Phenol interaction with different nano-cages with and without an electric field: A DFT study

The adsorption properties of the phenol molecule (C6H5OH) upon the outer surfaces of C24, B12P12, B12N12, Al12N12, and Al12P12 were investigated using density functional theory calculations. Our calculations reveal that the phenol molecule can be chemisorbed on the sidewalls of Al12N12 and Al12P12 with adsorption energies of -1.03 and -0.76 eV, respectively. While the adsorption energy of C6H5OH on Al12N12 is typically more than that of Al12P12 cluster. We also considered the adsorption of the C6H5OH molecule under a strong electric field over Al12N12. The results indicate that Al12N12 has high sensitivity to the phenol molecule in the presence of an electric field. © Springer Science+Business Media 2014

Correlation Between Health-Related Quality of Life in Veterans With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury and Their Caregiving Spouses

Background: Recently, investigations have indicated that caring of a chronically ill family member strongly influences the health status and the quality of life (QOL) of the caregiving family members. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between health-related QOL of veterans with chronic spinal cord injury and their caregiving spouses. Patients and Methods: We designed a cross-sectional study including two groups; veterans with chronic spinal cord injury and their caregiving wives who were living in the city of Mashhad, Iran. The patients with spinal cord injury were veterans from the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). All the participants filled out the short form 36 (SF-36) health survey questionnaire. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the scales of the two groups. Results: The mean age and standard deviation of veterans and their spouses were 48.5 ± 5.9 and 44.8 ± 7.2, respectively and their number of children ranged between 0-6. Our data analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in some domains of the SF-36, including PF, MH, PCS, MCS, BP and GH (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in RP, VT, SF and RE between the two groups. Conclusions: The results indicate that a decrease in health status level of veterans, physically and mentally, can affect the health-related QOL of their caregiving spouses

Rapid Detection of Toxoplasma gondii Antigen in Experimentally Infected Mice by Dot- ELISA

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide endemic disease. In congenitally infected infants and AIDS patients, toxoplasmosis causes high rates of morbidity and mortality. In these cases antibody detection is difficult; so detection of parasite or its components could be useful tool for early detection and following treatment of the infection.Methods: Sixty-three BALB/c mice were injected intra-peritoneal with 5×103 tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii RH strain, nine mice were sacrificed daily for 7 days. Fourteen mice were in­jected with phosphate buffer saline as control group. Dot-ELISA was performed for detection of T.gondii antigen in mice sera and capture - ELISA was done as golden standard assay too.Results : Toxoplasma gondii antigen was detected from day 2 in mice sera ; 22% of mice sera on day 2, 33% on day 3,77% on day 4 and 100% on day 5 till their death on day 7 had shown antigene­mia by dot - ELISA, no positive result was detected in control mice by dot- ELISA.Conclusion: Dot-ELISA is a sensitive method for diagnosis of T. gondii infection in the animal model; also, this technique is more rapid and easy to perform method in comparison with cap­ture-ELISA

HIV infection significantly reduces lipoprotein lipase which remains low after 6 months of antiretroviral therapy

Purpose of the study Fractional clearance rate of apolipoprotein B100-containing lipoproteins is reduced in HIV infection before and after antiretroviral (ARV) treatment [1]. We compared lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and gene expression in HIV-positive subjects before and 6 months after ARV with HIV-negative controls. Methods Fasting blood post heparin total and hepatic lipase activity,adiponectin, leptin, insulin, glucose, and lipid measurementswere made in 32 HIV-infected and 15 HIVnegative controls. LPL was estimated by subtractinghepatic lipase from total lipase. Adiponectin, LPL andhormone sensitive lipase (HSL) gene expression weremeasured from iliac crest subcutaneous fat biopsies.Patients were tested before, and 6 months after randomisation to AZT/3TC (n = 15) or TDF/FTC (n = 17) with EFV.Between-group comparison was by Mann-Whitney andpaired samples by the Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Summary of results There were no differences in gender, ethnicity, baseline BMI, regional fat distribution (whole body DEXA) and visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous fat (SAT) measured by abdominal CT scans between controls and patients. Trunk fat/BMI ratio, VAT and VAT:SAT ratio significantly increased after 6-month ARV therapy (p = 0.01). There were no differences between groups in serum NEFA,HOMA and leptin levels. Selected other results are shown in Table 1. Conclusion Post heparin lipoprotein lipase activity is reduced in HIV and does not return to control levels after 6 months of ARV therapy. AZT-containing regimens are associated with a greater increase in LPL, LPL gene expression and plasma adiponectin than TDF

Evaluation of Confounders in Toxoplasmosis Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Assay

Background: The IFA test is one of the most usual methods for detecting anti-Toxoplasma antibod­ies, although it has not any unique standardization. It seems that the microscopic judg­ment of results is an important confounder in IFA test. Therefore, we conducted the present study to clarify the role of microscopic observer, and other confounders on the test.Methods: Eighty sera were collected from patients suspicious to toxoplasmosis for detection IgG anti-T. gondii by this test. Samples were examined against different series of antigens, IgG anti-human conjugates, and observers.Results: There were no significant differences between the two series of antigens and conjugates. For the observers groups the kappa coefficient of the test results in the experts group (0.97, 0.94-1.00) were significantly higher than the less experienced observers (0.77, 0.68-0.87).Conclusion: We recommend the IFA test to be performed only in reference laboratories and by laboratory technicians that have enough experience for this test. Otherwise, we suggest the substitution of this test with other tests like ELISA for the diagnosis and epidemiological studies

The Prospective Assessment of Nutrition in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Aims: Patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) have increased risk of malnutrition. Early detection of nutritional deterioration enables prompt intervention and correction. The aims of this project were to define the nutritional status of CF patients in Iran and New Zealand, compare and contrast the McDonald Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) tool with the Australasian Guidelines for Nutrition in Cystic Fibrosis, and validate these results with each patient’s evaluation by their CF clinical team. Methods:Children with CF (2 - 18 years) were assessed during routine outpatient visits over one year. Anthropometric measurements were obtained. Both tools were applied and the results compared to their clinical evaluation (as gold standard) with calculation of specificity and sensitivity. Results:Under-nutrition was seen more frequent in the 33 Iranian children than in the 36 New Zealand (NZ) patients (39% versus 0%, p=0.0001), whereas over-nutrition was more prevalent in NZ children (9% versus 17%, p=0.05). At the first visit, both guidelines were able to recognize 77% and 61% of under-nourished Iranian patients, respectively. The mean sensitivity and specificity for all visits for the McDonald tool were 83% &amp; 73% (Iran) and 65% &amp; 86% (NZ). Sensitivity and specificity for the Australasian guidelines were 79% &amp; 79% (Iran) and 70% &amp; 90% (NZ). Conclusions: Both tools successfully recognised patients at risk of malnutrition. The McDonald tool had comparable sensitivity and specificity to that described previously, especially in Iranian patients. This tool may be helpful in recognizing at risk CF patients, particularlyin developing countries with fewer resources