The fabrication of potentiometric membrane sensors and their applications

Ionophore-incorporated PVC-membrane sensors are well-established analytical tools routinely used for the selective and direct measurement of a wide variety of different ions in complex biological and environmental samples. The key ingredient of such plasticized PVC-members is the involved ionophore, defining the selectivity of the electrodes complex formation with the cation of interest. In the past few years, the development of new ion-selective electrodes for various ions has been reported inthe literature

Safety, effectiveness and economic evaluation of intra-operative radiation therapy: A systematic review

Background: Intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT) is the transfer of a single large radiation dose to the tumor bed during surgery with the final goal of improving regional tumor control. This study aimed to investigate the safety, effectiveness and economic evaluation of intra-operative radiation therapy. Methods: The scientific literature was searched in the main biomedical databases (Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Cochrane Library and PubMed) up to March 2014. Two independent reviewers selected the papers based on pre-established inclusion criteria, with any disagreements being resolved by consensus. Data were then extracted and summarized in a structured form. Results from studies were analyzed and discussed within a descriptive synthesis. Results: Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. It seems that outcomes from using intraoperative radiation therapy can be considered in various kinds of cancers like breast, pancreatic and colorectal cancers. The application of this method may provide significant survival increase only for colorectal cancer, but this increase was not significant for other types of cancer. This technology had low complications; and it is relatively safe. Using intra-operative radiation therapy could potentially be accounted as a cost-effective strategy for controlling and managing breast cancer. Conclusion: According to the existing evidences, that are the highest medical evidences for using intra-operative radiation therapy, one can generally conclude that intra-operative radiation therapy is considered as a relatively safe and cost-effective method for managing early-stage breast cancer and it can significantly increase the survival of patients with colorectal cancer. Also, the results of this study have policy implications with respect to the reimbursement of this technology

Antimicrobial Electrodeposited Silver-Containing Calcium Phosphate Coatings

Biocompatible antimicrobial coatings may enhance the function of many orthopedic implants by combating infection. Hydroxyapatite is a choice mineral for such a coating as it is native to bone and silver would be a possible antimicrobial agent as it is also commonly used in biomedical applications. The aim of the research is to develop a silver-containing calcium phosphate (Ag/Ca-P) coating via electrochemical deposition on titanium substrates as this allows for controlled coating buildup on complex shapes and porous surfaces. Two different deposition approaches are explored: one-step Ag/Ca-P(1) deposition coatings, containing silver ions as microsized silver phosphate particles embedded in the Ca-P matrix; and via a two-step method (Ag/Ca-P(2)) where silver is deposited as metallic silver nanoparticle on the Ca-P coating. The Ag/Ca-P(1) coating displays a bacterial reduction of 76.1 +/- 8.3% via Ag-ion leaching. The Ag/Ca-P(2) coating displays a bacterial reduction of 83.7 +/- 4.5% via contact killing. Interestingly, by preincubation in phosphate-buffered saline solution, bacterial reduction improves to 97.6 +/- 2.7 and 99.7 +/- 0.4% for Ag/Ca-P(1) and Ag/Ca-P(2) coatings, respectively, due to leaching of formed AgClx(x-1)- species. The biocompatibility evaluation indicates that the Ag/Ca-P(1) coating is cytotoxic towards osteoblasts while the Ag/Ca-P(2) coating shows excellent compatibility. The electrochemical deposition of highly bactericidal coatings with excellent biocompatibility will enable us to coat future bone implants even with complex or porous structures

Socio-economic, cultural, physical and ecological impact assessment of Kavar irrigation and drainage network in Iran

Environmental impacts assessment may be some measures to offset the impact to an acceptable level or explore new solutions. The research was conducted with the aim of assessing the socio-economic, cultural, physical and ecological impacts of Kavar irrigation and drainage network in Fars Province (Iran). In this study, Environmental impacts assessment was undertaken by ICOLD matrix. The ICOLD matrix is one of the flexible methods that converted qualitative data into quantitative data. In this method, the effect of the project activities on the environmental components were assessed in two stages; project construction and operation based on physical, ecological, socio-economic and cultural aspects. The findings indicated that positive effects will be generally exerted on the region environment by establishing and operating irrigation and drainage network in Kavar plain. In other words, substantial positive impacts will be seen in the region consequently; such as improving the average level of aquifer, enhancement of agricultural wells, and agriculture development in the region. However, in order to alleviate the negative impacts of the projects processes, it is suggested that presented environmental training to farmers, collaborating and further communicating with other relevant organizations and institutions.  </strong

Targeting Nanodiamonds to the Nucleus in Yeast Cells

Nanodiamonds are widely used for drug delivery, labelling or nanoscale sensing. For all these applications it is highly beneficial to have control over the intracellular location of the particles. For the first time, we have achieved targeting the nucleus of yeast cells. In terms of particle uptake, these cells are challenging due to their rigid cell wall. Thus, we used a spheroplasting protocol to remove the cell wall prior to uptake. To achieve nuclear targeting we used nanodiamonds, which were attached to antibodies. When using non-targeted particles, only 20% end up at the nucleus. In comparison, by using diamonds linked to antibodies, 70% of the diamond particles reach the nucleus

Insulin resistance and coronary artery disease in non-diabetic patients: Is there any correlation?

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death in the world and type 2 diabetes is one of them because it is highly prevalent and doubles heart disease risk. Some studies suggest that insulin resistance is associated with coronary artery disease in non-diabetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of insulin resistance (IR) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in non-diabetic patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, from September 2014 to July 2015, 120 patients referring to Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Qom were evaluated. Their medical history, baseline laboratory studies, BMI and GFR were recorded. After 8 hours of fasting, blood samples were taken from the patients at 8 am, including fasting glucose and insulin level. We estimated insulin resistance using the homeostatic model assessment index of IR (HOMA-IR). Finally, we evaluated the association between IR and CAD. Results: Totally, 120 patients were assigned to participate in this study, among them, 50 patients without CAD and 70 with coronary artery stenosis. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR> 2.5) was positive in 59 (49.3) patients and negative in 61 (50.7) patients. Hence, the correlation between IR and CAD was not statistically significant (P=0.9). Conclusions: In this study, although the correlation was not found between insulin resistance and coronary heart disease, among men, we found a significant association between coronary heart disease and insulin resistance. © 2018 Babol University of Medical Sciences

Comparison of Falls and its Determinants in the Elderly with and without Knee Osteoarthritis

Background and Objective: The growth of aging reveals the importance of paying attention to the health needs of the elderly. According to some studies, falls and its consequences are more common in the individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) than those without KOA, but due to lack of evidence, its related factors are still unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the falls and its determinants in the elderly with and without KOA. Methods: In this case-control study, 700 older adults in two groups of elderly with and without KOA were compared in terms of falls and some variables including KOA, sex, age, body mass index, living status, quadriceps femoris muscle strength, hand muscles strength, balance, number of comorbidities, number of drugs used, walking duration, physical activity and frailty. KOA was diagnosed based on The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Findings: In this study, falls were 1.90 times higher in the elderly with KOA than elderly without KOA. Although all variables were significantly different in case and control groups, only female gender (p=0.035) and KOA (p=0.012) were significantly associated with falls. Conclusion: These findings suggest that variables in combination may increase the risk of falls in the elderly with KOA, while each of them alone may not be associated with falls

Insulin resistance and coronary artery disease in non-diabetic patients: Is there any correlation?

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death in the world and type 2 diabetes is one of them because it is highly prevalent and doubles heart disease risk. Some studies suggest that insulin resistance is associated with coronary artery disease in non-diabetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of insulin resistance (IR) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in non-diabetic patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, from September 2014 to July 2015, 120 patients referring to Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Qom were evaluated. Their medical history, baseline laboratory studies, BMI and GFR were recorded. After 8 hours of fasting, blood samples were taken from the patients at 8 am, including fasting glucose and insulin level. We estimated insulin resistance using the homeostatic model assessment index of IR (HOMA-IR). Finally, we evaluated the association between IR and CAD. Results: Totally, 120 patients were assigned to participate in this study, among them, 50 patients without CAD and 70 with coronary artery stenosis. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR> 2.5) was positive in 59 (49.3) patients and negative in 61 (50.7) patients. Hence, the correlation between IR and CAD was not statistically significant (P=0.9). Conclusions: In this study, although the correlation was not found between insulin resistance and coronary heart disease, among men, we found a significant association between coronary heart disease and insulin resistance. © 2018 Babol University of Medical Sciences

Clinical grade human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell banking

In this study, our aim was to produce a generation of GMP-grade adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells for clinical applications. According to our results, we fulfill to establish consistent and also reproducible current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) compliant adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells from five female donors. The isolated cells were cultured in DMEM supplemented with 10 fetal bovine serum and characterized by standard methods. Moreover, karyotyping was performed to evaluate chromosomal stability. Mean of donors� age was 47.6 ± 8.29 year, mean of cell viability was 95.6 ± 1.51, and cell count was between 9�106 and 14�106 per microliter with the mean of 12.2�106 ± 2863564.21 per microliter. The main aim of this project was demonstrating the feasibility of cGMP-compliant and clinical grade adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells preparation and banking for clinical cell transplantation trials. © 2015 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved