Wet-electrospun PCL/PLLA Blend Scaffolds: Effects of Versatile Coagulation Baths on Physicochemical and Biological Properties of the Scaffolds

Introduction: High surface/volume ratio and 3-dimensionality of nanofibers increases cell-scaffold interactions and promote migration and proliferation of cells. Wet electrospinning is a variant of electrospinning technology that is utilized to produce nanofibrous scaffolds. Altering the parameters governing the wet electrospinning process such as applied voltage, polymer concentration, composition and depth of the coagulation bath, and tip to bath distance can affect the morphology of the produced scaffolds. In this study, the influence of various coagulation baths on the physicochemical properties of the wet-electrospun nanofibers was investigated. Materials and Methods: Poly (ε-caprolactone)/Poly (L-lactic) acid 15% (w/v) blends under an applied voltage of 15 kV, and a tip-to-bath distance of 10 cm. were used to prepare fibrous scaffolds via wet-electrospinning technique into aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (pH~13), distilled water, ethanol, water/ethanol (3:7) (v/v) and water/ethanol/methanol (6:2:2) (v/v). The final products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), liquid displacement technique, contact angle measurement, compressive and tensile tests. As well as, cell adhesion and cell viability through human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) cell culture. Results: Wet-electrospun fibers, except in the almost fully beaded structure of water/ethanol (3:7) (v/v) specimen exhibited random, dispersive and non-woven morphology under SEM observation. The coagulation bath composition significantly influenced on porosity, wettability, mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the scaffolds. The porosity measurement via liquid displacement method showed that except for the specimen in which the blend was spun into NaOH, other scaffolds could not meet the accepted ideal porosity percentage of above 80%. According to the contact angle measurement data, it was expected that all scaffolds experience low cellular attachment and proliferation. Conversely, in vitro hADSCs culture demonstrated that the scaffolds presented a non-toxic environment and enhanced cell proliferation and attachment. Conclusion: The data indicated that the scaffold spun into NaOH was the best candidate among other specimens to culture hADSCs

EBSD characterization of nano/ultrafine structured Al/Brass composite produced by severe plastic deformation

In the present work, nano/ultrafine structured Al/Brass composite was produced by accumulative roll bonding (ARB) up to eight cycles. The evolution of grain refinement and deformation texture and their effect on the mechanical properties were investigated. It was observed that by increasing the ARB cycles, due to the difference in flow properties of the metal constituents, brass layers necked, fractured and distributed in aluminum matrix. After eight cycles, a composite was produced with almost homogeneous distribution of brass fragments in aluminum matrix. Microstructural characterization by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) revealed the formation of bimodal structure consisting of equiaxied grains with an average size of ~120 nm and elongated grains after eight cycles, which was attributed to the occurrence of redundant shear and recrystallization. The crystallographic texture results indicated that the major texture components in the aluminum matrix were Brass {011}, S {123}, Goss {011} and Rotated Goss {011}. Moreover, it was concluded that Goss {011} and Rotated Goss {011} components appeared for high number of ARB cycles due to the adiabatic heat during ARB processing. The tensile strength of Al/Brass composite reached 330 MPa, which was 4.23 times and 1.83 times higher than those of annealed aluminum and monolithic aluminum, respectively. Finally, fracture surfaces of samples were studied, using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), to reveal the failure mechanism

Association of two high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV18 and HPV16) with breast cancer in the patients using polymerase chain reaction

Introduction: Two high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV18 and HPV16) immortalize human mammary epithelial cells and reduce their growth factor requirements. Recent studies have identified HPV in a broad range of breast cancer samples. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the association of the mentioned high-risk HPV strains (HPV18, HPV16) with breast cancer in the patients using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) due to the increasing prevalence of breast cancer. Methods: The current work was a retrospective study involving 60 participants (40 patients with breast cancer and 20 healthy people) at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2018-2019. The participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. PCR was used to detect DNA genomes of HPV18 and HPV16. Data was analyzed using Phi and Cramér’s V with SPSS v. 21 by taking into account OR=95% and P=0.05. Results: There was a significant relationship (P value=0.014) between HPV18 and HPV16 infection and breast cancer. Conclusion: A significant relationship was found between the presence of DNA genomes of HPV16 and HPV18 and breast cancer. Therefore, HPV has a significant role in breast cancer

Does Serum Chloride Level Affect the Outcomes in Children Admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit?

Background: Serum chloride disorders are common in critically ill patients and appear to be associated with worse outcomes in patients. However, less attention has been paid to the amount of chloride in critically ill patients.  This study aims to determine the frequency of serum chloride disorders and their possible association with disease outcomes in all children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: This prospective study was performed on all patients admitted to the PICU of Akbar Children Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, from April 2019 to April 2020. Serum chloride levels were recorded daily on the first, second, and third days of the PICU stay. Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS software (Version 24, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) through one-way analysis of variance test, and Chi-square test in the significance level of α=0.05. Results: In this study, no significant relationship was observed between serum chloride levels and patients’ final status (P≥0.05). Serum Chloride level on the first day of PICU admission was significantly correlated with the length of PICU stay (r= 0.258, P= 0.029). There was no significant relationship between serum chloride levels and the patients’ need for mechanical ventilation on any of the three days (P≥0.05). Conclusions: According to the results, serum chloride level can be considered as an indicator of the length of the PICU stay

The Effects of Enzyme Replacement Therapy in Patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type 1: A Case Series Study

Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS1) is caused by mutations in the gene which encodes the enzyme alpha-L-iduronidase. Deficiency of this enzyme causes a range of clinical symptoms in patients. The main treatment for MPS1 is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. But its morbidity and mortality rates are significant and require matched marrow donors. Another method of treating MPS1 is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). This study was performed to determine the effects of ERT in patients with MPS1.Methods: Seven patients with MPS1, admitted in Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran, during 2014, were included in the study. They were treated with a single dose (0.58 mg/kg) of enzyme laronidase and followed in 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The urinary glycosaminoglycan’s (GAG), shoulder and elbow joint range of motion, volume of liver and spleen, and six-minute walking test were evaluated. Data was analyzed by SPSS software (version 16.0).Results: The mean age of the patients was 22.43±5.85 months at the baseline. During follow-up, the level of urinary GAG showed a significant reduction (p=0.004), the volumes of liver (p<0.001) and spleen (p=0.004) were significantly reduced, and the result of 6-minute walking test was significantly increased (p<0.001). The side effects included generalized skin erythema as an allergic reaction in one patient and two episodes of fever during drug administration in one patient.Conclusion: According to the results, the treatment with L-iduronidase in patients with MPS1 was effective and mostly safe

Laser based fabrication of chitosan mediated silver nanoparticles

We report fabrication of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) by laser ablation technique in different concentrations of aqueous chitosan solution. The ablation process of silver plate was carried out by using a nanosecond Q-switched Nd:YAG pulsed laser and the characterization of Ag NPs was done by Transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. UV-visible plasmon absorption spectra revealed that the formation efficiency as well as the stability of nanoparticles was increased by addition of chitosan. On the other hand, the size decrement of nanoparticles was more remarkable in the higher chitosan concentration

Effects of Atorvastatin in Patients with Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Study DesignClinical trial study.PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin on sensory and motor function in patients with acute spinal cord injury.Overview of LiteratureThe prevalence and incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury are increasing. Statins are well established for use in hypercholesterolemia as well as during anti-inflammatory events.MethodsThis clinical trial study included 60 patients with acute spinal cord injury. These were randomly divided into two groups: the case group which received atorvastatin and also underwent surgical therapy and the control group which only underwent surgical therapy.ResultsThe severity of spinal cord lesions was evaluated based on the Frankel grade at three periods; this showed no significant difference between the two groups. Comparisons of the levels of pain between the groups based on a Visual Analog Scale system showed no significant difference at the three periods.ConclusionsWe observed no improvement at the 3- and 6-month follow-up in patients who were administered atorvastatin. However, a comparison of the two groups based on pain severity demonstrated a significant difference, suggesting that atorvastatin had a positive effect on patients with spinal cord injury

Ameliorative effects of omega-lycotoxin-Gsp2671e purified from the spider venom of Lycosa praegrandis on memory deficits of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity rat model

Memory impairment is one of the main complications of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This condition can be induced by hyper-stimulation of N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) of glutamate in the hippocampus, which ends up to pyramidal neurons determination. The release of neurotransmitters relies on voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) such as P/Q-types. Omega-lycotoxin-Gsp2671e (OLG1e) is a P/Q-type VGCC modulator with high affinity and selectivity. This bio-active small protein was purified and identified from the Lycosa praegrandis venom. The effect of this state-dependent low molecular weight P/Q-type calcium modulator on rats was investigated via glutamate-induced excitotoxicity by N-Methyl-D-aspartate. Also, Electrophysiological amplitude of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in the input–output and Long-term potentiation (LTP) curves were recorded in mossy fiber and the amount of synaptophysin (SYN), synaptosomal-associated protein, 25 kDa (SNAP-25), and synaptotagmin 1(SYT1) genes expression were measured using Real-time PCR technique for synaptic quantification. The outcomes of the current study suggest that OLG1e as a P/Q-type VGCC modulator has an ameliorative effect on excitotoxicity-induced memory defects and prevents the impairment of pyramidal neurons in the rat hippocampus

The relationship between genetic variants associated with primary ovarian insufficiency and lipid profile in women recruited from MASHAD cohort study

Background and aim: Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) is defined by the occurrence of menopause before the age of 40 years. It is often associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between POI-associated genotypes cardiometabolic disorder risk factors. Methods: One hundred seventeen women with POI and one hundred eighty-three healthy women without POI were recruited in this study. DNA was extracted and analyzed using ASO-PCR or Tetra ARMS-PCR. Lipid profiles were also assessed. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that individuals with GG vs. TT genotype of the rs1046089 SNP were more likely to have a higher serum LDL (p = 0.03) compared to the control group. There was also a significant association between low serum HDL and rs2303369 and rs4806660 SNP genotypes in the POI group. In the POI group, the percentage of those with high total cholesterol was lower in those with a CC genotype compared to those with a TT genotype (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Some SNPs reported to be associated with POI appear to be independently associated with dyslipidemia. These results may be helpful to identify subjects with POI who may be susceptible to CVD

Global variations in diabetes mellitus based on fasting glucose and haemogloblin A1c

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but may identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening had elevated FPG, HbA1c, or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardised proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed, and detected in survey screening, ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the agestandardised proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global gap in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance.peer-reviewe