Important Factors in Evaluating the Teachers from Students’ and Faculty Members’ Viewpoints, Jundishapur (Ahvaz) University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background & Objective: One of the main goals of higher education is evaluating teachers’ educational performance to improve teaching. The results may be used to increase the teachers’ job performance and to promote teaching and learning processes. In this regard, students’ evaluation of their teachers is one of the most common evaluation methods in universities and educational centers. Thus, this study aimed to compare the faculty members’ and students’ viewpoints about the factors influencing evaluation of teachers by students. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 93 teachers and 93 students selected via stratified random sampling method were enrolled. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire containing 3 dimensions, moral and behavioral (8 items), educational (10 items), and compliance with training rules (8 items); the face and content validities were confirmed by academic specialists and its reliability was confirmed. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS20 statistical software and with help of descriptive statistics and independent-t test. Results: From the teachers’ viewpoint, the overall mean score of the moral and behavioral, educational and compliance with training rules factors were 3.45 (± 0.52), 4.32 (± 0.84), and 4.59 (± 0.58), respectively. From the students’ viewpoints these values were 3.25 (± 0.47), 4.04 (±0.78), and 4.36 (± 0.71), respectively. Independent-t test showed that with the assumption of equality of variances, there were not any significant differences between the characteristics. Conclusion: Efforts for improving teacher evaluation in universities with the assistance of authorities and experts, and on the one hand, using the results in curriculum content of in-service teachers, can help much to improve teaching quality. Key Words: Student, Faculty member, Evaluation, Teacher evaluatio

Assessment of the Cytotoxic Activity of Triphala: A Semisolid Traditional Formulation on HepG2 Cancer Cell Line

Cancer chemotherapies may result in resistance, and therefore, contemporary treatments including natural products may find an increasing consideration. As per Persian medicine (PM), many natural products have been used for malignant and chronic diseases. Triphala, with a combination of Terminalia chebula Retz., Terminalia bellirica Retz., Phyllanthus emblica L., and honey, is a multi-ingredient traditional formulation attributed to anticancer activities in PM. This study is aimed at evaluating the cytotoxic activity of this preparation on HepG2, the human liver cancer cell line. Hydroalcoholic extracts were prepared from the formulation and its components. Compared with the control and Cisplatin, the extracts were tested using MTT assay at different concentrations. All concentrations of the preparation, as well as Cisplatin, were effective significantly against HepG2 cells. All extract preparations at multiple concentrations were significantly effective as evidenced by MTT assay when compared to the control group. The IC50 level for Triphala extract was 77.63±4.3 μg/ml. Based on the results, Triphala and its components have cytotoxic activity on the HepG2 cancer cell line and they can reduce the survival rate significantl

Induced third-degree burn in rat: healing by Melilotus officinalis extract as medicinal plant

Introduction: burn wounds are common happenings which cause many people have irreversible defects and to be death around the world every year.  In this study, we evaluated the effects of Melilotus officinalis and Alpha ointment in the healing of burn wounds and compare their findings with silver sulfadiazine (SSD).Methods: Seventy-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups, and similar burn ulcers were produced on the back of rats. The first group of rats received no treatment, base gel was used topically to group II, in groups III-V, Alpha, SSD and Melilotus officinalis preparations were applied, respectively. Wound healing, contraction and histopathological examination were evaluated at the end of 7, 14, and 21 days.Results: Alpha ointment was equally effective as Melilotus officinalis gel, while its efficacy was better compared to SSD for all parameters of wound healing on days 7, 14 and 21. Alpha and Melilotus officinalis preparations as less expensive medications which significantly improve the quality of wound healing and scar formation and also are more appropriate treatment choices than SSD.Conclusion: Alpha and Melilotus officinalis are recommended as alternative to SSD, especially in patients with low economical backgrounds or in those who show adverse reactions to SSD.</p

Use of nanomaterials in the pretreatment of water samples for environmental analysis

The challenge of providing clean drinking water is of enormous relevance in today’s human civilization, being essential for human consumption, but also for agriculture, livestock and several industrial applications. In addition to remediation strategies, the accurate monitoring of pollutants in water sup-plies, which most of the times are present at low concentrations, is a critical challenge. The usual low concentration of target analytes, the presence of in-terferents and the incompatibility of the sample matrix with instrumental techniques and detectors are the main reasons that renders sample preparation a relevant part of environmental monitoring strategies. The discovery and ap-plication of new nanomaterials allowed improvements on the pretreatment of water samples, with benefits in terms of speed, reliability and sensitivity in analysis. In this chapter, the use of nanomaterials in solid-phase extraction (SPE) protocols for water samples pretreatment for environmental monitoring is addressed. The most used nanomaterials, including metallic nanoparticles, metal organic frameworks, molecularly imprinted polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, silica-based nanoparticles and nanocomposites are described, and their applications and advantages overviewed. Main gaps are identified and new directions on the field are suggested.publishe

Evaluation of a new bombesin analogue labeled with 99mTc as potential targeted tumor scintigraphic agent

Background: Bombesin shows high affinity for Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptors which over expressed on the cell surfaces of several human tumors particularly in prostate and breast cancers. The aim of this study was labeling of designed analogue with99mTc via HYNIC and Tricine /EDDA and evaluation as potential targeted tumor scintigraphic agent.Materials and Methods: HYNIC-Bombesin was prepared by solid phase synthesis using Fmoc strategy and radiolabeled with 99mTc at 100 °C for 10 min by exchange method and radiochemical analysis involved ITLC and HPLC methods. The stability of radiopeptide was checked in the presence of human serum at 37 °C up to 24 h. Internalization was studied with the human GRP receptor cell line PC-3. Biodistribution study was performed in mice. Results: Radiochemical purities of >98% was obtained. Radiopeptide showed high stability in serum. Radioligand internalization into PC-3 cells was high and specific. Biodistribution study demonstrated that 99mTc-HYNIC peptide cleared fast from blood and most non-targeted tissues and was excreted mainly by renal pathway and was uptake significantly in GRPr positive tissues such as pancreas. Conclusion: Easy radiolabeling of peptide conjugate together with favorable in vitro and in vivo characteristics might be a useful peptide radiopharmaceutical in diagnosis of GRPr positive tumors

Species diversity of phytoseiid mites on different ecosystems in Sari district

Introduction Mites of the Phytoseiidae family have been extensively studied as biological control agents of different mites and insect pests. Some species also feed on nematodes, fungal spores, pollen and exudates from plants and insects. About 2,300 phytoseiid species belonging to 90 genera have been described in this family (Chant and McMurtry 2007). Considerable efforts have been made in recent years to the collection and identification of the predaceous phytoseiid mites in Iran (Rahmani et al. 2010). Despite some studies on phytoseiid mites in Iran, our knowledge remains limited about their fauna and diversity in Mazandaran province. The data of these studies showed that until recently, only 75 species were reported from Iran. The objective of this study was to evaluate the species diversity of Phytoseiidae and access to effective predatory mites for biological control of injurious mite pests in Sari, the center of Mazandaran province (Southern coast of the Caspian Sea, 35 ° 47'-36 ° 35' N, 50 ° 34'-54 ° 10' E) Materials and methods Samples were taken from 80 plant species belonging to 46 plant families including forest trees, orchards and farm crops representing three types of ecosystems from September 2011 to October 2012. Harvested samples of each plant were separately collected in plastic bags and labeled with region and date of collection. The bags were transported to the laboratory on the same day and stored in a refrigerator at about 4°C for up to a week, until the materials washed for mite extraction. Samples were composed of leaves, stems and shoots of different ages and the number of leaves per sample varied between plant species. In order to assimilate the samples, a volume nearly equal mass of each sample were put in a two-liter water container. The mites were floated on water by adding 1.5 liters of tap water and a few droplets of detergent. The plant leaves and shoots were shaken for several times until the mites fall from the plants into water. Plant materials then removed from the solution and discarded. Mites in the solution were separated by pouring the solution through sieves of 20, 50, 200 and 400 meshes. Mites transferred into a labeled glass jar for further processing and identification in the laboratory. The mites were cleared in Nesbitt's fluid and mounted in Hoyer’s medium on microscope slides. The slides were dried at 45 °C for 1-2 weeks. Then the edge of the coverslip was sealed with colorless nail polish to prevent absorption of the air moisture. All specimens collected were nominally identified to species level by using a Nikon phase contrast microscope (E600) and related identification keys. The scientific names of the plants were adapted from a dictionary of Iranian plant names (Mozaffarian 1998). The ecological indices including Margalef's richness, Simpson, Shannon-Wiener and Pielou's evenness were calculated for species diversity, dominance, richness and evenness of the mites in different ecosystems. Some mite specimens were sent to Dr. E.A. Ueckermann of the ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa for identification or species confirmation. Results and discussion A total number of 946 mites of 19 species belonging to 8 genera of three phytoseiid subfamilies namely Amblyseiinae, Typhlodrominae and Phytoseiinae were identified (Table 1). Most individual mites collected in this study, 698 mites in total (73%), belonged to 12 species of the Amblyseiinae which 68% of them (475 in total) were Transeius caspiansis and 13% (90 mites in total) were Euseius amissibilis. Phytoseius plumifer, the single species of the Phytoseiinae and the species of Typhlodrominae amounted to 16% (152 in total) and 10% (96 in totals) of the collected mites, respectively. In this study Amblyseiinae also had the highest proportion of species (63%), while Typhlodrominae and Phytoseiinae had 31% and 5% of the species, respectively. Most phytoseiids collected in this study were mentioned above species that formed 76% (a total of 717) of the whole collected mites. These species were the most frequently found predators on varieties of plants. They were found on plants associated with tetranychid, tenuipalpid and eriophyid mites and small insect pests such as thrips and whiteflies. They were very common and were examined from 80 plant species, they observed on 59, 22 and 26 plants, respectively. It was interesting to observe these predators on some plants that there were not phytophagous mites. Therefore these species are generalist predators and are known to feed on pollen and exudates of plants and insects. Overall, mean mite's biodiversity indices of Margalef's richness, Simpson, Shannon-Wiener and Pielou's evenness were 1.656, 0.69, 1.546 and 0.525, respectively. Actually, when a community has many about equally abundant species, it is said to have high species diversity. But when a few species are present or like this study only a few species are abundant, then species diversity is low. The low Shannon-Wiener and Pielou's evenness indices also showed relatively low biodiversity in the area. Conclusion Despite that 19 phytoseiids species were found in Sari, the present study revealed a low diversity of phytoseiid mites in this region. Most phytoseiids collected in this area belonged to Transeius caspiansis, Euseius amissibilis and Phytoseius plumifer (a total of 717) species. However, it was expected that many additional species could be found by similar studies in the same area, especially when other plant species were sampled. The diversity of plants in the forest, orchards and farm crops were far greater than the number of plant species sampled in this study. Acknowledgments This paper is a part of MSc thesis of the senior author which was financially supported by Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran. Also thanks are extended to Dr. E. A. Ueckermann (Plant Protection Institute, Pretoria, South Africa who helped with the confirmation and identification of mite specimens. We also thank our colleague Dr. H. Zali for identification of some plant species. Keywords: Biodiversity indices, Biological control, Mazandaran province, Phytoseiidae References Chant, D.A., McMurtry, J.A. 2007. Illustrated keys and diagnoses for the genera and subgenera of the Phytoseiidae of the world (Acari: Mesostigmata). Indira Publishing House, Pub Michigan p. 220. Mozaffarian, V. 1998. A dictionary of Iranian plant names, Latin, English, Persian. Farhng Moaaser publication, Tehran, Iran 671 pp. Rahmani, H., Kamali, K. and Faraji, F. 2010. Predatory mite fauna of phytoseiid of northwest Iran (Acari: Mesostigmata). Turkish Journal Zoology 34: 497-508

Clinical significance of long non‐coding RNA ZEB2‐AS1 and EMT‐related markers in ductal and lobular breast cancer

Abstract Background Breast cancer is considered the most prevalent type of cancer in women and accounts for a high rate of death. A body of research has demonstrated that lncRNAs have a regulatory function in human diseases, especially cancers. ZEB2‐AS1 is known as an oncogenic lncRNA in various types of cancers, and its deregulation may contribute to cancer development and progression. Therefore, we aimed to reveal the association of ZEB2‐AS1 expression with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, as a hallmark of cancer progression, in a clinical setting. Methods A recent study suggested that ZEB2‐AS1 is significantly involved in EMT. Here we intended to explore the roles of lncRNA ZEB2‐AS1 in breast cancer (BC) using bioinformatics tools and laboratory settings. We first evaluated the expression of ZEB2‐AS1 mRNA in tumor and healthy control tissues by lnCAR database. Furthermore, ZEB2‐AS1 expression level, ZEB2, E‐cadherin, and vimentin was measured via qRT‐PCR in 30 paired ductal and lobular carcinoma tissues from breast cancer patients and the normal adjacent ones. The correlation between the lncRNA ZEB2‐AS1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of the breast cancer patients was evaluated. Results ZEB2‐AS1 showed an upregulation in breast cancer tissues (p = .04) compared to normal adjacent samples. In addition, its level was higher in breast cancer patients with advanced Stages (III & IV) (n = 18) compared to early Stages (I & II) (n = 12) (p = .04). Moreover, ZEB2 (p = .01) and vimentin (p = .02) expression were upregulated in the BC sample, but the expression level of E‐cadherin (p = .02) was downregulated when compared with the adjacent normal tissues. By comparison of the expression of EMT‐markers between different stages of breast cancer, overexpression of ZEB2 (p = .04) and vimentin (p = .04) and down expression of E‐cadherin (p = .03) was observed in advance stages. Conclusions Collectively, our findings suggest that ZEB2‐AS1 expression is significantly upregulated in tumor tissues, especially in advanced stages and ZEB2‐AS1 is associated with the aggressiveness of tumors by functioning as putative oncogenic lncRNA. In addition, a combination of ZEB2‐AS1 and these EMT markers in breast cancer potentiates these genes as biomarkers for tumor progression

Efficacy and Safety of a Novel Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Double-Blinded Clinical Trial

Background. The unresponsiveness to conventional pharmacological treatments and their side effects have led patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to use complementary and alternative medicine such as herbal remedies. Beside, Zataria multiflora Boiss (ZM), Trachyspermum ammi L. (TA), and Anethum graveolens L. (AG) are being used as an antiseptic, carminative, and antispasmodic in traditional medicine. This trial investigated the efficacy and safety of a combination of ZM, AG, and TA essential oils in the treatment of IBS. Method. The present study was a randomized double-blind clinical trial with parallel groups in Iran. Patients in the control arm received three tablets of 10 mg hyoscine butylbromide daily for two weeks, and the intervention arm was daily treated with two 250 mg softgel capsules containing 180 mg of essential oils of ZM, AG, and TA for two weeks. Primary outcomes were the response rates based on the IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), IBS Adequate Relief (IBS-AR), and IBS Global Assessment Improvement (IBS-GAI) at the end and two weeks after the end of the intervention. Secondary outcomes were the improvement rates in IBS-SSS scores, improving the quality of life, safety, and tolerability. Results. The posttreatment improvement percentage based on IBS-AR, IBS-GAI, and IBS-SSS scales was 83.9%, 75%, and 87% in the intervention group and 37.9%, 27.5%, and 34.4% in the control group, respectively (P<0.001). Also, the improvement of the quality of life in the herbal medicine arm was significantly more than that in the control arm (P<0.001). Conclusions. According to the results, the herbal medicine investigated in this study can be considered an appropriate alternative treatment for IBS

Comparison of a Novel Herbal Medicine and Omeprazole in the Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized Double-Blinded Clinical Trial

Background. The Trachyspermum ammi L. (TA), Anethum graveolens L. (AG), and Zataria multiflora Boiss (ZM) herbal oils are among the most used herbal products in traditional medicine as the antiseptic, anesthetic, carminative, and antispasmodic. However, there are no clinical studies to evaluate the efficacy of the herbs mentioned in the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). This study was designed to appraise the efficacy and safety of a novel herbal medicine consisting of ZM, AG, and TA essential oils compared to omeprazole in FD treatment. Methods. The present study was a randomized double-blind clinical trial with parallel groups in Iran. Patients in control and intervention arms received omeprazole 20 mg once a day and 250 mg soft-gel capsules containing 180 mg of essential oils of ZM, AG, and TA twice a day for two weeks, respectively. The primary outcome was the sufficient response rate in the postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) and/or epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) at the end of the intervention. Secondary outcomes were the improvement rate in the PDS, EPS, Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), and quality of life scores. Also, safety and tolerability were assessed. Results. The within-group comparison of EPS, PDS, total GSRS, GSRS Pain, and GSRS Dyspepsia scores with that at the end of the treatment indicated a significant reduction in both control and intervention groups (p<0.001). However, after two weeks of treatment, the herbal medication and omeprazole arms were significantly different in the sufficient response rate based on PDS (p<0.01) and EPS (p<0.05) scores (78.3% (18/23) and 73.7% (14/19) in the intervention group vs. 36.4% (8/22) and 40.9% (9/22) in the control group). Also, the mean reduction in EPS (p<0.05), PDS (p<0.01), and GSRS (p<0.001) scores after treatment was significantly higher in the intervention group than control group. Conclusion. Based on the study findings, this herbal medicine can be considered as an appropriate treatment of FD. However, a larger multicenter trial is needed to confirm the results of the trial