Effect of vitamin D3 supplement in glycemic control of pediatrics with type 1 diabetes mellitus and vitamin D deficiency

Background: Glycemic control prevents microvascular complications in patients with type I diabetes mellitus such as retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy that influences quality of life. Some studies show the immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D in synthesis and secretion of insulin. Aims: In this study we evaluate glycemic changes after vitamin D3 supplement in children with type I diabetes mellitus and vitamin D deficiency. Materials and Methods: In children with type I diabetes mellitus, level of vitamin D and HbA1C was measured. Patients with type I diabetes mellitus who had vitamin D deficiency (25OHD 9.9. This supplement transfer patients toward better glycemic control for the entire group (p-value < 0.0001). Conclusion: Vitamin D3 supplement improves HbA1C in pediatrics with type I diabetes mellitus and vitamin D deficiency. © 2015, Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. All Rights Reserved

A sham-controlled trial of acupressure on the quality of sleep and life in haemodialysis patients

Background Sleep disorder in haemodialysis patients can lead to disturbance in their psychosocial function and interpersonal relations, and reduced quality of life. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of acupressure on the quality of sleep of haemodialysis patients. Methods In a randomised controlled trial, 108 haemodialysis patients were randomly divided into three groups: true acupressure, placebo acupressure, and no treatment. The two acupressure groups received treatment three times a week for 4 weeks during dialysis. Routine care only was provided for the no treatment group. The main study outcome was sleep quality. Results The total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score decreased significantly from 11.9±3.13 to 6.2±1.93 in the true acupressure group, from 11.3±3.69 to 10.6±3.82 in the sham acupressure group, and from 10.9±4.10 to 10.7±3.94 in the no treatment group. There was a significant difference between groups (p<0.001). Conclusions Acupressure seems to have a positive effect on the sleep quality in haemodialysis patients. Clinical trial registration IRCT201106145864N2

Atmospheric effects of stellar cosmic rays on Earth-like exoplanets orbiting M-dwarfs

M-dwarf stars are generally considered favourable for rocky planet detection. However, such planets may be subject to extreme conditions due to possible high stellar activity. The goal of this work is to determine the potential effect of stellar cosmic rays on key atmospheric species of Earth-like planets orbiting in the habitable zone of M-dwarf stars and show corresponding changes in the planetary spectra. We build upon the cosmic rays model scheme of Grenfell et al. (2012), who considered cosmic ray induced NOx production, by adding further cosmic ray induced production mechanisms (e.g. for HOx) and introducing primary protons of a wider energy range (16 MeV - 0.5 TeV). Previous studies suggested that planets in the habitable zone that are subject to strong flaring conditions have high atmospheric methane concentrations, while their ozone biosignature is completely destroyed. Our current study shows, however, that adding cosmic ray induced HOx production can cause a decrease in atmospheric methane abundance of up to 80\%. Furthermore, the cosmic ray induced HOx molecules react with NOx to produce HNO$_3$, which produces strong HNO$_3$ signals in the theoretical spectra and reduces NOx-induced catalytic destruction of ozone so that more than 25\% of the ozone column remains. Hence, an ozone signal remains visible in the theoretical spectrum (albeit with a weaker intensity) when incorporating the new cosmic ray induced NOx and HOx schemes, even for a constantly flaring M-star case. We also find that HNO$_3$ levels may be high enough to be potentially detectable. Since ozone concentrations, which act as the key shield against harmful UV radiation, are affected by cosmic rays via NOx-induced catalytic destruction of ozone, the impact of stellar cosmic rays on surface UV fluxes is also studied.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figure

Discrimination of Entamoeba spp. in children with dysentery

Aim: The present study was performed in order to differentiate E. histolytica and E. dispar in children from Gorgan city, using a PCR method. Background: Differential detection of two morphologically indistinguishable protozoan parasites Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar has a great clinical and epidemiological importance because of potential invasive pathogenic E. histolytica and non-invasive parasite E. dispar. Patients and methods: One hundred and five dysentery samples were collected from children hospitalized in Taleghani hospital in Gorgan city. The fecal specimens were examined by light microscopy (10X then 40X) to distinguish Entamoeba complex. A single round PCR amplifying partial small-subunit rRNA gene was performed on positive microscopy samples to differentiate E. histolytica/ E. dispar and E. moshkovskii from each other. Results: Twenty-five specimens (23.8%) were positive for Enramoeba complex in direct microscopic examination. PCR using positive controls indicated E. histolytica and E. dispar in two (2/25, 8%) and three (3/25, 12%) samples, respectively. Conclusion: There is a warrant to performing molecular diagnosis for stool examination at least in hospitalized children in order to prevent incorrect reports from laboratories and consequently mistreating by physicians. © 2014 RIGLD, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases

Comparing the effect of using normal saline, N-acetyl cysteine and not using them in endotracheal tube suction on physiologic parameters and the amount of secretions in intubated patients under mechanical ventilation

Aims: Today a large number of patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit need mechanical ventilation via an artificial air way. Since these patients have endotracheal tube, endotracheal suctioning is necessary for increasing oxygenation, cleaning the airway and keeping it open. But this method consists of various side effects such as increased blood pressure and heart rate and respiratory rate, cyanosis, dizziness and increased intracranial pressure and hypoxia. This study aimed at comparing the effect of using normal saline serum, N-acetyl cysteine and not using them in endotracheal suctioning on physiologic parameters and the amount of secretions in intubated patients under mechanical ventilation. Material & Methods: It was a controlled clinical trial study with random allocation that was performed on 54 intubated patients hospitalized in ICU of health educational centers of Babol Medical Sciences University in 2014. Endotracheal tube suctioning was performed for each patient once without saline, the second time with 3 ml of normal saline and the third time with 2 ml of N-acetyl cysteine. Blood pressure, Heart rate, Respiratory rate, Arterial oxygen saturation were measured and recorded before each stage of suctioning and two and five minutes after that. Amount of secretions was measured after each method of suctioning. Data were analyzed by SPSS16 statistical software, variance analysis with repeated measures, ANOVA and paired t statistical tests. Results: Blood pressure, Heart rate and Respiratory rate were increased after suction in all the three groups, but these changes were higher in the group that received normal saline. Mean decrease of Arterial oxygen saturation was more in the method of receiving normal saline (p<0.05). The amount of secretion was more in the method of receiving N-acetyl cysteine (p=0.004). Conclusions: Endotracheal tube suctioning by using normal saline had more adverse effects on post- suction physiological parameters in compare with the other two methods. Therefore, it is recommended to not use normal saline in endotracheal tube suctioning to the possible extent, and if removing secretions is required, endotracheal N_acetyl cysteine should be used according to the patient's condition

Genistein induces a protective immunomodulatory effect in a mouse model of cervical cancer

Background: Genistein (GEN), a naturally occurring flavonoid present in soy bean, has attracted scientific interest for its possible benefits in cancer. Objective: The potential immunomodulatory effects of genistein on the immune system and against TC-1 tumor cell line were evaluated in adult female C57BL/6 mice. Methods: Mice were treated with GEN 10 days before to 10 days after the tumor induction. Thirty days after the last GEN treatment, lymphocyte proliferation, Lactase Dehydrogenase (LDH) cytolytic activity and cytokine secretion were analyzed in GEN and control groups. Results: The results showed that ingestion of genistein significantly increased lymphocyte proliferation and LDH release. Furthermore, the treatment with genistein also caused a significant increment in interferon gamma (IFN-γ). In addition, the treatment achieved significant therapeutic effect in tumor models compared to the control group. These results indicated that the effect of GEN on tumor growth may be attributed to its effect on lymphocyte proliferation, cytolytic activity and IFN-γ production. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that GEN exerts an immunomodulatory effect in a mouse model of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) associated-cervical cancer

Scalar field in the Bianchi I: Non commutative classical and Quantum Cosmology

Using the ADM formalism in the minisuperspace, we obtain the commutative and noncommutative exact classical solutions and exact wave function to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation with an arbitrary factor ordering, for the anisotropic Bianchi type I cosmological model, coupled to a scalar field, cosmological term and barotropic perfect fluid. We introduce noncommutative scale factors, considering that all minisuperspace variables $\rm q^i$ do not commute, so the symplectic structure was modified. In the classical regime, it is shown that the anisotropic parameter $\rm \beta_{\pm nc}$ and the field $\phi$, for some value in the $\lambda_{eff}$ cosmological term and noncommutative $\theta$ parameter, present a dynamical isotropization up to a critical cosmic time $t_{c}$; after this time, the effects of isotropization in the noncommutative minisuperspace seems to disappear. In the quantum regimen, the probability density presents a new structure that corresponds to the value of the noncommutativity parameter.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, Acepted in IJT

Evolutionary quantum cosmology in a gauge-fixed picture

We study the classical and quantum models of a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) space-time, coupled to a perfect fluid, in the context of the consensus and a gauge-fixed Lagrangian frameworks. It is shown that, either in the usual or in the gauge-fixed actions, the evolution of the universe based on the classical cosmology represents a late time power law expansion, coming from a big-bang singularity in which the scale factor goes to zero for the standard matter, and tending towards a big-rip singularity in which the scale factor diverges for the phantom fluid. We then employ the familiar canonical quantization procedure in the given cosmological setting to find the cosmological wave functions in the corresponding minisuperspace. Using a gauge-fixed (reduced) Lagrangian, we show that, it may lead to a Schr\"{o}dinger equation for the quantum-mechanical description of the model under consideration, the eigenfunctions of which can be used to construct the time dependent wave function of the universe. We use the resulting wave function in order to investigate the possibility of the avoidance of classical singularities due to quantum effects by means of the many-worlds and ontological interpretation of quantum cosmology.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, typos corrected, Refs. adde

Pb and Cd accumulation in Avicennia marina from Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf

The accumulation of heavy metals Pb and Cd in the mangrove, Avicennia marina, was studied on the southern coast of Iran, particularly on and near Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf. The samples were collected from 7 stations which they were analyzed by flame Atomic absorption spectrophotometer after chemical digestion. Maximum Pb and Cd in leaves are (34.50, 3.52 ppm) and minimum of them are in stems (2.00, 0.05 ppm) and the accumulation of metals in leaves is more than stems. The different between monitored stations and accumulation of metals in tissues (P≥0.01) was not significant and there was no significant relationship between the leaves and stems of metals concentration (P≥0.05) but it was significant relationship between concentration of Pb and Cd in leaf tissue and stem tissue alone (P<0.05). After entering these metals to food chain, are accumulated in human body and this matter may cause some disease by receiving metals more than provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of lead and cadmium, in adults which in 0.025 and 0.007 mg/kg body weight with standards ENHIS