Synthesis, physical characterization, antifungal and antibacterial activity of oleic acid-capped nanomagnetite and cobalt-doped nanomagnetite

Nanoparticles, 10-14 nm, consisting of either Fe3O4 or Co0.2Fe2.8O4 stabilized with oleic acid, were prepared using solution combustion. Their structural and magnetic properties were examined using X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The properties of both sets of materials are similar except the cobalt-doped particles are considerably less magnetic. The in vitro inhibitory activities of the nanoparticles were assessed against pathogenic bacteria Shigella dysenteriae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Streptococcus pyogenes, and pathogenic fungi and molds Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus fumigatus. The magnetite nanoparticles were moderately effective against all tested pathogens, but the activity of the cobalt-doped nanoparticles was significantly lower, possibly due to an interruption of the Fenton reaction at the bacterial membrane. This work suggests that potentially doping magnetite with stronger metal oxidants may instead enhance their antimicrobial effects

The Effect of Active Recovery, Passive Recovery and Sports Massage on Cortisol and Lactate Levels in Semi-professional Male Runners

Introduction: The role of recovery can be effective in reducing post-exercise fatigue. This study aimed to compare the effects of active recovery and sports massage on cortisol hormone activity and blood lactate levels in semi-professional male runners.Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 20 semi-professional runners were randomly selected and divided into two groups: the active recovery group and the massage recovery group. Initially, blood samples were taken from the participants after a 12-hour fasting period to examine the variables in the pre-test. Then, both groups participated in a 1500-meter race, after which the recovery methods were applied. After blood collection, the participants underwent a post-test. The obtained data were analyzed using paired t-test and independent t-test with a significance level of less than 0.05.Results: The results showed that cortisol levels after massage recovery did not significantly differ from the pre-test levels (P=0.67). However, lactate levels in the post-test following massage recovery were significantly higher than the pre-test levels (P=0.001). The cortisol levels in the active recovery group were significantly higher than the pre-test levels (P=0.04), and the cortisol levels in the post-test were significantly higher than the pre-test levels in the active recovery group (P=0.001). There was no significant difference in cortisol (P=0.48) and lactate (P=0.45) levels between the massage recovery and active recovery methods in semi-professional runners.Conclusion: The results indicated that at this level of exercise intensity, there was no significant difference in the changes of lactate and cortisol hormones between the two recovery methods (active and massage)

Scour depth prediction around bridge abutment protected by spur dike using soft computing tools and regression methods

Scour depth around bridge abutment is a crucial parameter to design the protective spur dike. Costly and time consuming experiments make it difficult to evaluate the scour depth in the problems involving scour phenomena. However, soft computing and regression methods may be applied based on the experimental results. In this paper, a set of experiments is performed and a database including 127 records is collected to evaluate the relation between scour depth and five independent variables including abutment length, flow discharge, flow depth, spur dike length and Spur dike distance from abutment to upstream. This paper presents a new application of the multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLP), group method of data handling (GMDH), non-linear regression (NLR) and multiple linear regression (MLR) to predict the scour depth. A sensitivity analysis is also performed to evaluate the influence of each variable on the scour depth. Results indicate that the first three methods are efficient and accurate enough to be applied in practical applications with determination coefficient (R2) above 90%, while, the MLR has shown a poor performance in this paper. It is observed that MLP and GMDH outperform other methods based on the test data. However, explicit equation derived by NLR has a major advantage to be applied in the field applications without skilled operators and computer packages

Citrus aurantium Blossom and Preoperative Anxiety

SummaryBackground and objectivesReducing anxiety is very important before operation. Preoperative visit and use of premedication are popular methods to achieve this goal, but the role of anxiolytic premedication remains unclear and postoperative side-effects may result from routine premedication. Citrus aurantium is used as an alternative medicine in some countries to treat anxiety, and recently the anxiolytic role of this medicinal plant was established in an animal model study. The aim of this study was to assess the anxiolytic effect of Citrus aurantium blossomon preoperative anxiety.MethodsWe studied 60 ASA I patients undergoing minor operation. In a randomized double-blind design, two groups of 30 patients received one of the following oral premedication two hours before induction of anesthesia: 1) Citrus aurantium blossom distillate 1mL.kg-1 (C-group); 2) Saline solution 1mL.kg-1 as placebo (P-group). Anxiety was measured before and after premedication using the Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI-state) and the Amsterdam preoperative anxiety and information scale (APAIS) before operation.ResultsAfter premedication, both the STAI-state and the APAIS scales were decreased in C-group (p<0.05); while exhibiting no significant changes in P-group.ConclusionsCitrus aurantium blossom may be effective in terms of reduction in preoperative anxiety before minor operation

A case of invasive aspergillosis in CGD patient successfully treated with Amphotericin B and INF-γ

BACKGROUND: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare disorder of phagocytes in which absence of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production in phagocytes predisposes patients to bacterial and fungal infections. The most common fungal infections in these patients are caused by Aspergillus species. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we describe Aspergillus osteomyelitis of the ribs and hepatic abscess in a 5-year-old boy. The patient was successfully treated with Amphotericin B and INF-γ. CONCLUSION: With respect to the high frequency of aspergillosis in the CGD patient, immune deficiency should be investigated in patients with invasive aspergillosis. Moreover, using antifungal drugs as prophylaxis can improve the quality of life in these patients

Epilepsy and Associated Factors in Elderly People of Amirkola, North of Iran (The Amirkola Health and Ageing Project)

Background: Knowledge about the associated factors with epilepsy in the elderly in Iran is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of epilepsy and associated factors in Amirkola elderly patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study is a part of a comprehensive and cohort research of &#34;The Amirkola Health and Ageing Project&#34;. The Mini-mental State Examination was used for cognitive impairment, Geriatric Depression Scale for psychiatric diseases and the Physical Activity Scale for Elderly questionnaire for physical activity. Results: The prevalence of epilepsy was 35 from 1482 participants (24/1000). The significant association between Parkinson&#8217;s Disease (OR=6.25, 95CI=1.35-28.4, P=0.001), falls (OR= 3.81, 95CI=1.62-8.97, P=0.001), depression (P=0.001), hyperphosphatemia (P=0.039) and hypokalemia (P= 0.031) concluded with epilepsy. Past history of stroke (6 versus 2, OR= 2.8, 95CI, 0.97-8.27, P=0.07), increased serum level of triglyceride (OR= 1.96, 95CI= 0.99-3.88, P=0.06) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P=0. 45) were seen in epileptic patients vs. non-epileptic patients. Conclusion: Parkinson&#39;s disease, frequency of falls and depression were the associated factors in epileptic patients and a correlation between past history of stroke, increased serum level of triglyceride and LDL with epilepsy were seen. Associated factors required screening, diagnosis and treatment

Hydatidosis of the Pelvic Cavity: A Big Masquerade

We report and discuss a case of primary hydatidosis of the pelvic cavity in a woman who presented with severe weight loss and abdominal pain. This unusual presentation was initially considered as a tumor process until surgical exploration and microscopic studies confirmed the diagnosis. The gynecologists should be aware of possibility of primary hydatid cyst of the pelvic cavity and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic pelvic masses, especially in areas where the disease is endemic

Application of short message service to control blood cholesterol: a field trial

Abstract Background Despite recommendations, many middle-age adults neglect to check their blood cholesterol levels. Short message service (SMS, also known as texting) has been seldom studied for preventive education. We estimated how SMS can be a cost-effective method in encouraging people to check their blood cholesterol levels. Methods In a field trial, 3600 cell phone users (age > 30) were randomly assigned to the intervention (N: 1200) and the control groups (N: 2400). An SMS was sent to the intervention group for five rounds every two weeks, which targeted the cognitive and affective learning and finally advised the blood cholesterol level to be checked, if not checked during the past twelve months. Two weeks after the last round, both groups were asked for the time/level of their latest blood cholesterol, family history of early cardiac death and having a family member with coronary heart disease (CHD), and to report their attitude about whether annual blood sampling is worth the cost and time to prevent CHD. Moreover, the intervention group was asked if they remembered the SMS content. The cost-effectiveness was evaluated by estimating the “number needed to treat” (NNT) and calculating the cost of sending SMS to that number of people. Results In the intervention group, 629 individuals (72.0%) recalled the SMS content. The factors associated with cholesterol screening during the past two years were older age, diabetes, family history of coronary disease, higher education, female gender and being non-smoker. In both groups, women were significantly more aware of their blood cholesterol level (68.7% vs. 53.6%). The relative frequency of respondents who believed it was not worth checking their cholesterol annually was significantly lower in the intervention group (P < 0.001). The intervention group was significantly more likely to check its blood cholesterol levels (OR:1.22) after adjustment for age, diabetes, family history of CHD and smoking. The NNT was estimated ≈ 25 for the general population and ≈ 11 for those who received SMS and had a family member with CHD. Conclusions We would postulate that SMS could affect people’s adherence to preventive programs. Relatives of patients admitted with a diagnosis of CHD should be prioritized for superior cost-effectiveness and logistical feasibility

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

As mortality rates decline, life expectancy increases, and populations age, non-fatal outcomes of diseases and injuries are becoming a larger component of the global burden of disease. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 328 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016