Hepatitis C in hemodialysis centers of golestan province, northeast of Iran (2005)

Background and Aims: Nosocomial transmission of blood-borne pathogens is common in a dialysis setting. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common problem that increases morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. Blood transfusion and the duration of hemodialysis are the most important factors in HCV transmission. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence rate of HCV antibody in hemodialysis patients and its association with some factors. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, HCV antibody was measured in 93 hemodialysis patients in all hospitals affiliated to Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Standard infection prevention measures in hospital settings and dialysis units were performed including serologic testing for HCV antibody for every new patient in the dialysis unit as well as routine testing of all patients. Negative cases of hepatitis C antibody (confirmed with ELISA 2nd generation and RIBA II Immunoblot methods) were selected and followed for 18 months. Some predisposing factors such as transfusion, duration of hemodialysis, medical procedures including surgery, transplantation, invasive odontology, suspicious sexual contact, diagnostic or therapeutic manipulation, tattooing, and IV drug abuse, were registered and considered. Other rare procedures like acupuncture, manicure and pedicure blood brotherhood rituals, perinatal risk factors, common circumcision rituals and history of abortion were also considered. Ve used a tight control policy through the separation of the rooms within the unit, specific hemodialysis apparatus for suspicious patients and a separate staff caring for the patients. We maintained a low rate of staff turnover in dialysis units and tried to control hepatitis B viral infection. Results: Marital status and living area were significantly related to HCV antibody positivity. It means that more HCV antibody positive cases were observed in married people in urban areas. History of tattooing, medical procedures including surgery, transplantation, invasive odontology and IV drug usage were not significantly related to HCV antibody status. During the follow up, three cases (4.3%) converted to positive. There was a relationship between numbers of hemodialysis per week and HCV antibody positivity (P<0.001). Conclusions: Tight control of transmission routes and severe isolation policy in this study explains an almost ideal decrease in incidence rate of HCV antibody positivity. We suggest periodical screening programs (at least every 6 months) for blood samples that remain in the dialysis apparatus and all procedures used for hemodialysis in these specific patients to achieve a better infection control

The genetic landscape of high-risk neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a malignancy of the developing sympathetic nervous system that often presents with widespread metastatic disease, resulting in survival rates of less than 50%1. To determine the spectrum of somatic mutation in high-risk neuroblastoma, we studied 240 cases using a combination of whole exome, genome and transcriptome sequencing as part of the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) initiative. Here we report a low median exonic mutation frequency of 0.60 per megabase (0.48 non-silent), and remarkably few recurrently mutated genes in these tumors. Genes with significant somatic mutation frequencies included ALK (9.2% of cases), PTPN11 (2.9%), ATRX (2.5%, an additional 7.1% had focal deletions), MYCN (1.7%, a recurrent p.Pro44Leu alteration), and NRAS (0.83%). Rare, potentially pathogenic germline variants were significantly enriched in ALK, CHEK2, PINK1, and BARD1. The relative paucity of recurrent somatic mutations in neuroblastoma challenges current therapeutic strategies reliant upon frequently altered oncogenic drivers

Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy in mental health and hardiness of infertile women receiving assisted reproductive therapy (ART)

Background: Infertility is a stressful event that can give rise to psychological difficulties. Now, a wide range of psychosocial interventions for infertile couples has been developed. Objective: Purpose of this study was to determine the effect of group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to reduce stress, anxiety and depression of women undergoing assisted reproductive therapy (ART). Materials and Methods: This study was an experimental study (before and after study with control group) on infertile women who were referring to Gynecological clinics of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences to receive ART. 31 women who had criteria to enter the study were randomly divided into experimental group (n=15) and control group (n=16). The participants in the experimental group received 1 hour and 30 minute weekly session's group therapy in 15 week as intervention. For gathering data, depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS) normalized Persian version and Ahvaz Hardiness Test (AHT) were used to assess psychological distress and psychological hardiness in pre-posttest. Results: There were significant differences in mean score of infertile psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and stress in experimental group pretest with posttest. Furthermore, the results indicated that there were significant differences between hardiness in two groups. The experimental group had higher scores in hardiness than control group (p=0.001). Conclusion: It seems to be, that group therapy interventions, specially, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be useful and applicable to women who receiving ART

Removal of Malachite Green dye from aqueous solution using MnFe2O4/Al2O3 Nanophotocatalyst by UV/H2O2 process

Background & Aims of the Study: Malachite Green (MG) is the most commonly used substance for dying cotton, food & pharmacy industries, paper, leather and silk. On inhalation it can cause difficult breathing, while on the direct contact it may cause permanent injury of the eyes of human and animals, burning sensations, nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, mental confusion and methemoglobinemia; also it can causes cancer in livers. The aim of this study is &nbsp;the removal of Malachite Green (MG) dye from aqueous solutions, using MnFe2O4/Al2O3 nanophotocatalyst by UV/H2O2 process which was used as a low cost method. Materials & Methods: In this research, photocatalytic decomposition of malachite green in water was done by nanocatalyst MnFe2O4/Al2O3 in discontinuous photoreactor under UV light and the injection of H2O2. In order to identify and analyze the provided catalyst, SEM image and XRD diffraction pattern were used. The effect of operational factors in the photocatalytic decomposition of the desired pollutant such as pH, the initial thickness of the dye, the thickness of H2O2 and the quantity of the catalyst were investigated. Results: The finding showed that the right conditions for the elimination of the pollutant included pH equals 4, the initial thickness of the dye being 10 ppm, the thickness of H2O2 being 250ppm, the amount of catalyst being 50mg, the Correlation Coefficient being 0.998 and the dye removal was 94 percent at the end of the experiment. the reaction of Malachite green decomposition was in terms of kinetics investigated through integral method as well; also it showed the kinetic reaction is the first type and the constant speed rate is K=0.047 min-1&nbsp;. Conclusions: According to the results, because of the complexity of dye structure, biological system was not able to remove the dye as efficient as hybrid system of advanced oxidation processes UV/H2O2 with nanophotocatalyst as an efficient way to remove the Malachite green dye from water solution is obtained that increases the decomposability of organic materials. This way has proved to be able to decompose the hard compounds that are resistant to decomposition

User effect comparison between metal bezel antenna and planarinverted f-antenna for mobile terminal

This article presents a novel metal bezel antenna structure and its performance in user vicinity. The antenna is designed by keeping in mind the insensitivity in usage environments. In the antenna structure, a mobile chassis and a bezel are combined as one antenna element. Symmetrical feeding is used to excite the antenna. The characteristics of the metal bezel are compared with those of a conventional planar inverted-F antenna in terms of user effect at E-GSM band (880-960 MHz). Both antennas are measured and compared with four different hand phantom grips representing a browsing mode. The grips are designed so that the chassis is under the hand phantom in different variable usage conditions. Results are compared in terms of S-11, total efficiency, total body loss, radiation efficiency, reflection loss, and in Smith chart presentation. Finally, antenna structures are compared with hand and head phantom measurements representing a calling mode. The comparison is done in terms of average total body loss. The used hand grips are the same as in the case of the hand phantom measurements.This work was supported by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, Nokia Devices Oulu, Pulse Finland, and Universitat Politecnica de Valencia under project PAID-06-09-2868. The first author M. Sonkki would like to thank the Tauno Tonning Foundation and Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for financially supporting his research exchange in Valencia. He also wants to thank iTEAM laboratory engineers Antonio Vila-Jimenez and Bernardo Bernardo for helping with practical problems and manufacturing the prototype antenna.Sonkki, M.; Berg, M.; Antonino Daviu, E.; Cabedo Fabrés, M.; Ferrando Bataller, M.; Salonen, ET. (2013). User effect comparison between metal bezel antenna and planarinverted f-antenna for mobile terminal. Microwave and Optical Technology Letters. 55(2):316-322. https://doi.org/10.1002/mop.27306S316322552Z. Ying 2005 1 5Vainikainen, P., Ollikainen, J., Kivekas, O., & Kelander, K. (2002). Resonator-based analysis of the combination of mobile handset antenna and chassis. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 50(10), 1433-1444. doi:10.1109/tap.2002.802085King, H., & Wong, J. (1977). Effects of a human body on a dipole antenna at 450 and 900 MHz. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 25(3), 376-379. doi:10.1109/tap.1977.1141612Pelosi, M., Franek, O., Knudsen, M. B., Christensen, M., & Pedersen, G. F. (2009). A Grip Study for Talk and Data Modes in Mobile Phones. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 57(4), 856-865. doi:10.1109/tap.2009.2014590M. Berg M. Sonkki E. Salonen 2009 437 440Kouveliotis, N. K., Panagiotou, S. C., Varlamos, P. K., & Capsalis, C. N. (2006). THEORETICAL APPROACH OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN A HUMAN HEAD MODEL AND A MOBILE HANDSET HELICAL ANTENNA USING NUMERICAL METHODS. Progress In Electromagnetics Research, 65, 309-327. doi:10.2528/pier06101901Khodabakhshi, H., & Cheldavi, A. (2010). NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF HUMAN HEAD INTERACTION WITH PIFA ANTENNAS IN CELLULAR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS. Progress In Electromagnetics Research B, 22, 359-377. doi:10.2528/pierb10051304Ebrahimi-Ganjeh, M. A., & Attari, A. R. (2007). INTERACTION OF DUAL BAND HELICAL AND PIFA HANDSET ANTENNAS WITH HUMAN HEAD AND HAND. Progress In Electromagnetics Research, 77, 225-242. doi:10.2528/pier07081804T. Huang K.R. Boyle 2007 1 6J. Jun-Ko K. Sung-Joo K. Ki-Hyun L. Jin-Seong L. Byungje 2007 1040 1043Berg, M., & Salonen, E. (2011). Compensating for the influence of human hand with two switchable antennas. IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation, 5(13), 1576. doi:10.1049/iet-map.2010.0535H. Morishita 2008D. Manteuffel A concept to minimize the user interaction of mobile phones 2004 1 4Berg, M., Sonkki, M., & Salonen, E. T. (2011). Absorption Loss Reduction in a Mobile Terminal With Switchable Monopole Antennas. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 59(11), 4379-4383. doi:10.1109/tap.2011.2164178Y.J. Wook 2007L. Huang W.L. Schroeder P. Russer 2005 13 17Huttunen, A., Myllymaki, S., Komulainen, M., & Jantunen, H. (2010). CAPACITIVE SENSOR ARRANGEMENT TO DETECT EXTERNAL LOAD ON A MOBILE TERMINAL ANTENNA. Progress In Electromagnetics Research Letters, 15, 13-18. doi:10.2528/pierl10050404Sonkki, M., Cabedo-Fabres, M., Antonino-Daviu, E., Ferrando-Bataller, M., & Salonen, E. T. (2011). Creation of a Magnetic Boundary Condition in a Radiating Ground Plane to Excite Antenna Modes. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 59(10), 3579-3587. doi:10.1109/tap.2011.216378

The genetic landscape of high-risk neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a malignancy of the developing sympathetic nervous system that often presents with widespread metastatic disease, resulting in survival rates of less than 50%. To determine the spectrum of somatic mutation in high-risk neuroblastoma, we studied 240 affected individuals (cases) using a combination of whole-exome, genome and transcriptome sequencing as part of the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) initiative. Here we report a low median exonic mutation frequency of 0.60 per Mb (0.48 nonsilent) and notably few recurrently mutated genes in these tumors. Genes with significant somatic mutation frequencies included ALK (9.2% of cases), PTPN11 (2.9%), ATRX (2.5%, and an additional 7.1% had focal deletions), MYCN (1.7%, causing a recurrent p.Pro44Leu alteration) and NRAS (0.83%). Rare, potentially pathogenic germline variants were significantly enriched in ALK, CHEK2, PINK1 and BARD1. The relative paucity of recurrent somatic mutations in neuroblastoma challenges current therapeutic strategies that rely on frequently altered oncogenic drivers.National Human Genome Research Institute (U.S.) (Grant U54HG003067)National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (Contract HHSN261200800001E