Relationship between changes in heart rate variability indices and blood glucose control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the mostcommon health problems in the community.DM is associated with pathologicchanges in the cardiovascular system due to alterations inthe autonomic nervous system (ANS). Dysfunction of thecardiovascular ANS can lead to fatal arrhythmias and suddendeath. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationshipbetween changes in heart rate variability (HRV)indices and blood glucose control status in patients withtype 2 DM. Patients with type 2 DM who presented toour university Diabetes Clinic were eligible to be included.Fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2-hour postprandial bloodglucose test (2PPG), and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) weremeasured. According to the HbA1C the patients werecategorized as euglycemia (HbA1C <7%) and poorly controlledDM (HbA1C >7%). HRV indices were determinedby 24-hour Holter monitoring. There were 41 patientswith euglycemia and 39 patients whose blood glucosewas poorly controlled. pNN, SDANN, and SDNN indiceswere significantly higher in the euglycemia group thanin the group with poorly controlled glucose. There wassignificant and inverse correlation between pNN, SDANN,and SDNN with serum levels of HBA1C. However, no significantcorrelation was observed between FBS and 2PPGwith HRV indices. HRV indices were significantly lowerin diabetic patients with poorly controlled blood glucosewhen compared to diabetics with good control of bloodglucose. These findings reflect dysfunction of the ANS inpatents with poorly controlled blood glucose

Assessing the Roles of MYC and EGR1 in Endoderm Differentiation

The Wnt signaling pathway is evolutionarily conserved from fruit flies to humans. Strongly associated with development and embryonic morphogenesis, it is known to be required for early endoderm and later hindgut development in mammals. In adults, the Wnt signaling pathway is required for the proper maintenance of the intestinal epithelium and mutations in critical Wnt signaling pathway components are initiating events in the development of essentially all colorectal cancers. An important target gene whose expression is upregulated by Wnt signaling pathway activation is the oncogene MYC. This gene produces a transcription factor whose typical cellular role is to stimulate cell cycle progression and proliferation. Under specific cellular conditions, namely in the absence of functional p53, MYC has been shown to upregulate the expression of EGR1, ultimately leading to apoptosis. Interestingly, we have observed specific expression of these MYC-EGR1 pathway components during the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into definitive endoderm. These studies seek to assess the role of the MYC-EGR1 pathway in early endodermal development. Using immunofluorescence staining, we seek to assess whether MYC and EGR1 are absent from undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells by co-staining for the pluripotency marker OCT-4 and MYC or EGR1. Next, we seek to determine whether MYC, EGR1, or both are required for endoderm differentiation by specifically targeting their expression using shRNA during endoderm differentiation. These studies will contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in endoderm differentiation and the role of the MYC-EGR1 pathway in the process

Relationship between changes in heart rate variability indices and blood glucose control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the mostcommon health problems in the community.DM is associated with pathologicchanges in the cardiovascular system due to alterations inthe autonomic nervous system (ANS). Dysfunction of thecardiovascular ANS can lead to fatal arrhythmias and suddendeath. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationshipbetween changes in heart rate variability (HRV)indices and blood glucose control status in patients withtype 2 DM. Patients with type 2 DM who presented toour university Diabetes Clinic were eligible to be included.Fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2-hour postprandial bloodglucose test (2PPG), and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) weremeasured. According to the HbA1C the patients werecategorized as euglycemia (HbA1C <7%) and poorly controlledDM (HbA1C >7%). HRV indices were determinedby 24-hour Holter monitoring. There were 41 patientswith euglycemia and 39 patients whose blood glucosewas poorly controlled. pNN, SDANN, and SDNN indiceswere significantly higher in the euglycemia group thanin the group with poorly controlled glucose. There wassignificant and inverse correlation between pNN, SDANN,and SDNN with serum levels of HBA1C. However, no significantcorrelation was observed between FBS and 2PPGwith HRV indices. HRV indices were significantly lowerin diabetic patients with poorly controlled blood glucosewhen compared to diabetics with good control of bloodglucose. These findings reflect dysfunction of the ANS inpatents with poorly controlled blood glucose

Comparison clinical and metabolic effects of metformin and pioglitazone in polycystic ovary syndrome

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women. PCOS comprises a broad spectrum of anomalies, including hyperandrogenism, chronic anovulation, obesity, and infertility. Insulin resistance and its compensatory hyperinsulinemia play a key role in the pathogenicity of PCOS. This study compares the effects of 2 types of insulin sensitizer drugs, metformin and pioglitazone, on clinical, metabolic, and endocrine characteristics of women with PCOS. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 56 women with PCOS (ages 20–49 years) were treated orally with either metformin (500 mg 3 times daily) or pioglitazone (30 mg daily) for 3 months. Clinical (body weight, blood pressure [BP], and body mass index) and laboratory indices (fasting blood sugar [FBS], serum triglyceride [TG], cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, insulin, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA]) were measured before and after therapy. Data were analyzed by Chi-square and McNemar's tests. Results: Significant decreases were seen after treatment with metformin in extent of hair loss (P = 0.008), wrist circle (P = 0.011), weight (P = 0.047), diastolic BP (P = 0.023), and DHEA (P = 0.035). A significant decrease in TG was seen with pioglitazone treatment (P = 0.047). In both groups, significant decreases in acne, menstrual disturbance, FBS, and serum insulin were seen. Conclusion: There is a significant amelioration of endocrine and metabolic indices with pioglitazone in PCOS patients. Although we were not able to recommend one treatment regime over the other, pioglitazone offers a useful, alternate treatment in women with PCOS who are not able to tolerate metformin

Transfer of Space Technologies in Iran: Drivers and Constraints of Success

Understanding how publicly funded technologies could diffuse industries and other sectors in developing countries has been a challenge for researchers in the field of cross-sector technology transfer. Specifically, advanced technologies are rarely commercialized or transferred to industries. Technology transfer projects are highly dependent on many regional and contextual conditions. This study aims to determine how high-tech technology transfer in a developing economy can be operationalized by studying its complexities. A thematic analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews with 18 participants in the qualitative phase, investigating the critical factors affecting the transfer of space technologies to other sectors. The results explained the critical factors within ten categories and their inter-relation with one another. The results suggest that technology transfer in high-tech industries can be better understood if analyzed within a complex paradigm. Policy recommendations and implications have been presented in three layers, dealing with systems, responsibilities, and direct failures

A Comparison of the Therapeutic Effects of Metformin, Pioglitazone and Vitamin E in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is specified by changes in fat in the liver, with or without inflammation. The disease is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Since a different medicinal treatment has been introduced, this study was conducted to compare the therapeutic effects of metformin, pioglitazone and vitamin E in treatment of these patients. METHODS: In this single-blind randomized clinical trial, 93 patients with the diagnosis of NAFLD who referred to Imam Reza Hospital in Kermanshah were randomly divided into three groups (n = 31). Then, the first group received two gr/day metformin, the second group received 30 mg/day pioglitazone and the third group received 800 IU/day vitamin E for 12 weeks. LFTs, BMI, HOMA-IR, FBS, and serum insulin levels were measured before and after the treatment course (IRCT: 2016010411991N3). FINDINGS: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of distribution of sex, mean age, LFT and HOMA-IR before treatment. The mean difference in severity of NAFLD before or after the treatment was metformin (1.06 ± 0.63), pioglitazone (1.195±0.75) and vitamin E (0.77±0.62), which was statistically significant (p<0.05). In addition, serum insulin levels (p<0.01) and HOMA-IR (p<0.05) were significant between the groups; pioglitazone showed highest effect on reducing the severity of NAFLD, serum insulin levels, and HOMA-IR. Metformin and vitamin E were next in line, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, pioglitazone is more effective than metformin and vitamin E both in reducing the severity of NAFLD and in lowering LFT and serum insulin levels

Diagnostic value of CD56 and nm23 markers in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Context: Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant endocrine tumor. Nowadays tissue biopsy and pathological assessment are the best diagnostic modalities for thyroid lesions. Differential diagnosis between adenomas and follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is an important issue in pathology. Aims: This study is designed to show any association between expressions of CD56 and nm23 and types of thyroid lesions (benign vs. malignant). Settings and Design: In this cross-sectional study, 78 paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of thyroid tissue from a tertiary care center were selected, and assessed by using immunohistochemistry for expressions of CD56 and nm23 genes. Materials and Methods: we studied 39 benign and 39 malignant thyroid lesions, CD56 and nm23 expressions were determined by immunohistochemical staining, and the results were used for differentiation of benign and malignant lesions of thyroid. Statistical Analysis: The obtained results were analyzed and evaluated using SPSS (Version 18). Results: CD56 was expressed in 93% of benign specimens and in only 5% of malignant types. The sensitivity and specificity of this test were 94.8% and 92.3, respectively (P = 0.001). All malignant specimens and 95% of benign specimens were positive for nm23. The sensitivity and specificity of nm23 were 100% and 5%, respectively. Conclusion: Considering high sensitivity and specificity of CD56, it is possible to apply immunohistochemistry for definite diagnosis and differentiation of benign lesions from PTC. We conclude that by using this marker, the diagnostic mistakes in pathologic diagnosis of thyroid cancer versus benign lesions like thyroid adenoma will decrease