Immunomodulatory effect of β-glucan on peritoneal macrophages of Babl/c mice

We assessed the effect of β-Glucan on macrophages by Griess reagent and viability by MTT assay and cytotoxicity. Assay of macrophages culture supernatants were carried out on WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cell line as tumor necrosis factor-α bioassay were done. NO release was increased at the dose of 10 μg/ml (P = 0.001) of β-Glucan while the viability of macrophages in all concentrations was the same. In TNF-α bioassay, the supernatant of macrophages stimulated with β-Glucan had a significant cytotoxic effect on WEHI-164 cells (P = 0.023). β-Glucan had a positive effect on increasing tumoricidal activity of macrophages which may help in anti-cancer immune responses. © 2015 Polish Journal of Microbiology

Innate Immune Activation by Checkpoint Inhibition in Human Patient-Derived Lung Cancer Tissues

Although Pembrolizumab-based immunotherapy has significantly improved lung cancer patient survival, many patients show variable efficacy and resistance development. A better understanding of the drug’s action is needed to improve patient outcomes. Functional heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is crucial to modulating drug resistance; understanding of individual patients’ TME that impacts drug response is hampered by lack of appropriate models. Lung organotypic tissue slice cultures (OTC) with patients’ native TME procured from primary and brain-metastasized (BM) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were treated with Pembrolizumab and/or beta-glucan (WGP, an innate immune activator). Metabolic tracing with 13C6-Glc/13C5,15N2-Gln, multiplex immunofluorescence, and digital spatial profiling (DSP) were employed to interrogate metabolic and functional responses to Pembrolizumab and/or WGP. Primary and BM PD-1+ lung cancer OTC responded to Pembrolizumab and Pembrolizumab + WGP treatments, respectively. Pembrolizumab activated innate immune metabolism and functions in primary OTC, which were accompanied by tissue damage. DSP analysis indicated an overall decrease in immunosuppressive macrophages and T cells but revealed microheterogeneity in immune responses and tissue damage. Two TMEs with altered cancer cell properties showed resistance. Pembrolizumab or WGP alone had negligible effects on BM-lung cancer OTC but Pembrolizumab + WGP blocked central metabolism with increased pro-inflammatory effector release and tissue damage. In-depth metabolic analysis and multiplex TME imaging of lung cancer OTC demonstrated overall innate immune activation by Pembrolizumab but heterogeneous responses in the native TME of a patient with primary NSCLC. Metabolic and functional analysis also revealed synergistic action of Pembrolizumab and WGP in OTC of metastatic NSCLC

The Effectiveness of Emotional Schema Therapy on Emotional Schemas of Female Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect

Introduction: Development of emotional schemas is regarded as one of the long term effects of child abuse and neglect. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of Emotional Schema Therapy on emotional schemas of female victims of child abuse and neglect. Methods: In this quasi-experimental design, 30 women, who had the history of child abuse and neglect (according to the scores obtained in the child abuse and neglect questionnaire) and met entry criteria, were selected and then assigned into the experimental and control groups randomly (n=15). The experimental group received a 13-session intervention based on Emotional Schema Therapy and the control group was on a waiting list. The applied instruments consisted of child abuse and neglect questionnaire, Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Moreover, the study data were analyzed by the analysis of covariance. Results: The study results demonstrated that Emotional Schema Therapy has decreased the emotional schemas of “Guilt” and “Simplistic View of Emotions” and increased “Acceptance of Emotions” in both posttest and follow-up stages. This effectiveness was confirmed via increase of emotional schema of “Consensus” in posttest stage and “ Emotional Validation and Comprehensibility” in the follow-up stage. Conclusion: The study findings proposed that Emotional Schema Therapy can be regarded as an effective intervention in order to modify some dimensions of emotional schemas in women with child abuse and neglect history

The effect of oxygen pressure on structure, electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ thin films by pulsed laser deposition

 In this paper, Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (BSCF) thin films were deposited on single crystal SrTiO3 (STO) (100) by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique at different pressures of oxygen. Crystal structure of bulk and thin film samples was studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD results indicate that both bulk and thin film samples have cubic structures. AFM micrographs showed an increase in RMS roughness by oxygen pressure. The electrical resistance was measured at room temperature up to 600 and 800 °C in air using four probe method for bulk and thin films, respectively. A sharp drop in resistance was observed by increasing temperature up to 400 °C, that was explained with the small polaron hopping model. Polaron activation energy was calculated by Arrhenius relation. It was decreased over increasing oxygen pressure. The surface exchange coefficient (Kchem) of the 300 mTorr sample was measured by electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) technique. The results suggested a linear relationship between Kchem and reciprocal of absolute temperature

The Survey of Noise and Light Effects on Body Posture During the Study in Male Dormitory of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Noise and light can affect on body posture during the study. With regard to the importance of the mentioned factors and their effect on body posture, measurement and assessment of these parameters seems essential in the study rooms. This study aimed to measure and assess these factors and their relationship with students' postural status. Methods: In this cross-sectional (descriptive- analytical) study, 167 male and single students in dormitories of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) were selected. Measurement of noise and lighting was done according to the standards of the Iran National Committee on Occupational Health. The RULA method was used to assess the students' posture. Results: In this study, light (433.88 ± 114.83 lux) and sound pressure levels (49.59 ± 4.64 dB) were obtained. The results of assessment of physical exposure to musculoskeletal risks by RULA technique showed that in 34.7% of the studied subjects, the level of exposure to musculoskeletal risks was in Action Level (AC) 2, 41.3% in AC 3 and 24% in AC 4. Results showed no significant correlation between the sound the students' posture, but significant correlation was observed between light and the students' postural status. Conclusion: Posture of students during the study has correlation with light. Therefore, improved lightening can improve student posture and consequently a remarkable help to increase the students comfort