Phytoprotective and Antioxidant Effects of German Chamomile Extract against Dimpylate-Induced Hepato-Nephrotoxicity in Rats

Dimpylate is one of the most organophosphorus widely used insecticides in agriculture. This study aims to investigate the ameliorative effect of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) on the hepato-nephrotoxicity induced by Dimpylate in male Wistar rats.  Rats  were divided into 4 groups: Control group, received  corn oil alone; Chamomile group, orally given water extract of Chamomile (300 mg/kg b.wt./day for 30 days); Dimpylate group, orally given 15 mg/kg b.wt./day for 30 days of Dimpylate; and Dimpylate and chamomile group,  orally given Dimpylate (15 mg/kg b.wt./day) with Chamomile extract (300 mg/kg b.wt./day) for 30 days. Oxidative stress and antioxidant status were estimated in the liver and kidney of all groups. In the liver and kidney of the Dimpylate-intoxicated rats, there was an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and a significant decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TCA), glutathione-peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GSH-R) and Glutathione–S-transferase (GST). In addition, significant increases in serum liver function marker enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP) were recorded in Dimpylate intoxicated rats as compared to control group. Moreover, significant increase in serum total lipid, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels was observed in Dimpylate group as compared to control group. Serum total protein was decreased significantly in Dimpylate intoxicated rats as compared to the control group. Renal products; urea and creatinine were significantly elevated in in Dimpylate group compared to the control group. Dimpylate treated animals also revealed a significant increase in serum biochemical parameters as well as hepatic and renal lipid peroxidation but caused an inhibition in antioxidant biomarkers. normalized the elevated serum levels of AST, ALT, APL, uric acid, urea and creatinine. Furthermore, it reduced dimpylate-induced lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in a dose dependent manner. Therefore, it could be concluded that Chomomile extract administration able to minimize the toxic effects of dimpylate by its free radical-scavenging and potent antioxidant activity. Co-administration of the Chamomile aqueous extract with Dimpylate could attenuate the all the disrupted measured parameters in liver and kidney tissued. Therefore, it could be concluded that the chamomile aqueous extract has antioxidant and protective property againsit Dimpylate hepato-nephrotoxicity Keywords: Dimpylate, Chamomile, hepato-nephrotoxicity, Antioxidant

Comparative Study of Different Techniques for Automatic Evaluation of English Text Essays

 Automated essay evaluation keeps to attract a lot of interest because of its educational and commercial importance as well as the related research challenges in the natural language processing field. Automated essay evaluation has the feature of halves, less cost of human resource, and gives the results directly and timely feedback compared with the human evaluator which requires more time and it depends on his /her mood at certain times. This paper has focused on automated evaluation of English text which was performed using various algorithms and techniques by making comparison between these techniques that applied with different size of dataset and length essays as well as the performance of algorithms was assessed using different metrics. The results uncovered that the performance of each technique has affected by the size of dataset and the length of essays. Finally, for future research directions building a standard dataset containing different types of question-answer pair to be able to compare the performance of different techniques fairly

Physicians' role in the development of inappropriate polypharmacy among older adults in Iran: A qualitative study

Objectives The use of unnecessary or excessive medications (inappropriate polypharmacy) is a major health challenge among older adults which is driven by several factors. This study aims to provide in-depth descriptions of the physician's role in the development of inappropriate polypharmacy among older adults in Iran. Design Qualitative content analysis of interviews, field notes and other relevant documents available (eg, medical records). Data collection and analyses were done concurrently to guide the sampling process. Setting Three purposively selected referral hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Participants A total of 7 physicians, 10 older adults, 3 caregivers and 3 pharmacists with a median age of 54 (IQR 23) years were recruited through convenience sampling. Results Emerged categories included misdiagnosis, inappropriate prescribing, insufficient patient education, poor communication, unprofessional behaviour and limited perspectives which highlight the role of physicians in the development of inappropriate polypharmacy among older adults in Iran under the main concept of poor medical practice. Conclusion This study provides valuable insight on the role of physicians in the development of inappropriate polypharmacy among the elderly in the healthcare setting in Iran by exploring the viewpoints of physicians, patients, caregivers and pharmacists. Physicians can be an influential factor in tackling this challenge through proper diagnosis, prescription, patient education and follow-up. In Iran, physicians' practice styles are affected by potentially adverse factors such as the novelty of geriatric medicine, lack of a referral system, patient unfamiliarity with the system and lack of a monitoring system for multiple prescriptions. Furthermore, clinics tend to be overcrowded and visit fees can be low; in this setting, lack of physician assistants leads to limited time allocation to each patient and physician dissatisfaction with their income. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ

Systematic Review of Potential Health Risks Posed by Pharmaceutical, Occupational and Consumer Exposures to Metallic and Nanoscale Aluminum, Aluminum Oxides, Aluminum Hydroxide and Its Soluble Salts

Aluminum (Al) is a ubiquitous substance encountered both naturally (as the third most abundant element) and intentionally (used in water, foods, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines); it is also present in ambient and occupational airborne particulates. Existing data underscore the importance of Al physical and chemical forms in relation to its uptake, accumulation, and systemic bioavailability. The present review represents a systematic examination of the peer-reviewed literature on the adverse health effects of Al materials published since a previous critical evaluation compiled by Krewski et al. (2007). Challenges encountered in carrying out the present review reflected the experimental use of different physical and chemical Al forms, different routes of administration, and different target organs in relation to the magnitude, frequency, and duration of exposure. Wide variations in diet can result in Al intakes that are often higher than the World Health Organization provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), which is based on studies with Al citrate. Comparing daily dietary Al exposures on the basis of “total Al”assumes that gastrointestinal bioavailability for all dietary Al forms is equivalent to that for Al citrate, an approach that requires validation. Current occupational exposure limits (OELs) for identical Al substances vary as much as 15-fold. The toxicity of different Al forms depends in large measure on their physical behavior and relative solubility in water. The toxicity of soluble Al forms depends upon the delivered dose of Al+ 3 to target tissues. Trivalent Al reacts with water to produce bidentate superoxide coordination spheres [Al(O2)(H2O4)+ 2 and Al(H2O)6 + 3] that after complexation with O2•−, generate Al superoxides [Al(O2•)](H2O5)]+ 2. Semireduced AlO2• radicals deplete mitochondrial Fe and promote generation of H2O2, O2 • − and OH•. Thus, it is the Al+ 3-induced formation of oxygen radicals that accounts for the oxidative damage that leads to intrinsic apoptosis. In contrast, the toxicity of the insoluble Al oxides depends primarily on their behavior as particulates. Aluminum has been held responsible for human morbidity and mortality, but there is no consistent and convincing evidence to associate the Al found in food and drinking water at the doses and chemical forms presently consumed by people living in North America and Western Europe with increased risk for Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). Neither is there clear evidence to show use of Al-containing underarm antiperspirants or cosmetics increases the risk of AD or breast cancer. Metallic Al, its oxides, and common Al salts have not been shown to be either genotoxic or carcinogenic. Aluminum exposures during neonatal and pediatric parenteral nutrition (PN) can impair bone mineralization and delay neurological development. Adverse effects to vaccines with Al adjuvants have occurred; however, recent controlled trials found that the immunologic response to certain vaccines with Al adjuvants was no greater, and in some cases less than, that after identical vaccination without Al adjuvants. The scientific literature on the adverse health effects of Al is extensive. Health risk assessments for Al must take into account individual co-factors (e.g., age, renal function, diet, gastric pH). Conclusions from the current review point to the need for refinement of the PTWI, reduction of Al contamination in PN solutions, justification for routine addition of Al to vaccines, and harmonization of OELs for Al substances

The quantitative ultrasound study of tongue shape and movement in normal Persian speaking children

Objectives: Ultrasound research on speech production in normal speakers has long used quantitative measurements in different languages. However, no studies in this area have been conducted in the Persian language. This study investigated Persian speaking children scores on two single curve measures of tongue shape, based on midsagittal tongue shape data from ultrasound imaging. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on four 7�8 years old Persian speaking children. The data for analysis was collected using an ultrasound machine in 2018�2019. The stimuli included a range of consonants including/p/,/t/,/f/,/k/and/s/in consonant-vowel sequences, with the vowels/a/and/i/. The measures do not require head stabilization. Statistical analyses were done using Linear mixed models in lmer software package of R version 3.6.2. The results were performed by Chi-squared and Tukey post hoc tests in R. Results: In all of the consonants, the mean of two single curve measures in the context of/i/was greater than the context of/a/. However, there was no significant effect of the vowel context on one measure for the/k/. Also, these measures were significantly different in each of the Persian consonants and they showed consistent patterns across all of the participants (P<0.001). Conclusion: It seems the single curve measures are the valid value of tongue dorsum excursion for Persian speaking children. This study showed that measures of single curves are reliable for distinguish between consonants in vowel contexts and created robust results on lingual coarticulation of the consonants without the use of head stabilization. © 2020 Elsevier B.V

Comparison of Re-TUR results in primary patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) of low, intermediate, and high-risk for recurrence based on the EORTC scoring system

Background: Bladder cancer is the second mostcommonurologic malignancy. Transurethral resection (TUR) is the standard initial treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The high prevalence of residualtumorinsomepatients has necessitated repeat TUR (re-TUR). Previous studies have shown the quality of primary resection to impact re-TUR outcomes, but the role of tumor biology remains unclear. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of tumor biology on re-TUR results in primary (non-recurrent) patients with superficial bladder tumors. Methods: We studied a cohort of consecutive primary patients with superficial bladder cancer undergoing resection and routine re-TUR between March 2018 and February 2019 at our unit. Patients with TaG1 or T2 on primary pathologic report, deliberately incomplete initial resection, or absence of detrusor muscle on the initial specimen were excluded from the study. Re-TUR was performed in the sixth week. All procedures were performed by the same surgeon. The patients were divided into three groups according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) risk scoring system and compared for recurrence of NMIBC. Results: Of 58 primary patients, 16 were classified as low-risk, 32 as intermediate-risk, and 10 as high-risk. The mean age of subjects was 62.1 years. Residual tumor was detected on re-TUR in 19 (32.7) cases. Also, 3 (5.2) cases entailed stage progression to pT2, all of whombelonged to the high-risk group. Residual tumor rate was 0, 40.6, and 60 in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively. In addition, 13 patients had macroscopic residual. Conclusions: Despite the modest study size, our results suggest that tumor biology might have an impact on residual tumor characteristics, and the EORTC scoring system may help to predict the risk of progression and residual tumor rate on re-TUR. © 2021, Author(s)

Group social work intervention enhances the sexual satisfaction of women with Multiple Sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial study

Sexual problems are among the most common disorders that people with Multiple Sclerosis have to deal with, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction and quality of life. The study is aimed to investigate the impact of group social work intervention on the sexual satisfaction of women with Multiple Sclerosis. The methodology was a randomized controlled trial and 58 participants recruited (30 for control group and 28 for intervention group). The intervention was based on group social work with an empowerment approach within eight sessions. The average age of the participants was 35.95 ± 6.41 most of whom had high school diploma (62.1). The findings indicate that, in terms of sexual satisfaction (t = 5.47, Sig = 0.03, df = 56), primary disorders (t = 2.42, Sig = 0.019, df = 56), and tertiary disorders (t = 3.77, Sig = 0.002, df = 56), there is a significant difference between intervention and control groups. © 2020, © 2020 Taylor & Francis

Early detection of cognitive disturbances in mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review of observational studies

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate state between normal cognition and early dementia and is not considered as a typical outcome of brain aging. It has been estimated that 10 to 20 of individuals above 65 years of age will be diagnosed as having MCI. The increased rate of dementia and the importance of early detection of its forerunners have encouraged researchers to focus on detecting MCI and modifiable risk factors with the hope of developing better ways of managing dementia and its consequences. The main aim of this study was to systematically review the related literature concerning the cognitive changes in the spectrum of cognitive aging to cognitive impairment. Articles included in this review were identified through searching the databases of PubMed, Psych Info, Embase, ProQuest, and Scopus. Many domains like verbal memory, language, executive function, visual memory, attentional skills, and working memory showed acceptable predictive power. Testing subdomains such as executive function, speed of processing, working memory and semantic language are critical and others may indicate some suggestions for further clinical deteriorations in normal individuals. Although various cognitive instruments have been used for evaluation of impaired cognitive domains, it remains challenging to select the most appropriate ones having high-level accuracy and their related cognitive subdomains. It also revealed that none of the identified cognitive domains solely fulfilled the criteria for MCI screening; in clinical settings, multiple neuropsychological batteries may be used for one single cognitive domain, while longitudinal studies prefer the use of at least two cognitive measures for each domain to improve accuracy and research settings might focus on only a single neuropsychological test. However, along with episodic memory, testing for amnestic MCI, executive function could increase the chance of early detection of MCI. Executive control has been found to deteriorate the earliest in MCI patients. © 2019 Japanese Psychogeriatric Societ

A rare mutation in PRUNE 1- gene causing a neurodevelopmental disease with rare systemic manifestations in a Saudi child

PRUNE 1- related disorder, is a neurodevelopmental problem characterized by microcephaly, hypotonia, and variable central nervous system abnormalities, it is a unique uncommon autosomal recessive disease caused by a homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation in the PRUNE1 gene on chromosome 1q21.4. Here we report a 15 months old girl who presented with characteristic features compatible with Prune syndrome informed of severe developmental delay, progressive microcephaly, hypertelorism, micrognathia and low set ears. The neurological evaluation revealed profound central hypotonia and spastic limbs with increased deep tendon reflexes. At the age of 15 months, she became more flaccid, with multiple hospitalizations because of recurrent aspiration, refractory seizure and severe gastroesophageal reflux disease. Eye examination showed severe optic atrophy. Further molecular genetic analysis revealed a homozygous variant c.383G&gt;A – P(Arg128Gln)-chr1:150997134

Green synthesis of Ag/Fe3O4 nanoparticles using Mentha longifolia flower extract: evaluation of its antioxidant and anti-lung cancer effects

Herein, a bio-inspired synthetic method for Ag NP adorned biofunctionalized magnetic nanocomposite has been demonstrated. In the procedure, Mentha longifolia flower extract was employed as a template for the green reduction of immobilized Ag ions to corresponding NPs and subsequent stabilization. The phytochemical modification also facilitated the Fe3O4 NPs to protect from self-aggregation. The as-synthesized Ag/Fe3O4 nanocomposite material was characterized by SEM, TEM, EDX, elemental mapping, VSM, XRD and ICP-OES methods. Towards the biological application, the material was first explored in the anti-oxidant study following DPPH assay and it exhibited a significant radical scavenging capacity. The application of Ag/Fe3O4 nanocomposite was further progressed in the anticancer study against standard human lung cancer cell lines (A549 and H358). Cytotoxicity of the material against the cell lines were determined in terms of % cell viability following MTT method and was found to decrease with increase in the material load