Development of a DNA-Liposome Complex for Gene Delivery Applications

The association structures formed by cationic liposomes and DNA(Deoxyribonucleic acid)-liposome have been effectively utilized as gene carriers in transfection assays. In this research study, cationic liposomes were prepared using a modified lipid film hydration method consisting of a lyophilization step for gene delivery applications. The obtained results demonstrated that the mean particle size had no significant change while the polydispersity (PDI) increased after lyophilization. The mean particle size slightly reduced after lyophilization (520 ± 12 nm to 464 ± 25 nm) while the PDI increased after lyophilization (0.094 ± 0.017 to 0.220 ± 0.004). In addition. The mean particle size of vesicles increases when DNA is incorporated to the liposomes (673 ± 27 nm). According to the Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, the spherical shape of liposomes confirmed their successful preservation and reconstitution from the powder. It was found that liposomal formulation has enhanced transfection considerably compared to the naked DNA as negative control. Finally, liposomal formulation in this research had a better function than Lipofectamine® 2000 as a commercialized product because the cellular activity (cellular protein) was higher in the prepared lipoplex than Lipofectamine® 2000

SURVEY THE MUTATION OF FGB (BETA FIBRINOGEN) AND FV (FACTOR V LEIDEN), FACTOR XIII AND FACTOR II (PROTHROMBIN), IN PATIENTS WITH RECURRENT ABORTIONS ALONG WITH NORMAL KARYOTYPE

Some pregnancies are abnormal in human genetically and end with the spontaneous abortion, which is the most common problem of pregnancy. The recurrent abortions are often referred to as multifactorial disease that one of which is thrombosis. The thrombosis in placenta capillaries seems to disturb the blood circulation between the mother and the fetus and eventually lead to abortion. Recently, studies have shown that genetic basis for thrombophilia relates with recurrent abortion. The aim of this study is the survey of G1691A and G4070A mutations in the Factor V gene, -455G>A mutation in the gen of XIII factor, G103T mutation in Beta fibrinogen and A20210G mutation in the thrombin gene. The samples were collected from 60 patients referred to Tehran Imam Khomeini hospital .DNA was extracted from patients' blood samples by multiple PCR simultaneously containing different mutations were duplicated then the existence of mutation was evaluated by the strip technique. The genes mutation of G1691A in Factor V, G4070A in Factor V, G103T in Beta fibrinogen, -455G>A in the XIII factor and G20210A were identified 6.6, 45, 36, 40 and 3.3 respectively. Studies on the other population showed that frequency of examined mutations varies with other communities. Anyway, more samples are required in order to obtain more accurate statistics related to the frequency of mutations

Marshall syndrome in children referred to specialist clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital of Ilam, Iran, 2012

Periodic fever syndrome is a self-inflammatory disease. Since the disease is benign and self-limiting, the present study aimed to achieve a model to detect and differentiate it from other infectious diseases .In this study all children residing in Ilam who were suspected of Marshall Syndrome were examined. We chose a sample comprising children referred to Imam Hospital clinic of Ilam in 2012. Inclusion criteria consisted of more than three periods of fever without a source of infection, fever periods shorter than 5 days and repeated at intervals of about one month. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software 16. We used both of descriptive and inferential statistics, Kolmogrov smirnov, Chi-square. Significance level of P ≤ 0.05 was considered. The average of patients' age was 4.9 ± 1.8 months and their gender perception was 85.7 male and 14.3 female. In this study the average age of symptoms emergence was 48.33 ± 23.25 month. The average of fever periods in surveyed patients was 4.09 ± 0.88 days (minimum 3 days & maximum 5 days) and the intervals between fever periods was 40.23 ± 16.84 in average. The applied treatments in this study were Prednisolone and Ttonsillectomy. There was significant relationship between age and the symptoms (P<0.007). By having a true perception of Marshall Syndrome using diagnosis criteria, we could prevent uncontrolled prescription of antibiotics and their possible side effects, and it is a positive step towards reducing healthcare costs

Gendered Representations of Male and Female Social Actors in Iranian Educational Materials

This research investigates the representations of gendered social actors within the subversionary discourse of equal educational opportunities for males and females in Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) books. Using critical discourse analysis (CDA) as the theoretical framework, the authors blend van Leeuwen’s (Texts and practices: Readings in critical discourse analysis, Routledge, London, 2003) ‘Social Actor Network Model’ and Sunderland’s (Gendered discourses, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire, 2004) ‘Gendered Discourses Model’ in order to examine the depictions of male and female social actors within this gendered discourse. The gendered discourse of equal opportunities was buttressed by such representations within a tight perspective in proportion to gender ideologies prevailing in Iran. Resorting to CDA, we can claim that resistance against such gendered discourse in Iranian EFL textbooks militates against such gender norms. These representations of male and female social actors in school books are indicative of an all-encompassing education, reinforcing that the discourse of equal opportunities is yet to be realized in the education system of Iran

Neotethyan Subduction Ignited the Iran Arc and Backarc Differently

Most arcs show systematic temporal and spatial variations in magmatism with clear shifts in igneous rock compositions between those of the magmatic front (MF) and those in the backarc (BA). It is unclear if similar magmatic polarity is seen for extensional continental arcs. Herein, we use geochemical and isotopic characteristics coupled with zircon U‐Pb geochronology to identify the different magmatic style of the Iran convergent margin, an extensional system that evolved over 100 Myr. Our new and compiled U‐Pb ages indicate that major magmatic episodes for the NE Iran BA occurred at 110–80, 75–50, 50–35, 35–20, and 15–10 Ma. In contrast to NE Iran BA magmatic episodes, compiled data from MF display two main magmatic episodes at 95–75 and 55–5 Ma, indicating more continuous magmatism for the MF than for the BA. We show that Paleogene Iran serves as a useful example of a continental arc under extension. Our data also suggest that there is not a clear relationship between the subduction velocity of Neotethyan Ocean beneath Iran and magmatic activity in Iran. Our results imply that the isotopic compositions of Iran BA igneous rocks do not directly correspond to the changes in tectonic processes or geodynamics, but other parameters such as the composition of lithosphere and melt source(s) should be considered. In addition, changes in subduction zone dynamics and contractional versus extensional tectonic regimes influenced the composition of MF and BA magmatic rocks. These controls diminished the geochemical and isotopic variations between the magmatic front and backarc

Comparing Effect of Safranal and Diazepam in Reducing Preoperative Anxiety and Improving Vital Symptoms

Aim: Preoperative anxiety is an unpleasant manner created by fear of surgery. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of diazepam pill with Safranal in reducing preoperative anxiety and improving vital symptoms. Material and Methods: In this double blind randomized clinical trial, 54 patients who were candidates of urology surgery (varicocele) in 15th Khordad Hospital, Gonabad, Iran, were selected by purposive sampling method, using a randomized numbers table; they were divided into intervention (n=29) and control group (n=25). The patients in intervention group received 15mg Safranal and the patients in control group received 5mg oral diazepam 3 hours before surgery. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire was completed by the patients prior to the intervention and just at the entrance to the surgery room, and the vital symptoms of the patient were evaluated. The data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5 software, using of Chi-square and independent sample t-test. Findings: After intervention, the trait anxiety in the Safranal group was significantly lower than diazepam group (p=0.007) and before the intervention (p=0.002). Also, diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the Safranal group compared with the diazepam group (p=0.049). Conclusion: Saffranal consumption before surgery is more effective than diazepam consumption in reducing the trait anxiety, but it does not affect state anxiety. Also, compared to diazepam, Saffranal consumption leads to a more reduction in diastolic blood pressure, while it does not affect systolic blood pressure and heart rate

A cohort study of 30 day mortality after NON-EMERGENCY surgery in a COVID-19 cold site

BACKGROUND: Two million non-emergency surgeries are being cancelled globally every week due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which will have a major impact on patients and healthcare systems. METHODS: During the peak of the pandemic in the United Kingdom, we set up a multicentre cancer network amongst 14 National Health Service institutions, performing urological, thoracic, gynaecological and general surgical urgent and cancer operations at a central COVID-19 cold site. This is a cohort study of 500 consecutive patients undergoing surgery in this network. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality from COVID-19. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and post-operative complications at 30-days. RESULTS: 500 patients underwent surgery with median age 62.5 (IQR 51-71). 65% were male, 60% had a known diagnosis of cancer and 61% of surgeries were considered complex or major. No patient died from COVID-19 at 30-days. 30-day all-cause mortality was 3/500 (1%). 10 (2%) patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, 4 (1%) with confirmed laboratory diagnosis and 6 (1%) with probable COVID-19. 33/500 (7%) of patients developed Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or higher complications, with 1/33 (3%) occurring in a patient with COVID-19. CONCLUSION: It is safe to continue cancer and urgent surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic with appropriate service reconfiguration

Immersed boundary-finite element model of fluid-structure interaction in the aortic root

It has long been recognized that aortic root elasticity helps to ensure efficient aortic valve closure, but our understanding of the functional importance of the elasticity and geometry of the aortic root continues to evolve as increasingly detailed in vivo imaging data become available. Herein, we describe fluid-structure interaction models of the aortic root, including the aortic valve leaflets, the sinuses of Valsalva, the aortic annulus, and the sinotubular junction, that employ a version of Peskin's immersed boundary (IB) method with a finite element (FE) description of the structural elasticity. We develop both an idealized model of the root with three-fold symmetry of the aortic sinuses and valve leaflets, and a more realistic model that accounts for the differences in the sizes of the left, right, and noncoronary sinuses and corresponding valve cusps. As in earlier work, we use fiber-based models of the valve leaflets, but this study extends earlier IB models of the aortic root by employing incompressible hyperelastic models of the mechanics of the sinuses and ascending aorta using a constitutive law fit to experimental data from human aortic root tissue. In vivo pressure loading is accounted for by a backwards displacement method that determines the unloaded configurations of the root models. Our models yield realistic cardiac output at physiological pressures, with low transvalvular pressure differences during forward flow, minimal regurgitation during valve closure, and realistic pressure loads when the valve is closed during diastole. Further, results from high-resolution computations demonstrate that IB models of the aortic valve are able to produce essentially grid-converged dynamics at practical grid spacings for the high-Reynolds number flows of the aortic root

Gender Equality and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Middle East

This chapter focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in relation to gender equality in the Arab Middle East. It examines the relationship between CSR and gender in the workplace whilst exploring the link between CSR and human resource management (HRM) policies and practices. The chapter first presents some seminal work on gender equality and diversity management, looking at the business case for gender equality within the CSR and HRM contexts, before engaging with relevant work on gender equality in the Arab Middle East. It concludes by offering recommendations on advancing the equality agenda at the macro- and meso-levels, within a framework which recognises the centrality of agency of women, as well as the potential of positive changes through corporations being seen as ‘agents of change’. The chapter advocates for organisational and governmental policies to promote gender equality in the Arab Middle East