single. 1 (1.4 %) of the basic level students, 6 (6.9 %) of the externs, 9 (14.8 %) of the Interns and 1(1.6 %) of the residents used cigarette but the differences among these groups were not significant (P = 0.36). Generally, 13 (76.5%) of the users resided in dormitory and the others lived in parental home, which shows a significant difference among these groups (P = 0.01).The logistic regression indicated stage level was positively associated with cigarette use (P < 0.007). Conclusions In this study, we evaluated how several environmental factors may influence illicit substance and tobacco use. We found an association between living in a dormitory and smoking cigarette, so it is an important factor to be considered in program planning for new students who entered into this environment